Jamie Cook finds a drinking hole in England that gives brewpub a whole new meaning... The Angel & White Horse - Tadcaster, England

Tadcaster is one of those fortunate English towns that is blessed with owing its livelihood to breweries. Situated close to the walled city of York, Tadcaster has two breweries that were both founded by members of the Smith family. The larger John Smith's brewery is now a part of the Scottish & Newcastle empire whilst the smaller and more traditional Samuel Smith's brewery remains an independent family owned business.

At the front gate to the Samuel Smith's brewery on the main street of the town sits the The Angel & White Horse Pub, a classic ‘brewery tap' - a pub that is usually part of the brewery that is used to showcase its wares whilst also slaking the thirsts of the brewery workers and locals.

Time appears to have passed Samuel Smiths by as it continues to operate its business by sticking to the traditions established before the industrial age. The brewery itself was founded in 1758 and is a traditional gravity brewery where the brewing process starts high up in a tower where the brewhouse is located. From there the brew flows down to the fermentation area where the almost archaic square open fermentation vessels are located. These ‘squares' were crafted from local Yorkshire slate and contribute real character to the family's fine ales. After fermentation the brew continues its downhill journey to the cellar area where it is stored prior to being racked into wooden casks.

‘The Angel' draws its range of draught ales directly from the brewery and presents them in prime condition, serving them by hand pump to customers across the bar.

The best way to experience the ‘The Angel' is by starting with a brewery tour. By spending an hour or so climbing up and down stairs amongst a labyrinth of tanks, vessels and pipes, being seduced by the sensory experience on offer you will build up a real thirst for what is a classic real ale. The sight of those slate squares filled with bubbling brews draws you in and when you put your head over the top of them to appreciate the aroma in the same way you would ‘nose' a glass of fine wine, the carbon dioxide coming off the fermenting wort makes your head spin.

By the time you reach the bar in ‘The Angel' you are almost foaming at the mouth for one of Sam's ales. As you watch the pint of Old Brewery Bitter being drawn by hand you begin to think about how this beer is going to present itself after its journey through the brewery. When you are presented with a brimming glass of deep brown ale topped with a thick, dense white head it seems calm, collected and naturally relaxed. A far cry from the breathlessness, beating chest and strained calf muscles of its expectant drinker!

The dangers of drinking real ale are completely removed in a place like this. A beer that is molly coddled from the time that grain meets water high up in the tower to when it caresses the inside of the crystal clear pint glass in the bar is a true gift. The care and attention, together with the complete lack of modern processing, makes me think of how my grandmother would have created her much loved fruit cakes. Not surprisingly the fruity characters and full mouth flavour of the ale are reminiscent of those fruit cakes, and would probably sit just as well beside a slab of aged English cheddar. The round malt character of Sam's is almost heavenly when consumed within the brewery gates.

As you sit by the side of the open fire, you can only fall further in love with the living breathing ale in front of you. Each mouthful is rewarded with a heavy lace around the glass, and each pint adds to that warming inner glow. The dizzy rapture is occasionally interrupted by the clatter of the horse drawn brewery dray taking a delivery of wooden casks out the gates to the local pubs.

Was I really that affected by the wondrous brew provided by the angel, or was my head still spinning from the carbon dioxide fumes given off by the stone squares?

Daniel Tillack, Editor of Modern Fishing magazine, explores the relationship between beer and fishing.

There are a lot of ‘B' words in the fishing vernacular: barramundi, bass, bream, barracuda, billfish, bonefish, bait, boat, barnacle, beam, berth, bilge, bollard, bow, breakers, buoy, barometer and beer. Yes, beer. Whether it be sipping suds while staring at the surf or clasping a cold one while creeping past a crocodile, a beer has always been a favourite way to pass the time between bites.

