Durham Brewery the only North East “good” bottled beer maker, Camra book claims
DURHAM Brewery has seen nine of its brews named among the UK’s best – but they are the only North East firm to be found in Camra’s new “definitive” bottle beer guide.
The Bowburn-based firm’s Cloister, Magus, White Stout, Bombay 106, St Cuthbert, Evensong, Redemption, Benedictus and Temptation have all made the 1,800 strong list in the eighth edition of the Campaign for Real Ale’s Good Bottled Beer Guide.
Author Jeff Evans said the book represents the “huge range” of beers now brewed in the UK – but only if they are bottle conditioned.
“The Good Bottled Beer Guide highlights the breadth of fantastic beer now being produced in the UK – as well as traditional British beer styles such as bitter and stout, we are now very lucky to have international beer styles such as American-style pale ales and German-inspired wheat beers being brewed on these shores.”
“From world famous brews such as Fuller’s Vintage Ale and Worthington’s White Shield, to beers that use hops from New Zealand and America such as Buxton Brewery’s Axe Edge IPA, the range of beers is so great that there’s never been a better time to be a beer drinker in the UK.
“The number of breweries producing bottle-conditioned beer, or ‘Real Ale in a Bottle’ has grown massively in recent years thanks to an explosion in microbreweries across the UK. With more and more small breweries looking to bottle their beers both for local sales and in order to reach further markets, the traditional method of bottle conditioning – where live yeast is used to give the beer light carbonation via a secondary fermentation in the bottle – is proving a popular approach.”
But that apparently leaves no room for other North East breweries in what Camra describe as their home “companion” to the Good Beer Guide.