Beer glass preferences, what's yours?

[AleisterCrowley]

That line from the wash to Bristol continues after Bristol, broadly following the M5 to Exeter, where things like developed-world infrastructure and investment run out. Those of us in West Devon and Cornwall may be the most southerly of anyone on the island, yet have more in common with the North of England (not to mention the celtic fringe across the water to our north) than with the areas described as southern England.

Some parts of coastal Cornwall are like Kensington-on-Sea. It's a very different story when you get inland to where all the real Cornish have moved to...
I've never been to East Anglia but it is, apparently, a similar story on the east coast (Aldborough, Southwold etc)

[Meatyfool]

As regarding cooling beer, my local camra beer festival puts cloths on the top of the barrels and has hoses handy to water the casks. (At least I guess that is what they do with the hoses). With the casks framed inside a marquee, is such a setup sufficient to keep at bay a sunny June day?

Meatyfool..

[didds]

Those of us in West Devon and Cornwall may be the most southerly of anyone on the island, yet have more in common with the North of England (not to mention the celtic fringe across the water to our north) than with the areas described as southern England..

Living now in Wiltshire it does slightly amuse me that its seen as the "west country" when in reality and geographically it can best be described as southern/south central.

And in many aspects of UK life Bristol is the "west country" and anything past there be dragons!

didds

[Lootman]

All the beer festivals I have been to (mostly the larger/CAMRA ones) issue a (refundable) pint glass, usually with the festival logo on.. Most are marked at the 1/3pt, 1/2pt, 1pt levels.
Warm beer is dreadful ! The decent festivals have a cooling jacket system, as do pubs without a cool(ed) cellar space.

Many foreigners consider that we Brits drink warm beer.

I was at a beer festival in Seattle and one of the beers there claimed to be an English bitter. It was served colder and fizzier than it would be in the UK. Initially I didn't think it was like an English bitter at all. But as it got warmed and flatter (it was a hot day and this was outdoors) it tasted more and more like it would back home.

Beer tastes best when it is not too cold, and it's hard to assess a beer that is served ice cold. If you ever want to know how vile Coke or Pepsi really is, allow it to become warm and flat, and then taste it. Disgusting.

[AleisterCrowley]

Warm flat Champagne anyone?

Anything that has to be served ice cold is usually dreadful (Bud etc) although a cold bland EuroLager can hit the spot on a hot day
Warm (>14C) real ale is not pleasant. Cask Marque recommend /audit at 10-14C
I prefer IPAs etc at the lower end (never measured but I'd guess 8-10C)- stouts and porters warmer (but not UK room temperature!)

[Phileasrob]

My local Greene King pub has 4 guest beers and for some time has sold beer from the Twickenham Brewery. The current offering is Winter Star however, my favourite by far was the Autumn Red but that finished in November as they are seasonal. It's great for the customers and the smaller breweries that some chain pubs are now stocking their wares.

[AleisterCrowley]

Ah, but what sort of glasses do they use?

[Hallucigenia]

As regarding cooling beer, my local camra beer festival puts cloths on the top of the barrels and has hoses handy to water the casks. (At least I guess that is what they do with the hoses). With the casks framed inside a marquee, is such a setup sufficient to keep at bay a sunny June day?

Wet cloth is the traditional way to do it, and is cheap and easy, the effectiveness...depends. Only way you can truly say whether it's "sufficient" is to measure the temperature of the beer coming out of the casks.

It's certainly true that not all CAMRA branches walk the walk on looking after beer - and it's no coincidence that there are so many beer festivals in late September/early October. Festival logistics are much easier when it's roughly cellar temperature outside!

[Phileasrob]

Ah, but what sort of glasses do they use?

Straight only I'm afraid.

[jfgw]

Most of my local beer festivals have proper coolers. Chelmsford and Mid Essex CAMRA have coolers and will put them to good use at their next festival at King Edward's Grammar School in Chelmsford between 15th and 18th February. You can bring your own CE marked jug or other vessel if you prefer or, if you have a favourite drinking vessel that is not CE marked, beer can be served into a festival glass and you can transfer your beer from that.

I will remind you nearer to the time.

Julian F. G. W.