The history of beer and fishing goes way back, further than the days of drunken sailors singing sea shanties about overboard shipmates and sexy mermaids. I'd wager that ‘fisherman' takes the mantle and moves prostitution to the second oldest profession in human history. Later on - once agriculture had been developed (some 5,000 years ago) - it didn't take too long for the job of ‘master brewer' to emerge. (Perhaps the Egyptians worked the barley after setting the nets for the day...) And so fishing and beer - both invented as a means of sustenance, yet evolved into a source of merriment - have stumbled through the ages arm-in-arm.

Beer is no longer just beer, and fishing is no longer just fishing. Every part of the globe has their own interpretation and styles of both, but no matter what your persuasion you'll be guaranteed that wherever you roam there will be some form or another to scratch your itch. Beer and fishing are two constants.

Australia is young when compared to the ages of beer or fishing. Yet the same way a young child can dance to The Beatles in 2008, Australia embraced beer and fishing at birth and they have become part of the rich tapestry that is Aussie culture. A bloke in Stubbies, thongs and a terry-towelling hat walking along a beach with a rod in one hand and a beer in the other, his Sheila alongside him, is a scene which would bring a joyous tear to the eye of Captain Cook - especially if the missus is holding a Vegemite sandwich.

Beer and fresh fish were valuable commodities in the days of the early settlers. Not only could you eat the fish and get pissed on the beer, you could use these items to barter with (or, more likely, for). In fact, some people today still hold great value in the exchange of beer for goods and services.

I recall a fishing trip with some mates on the Haughton River in North Queensland. We had set our crab pots early in the morning and embarked on a day's fishing. When we returned to collect them in the afternoon, expecting a rich bounty of delicious mud crabs, we were disheartened to find that every one of our pots had been robbed - baits, crabs and all. Sadly, this isn't uncommon and is usually an infuriating experience, but we couldn't do anything but laugh. The robber had been kind enough to leave a can of XXXX Gold in each crab pot he had stolen from. Hardly a fair trade for big mud crabs - at least give me full-strength - but amusing nonetheless...

Legalities aside, that story shows that the symbiosis of beer and fishing trips comes in many forms.

Some people don't understand it. I can remember some priceless looks from concerned rent-a-houseboat owners watching production lines haul slabs of beer onboard for weeklong fishing excursions. Such expressions are almost as funny as some of the arguments I've heard about with concerned wives ‘explaining' to their husbands why, in a three car convoy up Cape York, one car devoted entirely to the transport of beer is excessive. Beer o'clock can be earlier on some trips than others...

As long as moderation, safety and the law are kept in mind, beer is fine to use as an additional relaxant when we get away from it all with a fishing trip. There's a lot of fun to be had getting a group of mates together and heading to an exotic location with a hot sun, big fish and a charter guide to drive the boat. I've been on such trips with mixed groups and it has allowed me to observe (very scientifically, I assure you) something special.

For all that beer and fishing achieve, it is the social value that should not be underestimated. They are the great levellers. They are two things that combine the hearts and minds of the ‘everyman'. Rich or poor. If you're trying to find commonalities between demographic extremes, don't be surprised if the priest, car salesman, judge, bricky, tuckshop lady and sewage maintenance worker all love two things: beer and fishing. I could mention a third love, but we all know that one already.

The first man to watch a bird dive into the water and pull out a fish and then declare he would give it a go would not have had the capacity to understand what he was starting. Nor would the first exponent of brewing have known that this, the most ancient manufacturing art known to man, would stand the test of time. They were humble beginnings. The only guarantees for both these arts is that they will survive for as long as man walks the earth, because what better way is there to end a long day under a relentless sun than to kick back with a brew and enjoy a fresh fillet or two?

Beer battered fish

Serves 4

Ingredients
1½ cups self-raising flour, sifted
300ml ice-cold beer
4 x 200g fish fillets, skinned
Light olive or vegetable oil for deep-frying

Directions

Drinking and driving might be for bloody idiots, but cars and beers certainly do mix and not just V8 Supercars and VB, writes Graham Reeks.

YOU love your car. You love your beer. Don't worry, it's perfectly natural and you're not alone. But why is it that beer and cars match up so well?

For a start cars have doors that open, and beer opens the doors to perception. Cars are kept behind garage doors and beer is kept behind fridge doors. Both can make you smile, and both account for a large proportion f your disposables.

We've heard all the psychobabble about how our car reflects our identity and there may be something to it as I've never seen a Playboy model driving a Hyundai Accent with a bunny sticker. But does the beer you're seen holding match your car keys and your personality?

Does it matter what you're seen crossing the BWS forecourt with? Should it match the car in some way? Would you feel odd if you climbed into a Lamborghini with a carton of XXXX Gold? Could you even fit a carton in a Lambo? (I'm willing to give it a try if anyone has one to lend me).

Some petrolheads are happy to send their expensive motor to a trusted mechanic, and are content to just drive and clean their steed. These are the type of people who buy their beer off the peg, but no average beer. Money is not an issue, Cascade First Harvest might come in packs of four and cost a pretty penny, but that's the price you pay for quality.

There are others with a different motivation. They take pride in maintaining their car; they do their own servicing, thank you very much and certainly don't pay a spotty youth to change their oil. They wouldn't take on an engine rebuild though - they know their limits. When it comes to lubricating their laughing gear they take the same approach - they're a kit and kilo brewer and have a brew kit of their favourite tipple.

Then there are obsessives. They build their cars from the ground up, designing bespoke parts along the way, customising the engine, borrowing from other marques. This is the sort of person that spends countless hours restoring, building, modding, cleaning, polishing, trying to win competitions. They make sure that all the nuts on their rocker covers line up uniformly. Chances are they treat their beer in the same way (if they have the spare time). They are perfectionist mash brewers only happy with the best natural ingredients. They have two sheds - one for each passion.

A Top Gear-style cool wall approach might suit so that drinkers could match their beer to their car. 

If such a thing existed, we might be living in a world of tenuous associations where V-Dub Beetle drivers would only be seen with Sol or Corona because the old shape Beetle was built in Mexico City. Drivers of the newer model would have lime in the neck of their bottles.

Those with Peugeots and Citrôens could be drinking Kronenbourg 1664 or Kanterbrau Gold, maybe Bass from Burton on Trent, because that was Napoleon's favourite? A Dodge Viper might be worthy of an Anchor Steam Ale whereas the owners of Chryslers and Jeeps might rightfully be forced to drink Budweiser and Miller.

Perhaps personality is more important than looks after all. Mini drivers could sip at pint-sized Little Creatures, and Hummer drivers guzzle down Coopers Sparkling from tallies. Frugal four cylinder car owners would stick to a mid-strength beer, whilst the souped up flashy WRX and Skyline brigade clutch on to their Crown lager. Diesel drivers would exchange their sooty exhaust fumes for a rich dark brew like Guinness. Dairy farmers would match their 4X4s with Moo Brew. And the luxury Lexus drivers would of course be Asahi drinkers. But if it all came down to the name, vintage collectors with old Singers would have no option but Singha.

Outside this fantasy world though there are some real links between beers and cars. Pilsner Urquell (actually the German name meaning original pilsner) comes from Pilzen, in the Czech Republic. On the other side of the road from this brewery Mecca is a Skoda factory where these cars (and munitions and tanks) have been made since the early twentieth century. I actually know that there are a fair few English blokes who are mad about their Triumph Spitfires, and only drink Shepherd Neame's Spitfire beer - even though it's named after the fighter rather than the car. Some have their cars plastered in stickers advertising their choice brew. I've never quite understood this idea, though. Surely the drivers spend half their life blowing into bags for the local police. It's a bit like driving around with a rego that says "I sell drugs" on it.

e've seen the TV ad that ever so subtly points to the link between our favourite drink and Ford Utes - there's beer flowing from the fountains. Maybe brewers are missing a trick here. Perhaps one of our fine breweries should be tuning their beer to appeal to a niche motoring market? In the UK this has already happened. Moorland took the UK by storm when it started producing Old Speckled Hen - named after a famous MG car with a 5.2 litre engine that has defined the strength of the ale. Greene King, makers of the robust Abbot Ale, also make a Triumph beer that uses the motorcycle logo on its pump clip.

As for me, well my old Triumph sedan was put together in this country with a few little tweaks to make sure it's better suited this part of the world, so what better beer to go with it than Boags Wizard Smith English Ale - an Aussie twist on an English classic.

So what about you? Is there a link between your motor and your amber nectar?  

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In B&B's first issue we reported on our craft brewers' efforts to reduce the excise payable by small brewers to provide similar assistance to that received by the nation's small wineries. Jamie Cook looks at what it will mean for Australia's burgeoning micro-brewing industry if the new Federal Labor Government agrees to change the current beer excise regime...

Australian beer lovers are increasingly well serviced with the country now boasting more than 120 breweries and a number of new operations set to open in 2008.

This growth continues to be offset by the ongoing consolidation of the brewing industry across the globe. You only have to look at the current set of corporate manoeuvres taking place in Europe in recent months to see that the global beer market continues to condense.

SAB Miller's recent acquisition of the family owned and controlled Grolsch emphasises the brewers' thirst for growth and global domination. Whilst closer to home in the last couple of months we have seen the Boag's brewing business change hands to become part of the Lion Nathan stable of premium beer brands, followed by beverage giant Coca-Cola Amatil swallowing one of the country's newest regional brewers, Bluetongue.

Craft brewery growth will continue but what types of operations are evolving and, if the excise changes are introduced, how will each operation benefit from them?

Micro Brewers (Pub and Restaurant Breweries)

These brewers predominantly brew beer on  small scale for their own venue and serve their range of brews in draught form. The traditional pub brewery concept - where a small brewery is installed within an existing hotel - has evolved a little over the last few years as we see more purpose-built venues appearing and a number of wineries adding a beer offering to their cellar doors and restaurants. Pub and restaurant breweries are driving the growth in the number of operations and these businesses would greatly benefit from the excise changes. Predominantly a hospitality offering, these venues contribute to the diversity and interest in the country's hotel, bar and restaurant scene and to an increasing extent (due to the growth in breweries in tourist locations) they add value to the tourism industry.

Because these operations have very small breweries installed, they can experiment and continue to develop their beers over time. This provides a real opportunity for consumers to discover and appreciate the ever-expanding world of beer and brings a new sense of sophistication to the drinking experience. Excise savings for these operators can be used to further develop the experience they provide for their customers by investing in staff, training and equipment.

Richard Watkins, Brewer at Canberra's Wig & Pen believes the proposed changes will allow for strong growth in the industry.
"It would allow successful operations like this to use our solid platform to expand our distribution into other outlets, whilst continuing to improve the quality of our offer at the Wig & Pen through investment in equipment and fit out," he said.

"But at the end of the day it's up to all of the brewers to make a quality product."

Regional Craft Brewers

These regional champions of the brew are popping up all over the country, and are usually focused on building a presence in their own regional market. The size of the operations varies greatly, based on whether they are metropolitan or country, and how long they have been in operation. These brewers may have a bar or restaurant where they sell and showcase their beers, however these new wave local brewers also produce a range of bottled beers on a small scale.

The regional brewers are providing investment and employment within the local area, and in some cases their operations complement other industries in the region such as local produce and tourism.

Producing packaged beer in these quantities is largely a hand bottling or semi-automatic operation and therefore highly inefficient in comparison to the larger breweries. Any savings in excise will help offset the higher costs of production and therefore assist them in marketing their products to a wider audience which will lead to greater investment and employment in the local community.

Ben Kraus from Bridge Road Brewers in Beechworth says the proposed excise changes will improve the feasibility of small regional breweries. He believes they will provide "improved margins which can assist in funding improvements to plant and equipment and create employment opportunities."

"Regional Australia needs new industries and exciting new businesses like a brewery can be a real boost to the local economy and the community by providing jobs for the younger generation," Ben said.

National Craft Brewers

Australia is blessed with a small number of craft brewers who have reached a scale where we can say they are truly national operators. They produce a range of beers that consumers are embracing with open arms.
The larger of these brewers tend to sit under the shadow of our two major breweries and are to some degree owned or controlled by the major brewers. There are also a number of smaller national craft brewers who are continuing to grow their business by staying true to their craft roots while maintaining their independence and continuing to support the local community that is their home market.

These breweries are certainly leading the charge in creating a beer market that is more sophisticated and diverse. By having a broad distribution base they are able to make their brews more accessible to the consumers who are searching for something more from their beer.

Howard Cearns of Little Creatures Brewing believes that there would be a small, one-off impact for businesses of their size, however the broader impact across the craft beer industry as an important positive move.

"The proposed changes would be a significant benefit to the viability of the smaller craft brewers, and whilst this would increase the level of competition, it would also improve the overall health of the industry. You only have to look at the US to see that a different excie structure can help support a stronger industry," he says.

Market Development

Of the 120 existing breweries, around 75 per cent are micro brewers, whilst 18 per cent are regional brewers and just seven per cent are national. The volume split across the three reflects the true nature of the situation with the national brewers producing in excess of 85 per cent of the craft beer volume.
Concentration of this nature is very similar to the Australian wine industry where there are some 2,500 wineries being supported by the WET (Wine Equalisation Tax), which is designed to assist the small operators in providing diversity and character to the marketplace.

All three types of brewing operations are growing in numbers and production volume, with the geographic spread favouring New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. However both Victoria and Western Australia are punching well above their weight in terms of the number and strength of the operators.
The number of strong operators contributes to the development of the overall market as they are all educating and developing the beer drinkers' understanding of the market leading to greater consumer demand, which then becomes a market for more brewers. Increasing the number of small breweries in operation increases employment and investment in their local communities.

This growth can be further fuelled by the excise relief proposed. For this to occur, the beer drinkers of Australia need to actively support their local brewers.

In the wake of Kevin07, we all need to pull together as one to show the new government that there is strong support for these changes, and they need to act to help a small part of one of Australia's greatest industries as it continues to compete with increasing globalisation and consolidation.

So what do we need to do?

Brewers need your help to petition the government and ensure that the excise changes are made as soon as possible. Go to www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/912224010 to sign up!

Write to your local Member of Parliament or even better take him to the nearest bar that serves a good beer and explain the benefits of looking after our industry. The proof is in the drinking!

This is not about drinking more beer. A more robust craft brewing industry does not necessarily equal higher levels of beer consumption. What it is about though, is drinking better beer in a way that builds stronger communities through the sharing of the good things in life.
Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts) 

The aesthetic of drinking beer is to an extent subliminal. The presentation of beer in a glass with its foam head, clarity and colour conjure Pavlovian anticipation for the perceptive drinker. It is said that a beer drinker drinks as much with their eyes as with their mouth.

But that foamy head confers not just a visual benefit. It also acts as an efficient gas exchange surface pitching aromas towards the drinker's olfactory sensors and so provides a drinker's first tantalising glimpse as to the quality of the beer's flavour, freshness, refreshingness and wholesomeness. Foam is also tactile to the lips and affects mouthfeel through its stability and its structure (bubble size).

But what are the features of good foam quality?

Typically, this is defined by a combination of its stability, quantity, lacing (glass adhesion or cling), whiteness, ‘creaminess' and strength. Here beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder as consumers discriminate between beers based on their foam characteristics. These choices have been found to diverge between genders, race or even region.

There are those consumers who like to see stable (but not excessive) head but a clean glass at the end of drinking and those who prefer to be left with a lacing pattern on the glass. More recently, it was demonstrated that men generally rate foam lacing higher than women.

Foam stability is the result of the interaction between the proteins from the malt and hops. Australian varieties of malt such as Gairdner (most common malt) and the new variety, Flagship, have high levels of the protein Z4 compared to older varieties such as Schooner and Stirling. Isomerised hop-α-acids, which provide the bitter taste of beer, have also been demonstrated to be foam promoting, especially in their hydrogenated forms such as ‘Tetra' hop. The tetra hop was primarily developed to provide protection from light strike - or what the Americans call ‘skunking' - in beers sold in the less protective but visually attractive clear or green glass bottles.

While contributing to a crisp and dry final product popular with many drinkers, the practice of using cane sugar in brewing dilutes out the foam proteins that contribute to a highly stable head. To counter this, many brewers can add the chemical propylene glycol alginate (PGA). Adding PGA is reputed to increase foam stability by around 5-10 per cent and many brewers rely on it to provide satisfactory foam quality for some of their products.

Other strategies for promoting foam stability involve the use of devices added to the packaging or included in the glass. The most technically simple is the use of ‘nucleated' glassware such as the ‘headkeeper' style that can be found in many Australian pubs.

Through the use of microscopic abrasions on the bottom of the glass, this ‘energised' glassware produces new bubbles that replenish collapsed bubbles in the foam head. The process also results in ‘beading' which is the attractive spectacle of the bubbles rising from the beer up to the foam.

While most beers are naturally and conventionally carbonated, the use of nitrogen gas also improves foam stability. Nitrogen has a lower partial pressure compared to CO2 and results in the production of smaller, more stable bubbles. Nitrogen is also less soluble in beer than CO2 so it does not ‘leak' as quickly from foam bubbles, further maintaining foam stability.

The addition of nitrogen into the beer changes the foam's mouthfeel to a ‘creamy' texture, however the lower CO2 content leads to beer with less ‘prickle' (acidic feeling from bubble collapse) on the palate making the beer taste flat and watery. Still, tests have shown that the visual impact of the foam head on a glass of beer is more important than the tactile impact on perceptions of flavour and mouthfeel and the brewer's use of nitrogen depends on the beer style and consumer preferences.

The use of the widget is relatively widespread in some specific styles of beer. It is either attached to the base of the package or floats within it. These characteristics reduce the appeal of the widget in the more popular bottle, presumably because the sight of a widget floating or attached to the bottom of a bottle is somewhat disconcerting for the consumer. In cans, the widget can be commonly found in the less carbonated stout and bitter ale style beers of the United Kingdom, such at the cans of Guinness, Boddingtons ale and Newcastle Brown ale, but has not found acceptance in other regions or beer styles.

The nitrogen widget was designed to emulate the draught style of UK pub presentation. Widgets work as nitrogen foam nucleating devices and in some cases the widget can also form bubbles from its nucleated surfaces. The widget also provides a degree of theatre upon package opening with a characteristic rumble of the gas being released through the widget vent to produce a slight fob at the package opening and pour associated with the rise of a multitude of tiny bubbles to a creamy head. The main downside of widgets is that they are considered by the industry to be expensive both in terms of capital and consumable costs.

Foam quality, however, is not just about ‘quick' fixes such as the inclusion of widgets, ever greater levels of ‘tetra' hop or gas composition but attention to the beer making process from grass to glass (malting variety breeding to dispense).

Brewers do have solid options in manipulating the quality and quantity of malt foam-positive proteins and selection of hop acids, the interaction of which provides the basis for foam stability and quality. Brewers also have a range of palliative options such as additives, gas composition, widgets and methods for dispense that can be used if suitable to the style of beer being produced.

Dr Evans' brewing quality research is being applied in Australia's malting barley breeding programs (Adelaide and Perth) to provide maltsters and brewers with the best possible barley for brewing.

This is an edited extract of the chapter Beer foam: achieving a suitable head, contained in the forthcoming book Handbook of alcoholic beverages: Malting and Brewing, Bamforth, C.W., Russell, I., and Stewart, G.G., Editors. Evans, D.E., and Bamforth, C.W.,
Elsevier Burlington, MA. Due out mid, 2008. ISBN 978 0 12 669201 3. For further details visit: www.books.elsevier.com