BEER NEWS - December 2006

Mark Dorber, legendary publican of the White Horse on London's Parsons Green, was presented with a special commemorative plaque by Willard Clarke to celebrate the White Horse's 25th consecutive appearance in the bible for cask beer in Britain. Roger commented: "This is the 34th edition of the Good Beer Guide, with 4500 full entries of Britain's best beers and pubs. But for the last 25 editions, the White Horse has featured in each and every guide, and it is no coincidence that Mark Dorber arrived at the White Horse at that time. Mark has done great pioneering work on raising appreciation of beer, but of Burton Pale Ale in particular, which has led to

seminars on the subject and to many brewers on both sides of the Atlantic picking up the torch he lit. It is Mark's enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment to training, which has set his pub apart. His is a lesson for all would-be publicans." Dorber commented: "We have always been passionate about beer; and training has, I think, been a big part of our success. Ten of our ex-cellarmen are now Master Brewers, spread out all over the world from Italy to the west coast of the USA. I would encourage all publicans to look seriously about using the range of courses now provided by the Beer Academy for all their staff.

Independent brewer T&R; Theakston is to embark on a major campaign to support its traditional Mild ale which will see pubs all over the country celebrating the virtues of one of its oldest beers. Over 300 of Theakstons top traditional Mild stockists will receive support material to help encourage consumers to choose Theakstons Mild, including opportunities to win traditional pub games. Theakstons has also commissioned advertising aimed at existing and potential new Mild drinkers. This campaign is the latest in a series of initiatives by the brewer designed to put itsrange of ales back at the forefront of the British traditional ale scene. Executive Director, Simon Theakston said: "We have been brewing Mild for many generations and tradition is something that Theakstons is very proud of and so in supporting one of our oldest brands we hope to see a

revival of Mild as a popular choice. There is a popular misconception about Mild in terms of its drinker profile and relative strength, but at 3.5% ABV it is actually higher than many other similar offerings and is a delicious and thirst quenching pint."

London�s oldest traditional brewer, Fuller�s, is delighted to announce details of a classic in pub promotion for ESB Champion Ale. Fuller�s is offering ESB drinkers the chance to win a weekend's hire of a classic British sports car. The promotion, running in around 200 pubs stocking ESB, invites drinkers to enjoy a pint of the three-time CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain while filling out one of 20 different crossword puzzles. The crosswords can then be submitted in the pub for the chance to win the car for the weekend. While only one lucky ESB connoisseur can win the top prize, every stockist has an ESB rugby shirt to give away as part of the promotion. John Roberts, managing director of Fuller�s Beer Company, said: "ESB Champion Ale is the quintessential

British beer and a true icon of the beer world. We're offering its fans a little extra. Whether they win the top quality ESB rugby shirt, or the weekend classic sports car hire, ESB drinkers will be the envy of their friends."

Beerquality.co.uk is the website of a new project run by 5D, a specialist consultancy providing technical solutions to the brewing industry. This project is independent, and the site is designed to elicit consumer feedback on the beers they drink. On the site you are

asked to rate beers, and the accumulated data from all users will be used to "assess the underlying quality of the beer currently on sale in Britain," according to 5D's Daniel Cooper. He says the projected is designed to be "long term and consumer-led, aiming to define the good and the not so good in the bottled beer market."

Innis & Gunn�s Original Oak Aged Beer is being listed at all 40 All Bar One outlets (price varies by geographical area). Served in its own bespoke glass, Innis & Gunn OAB is also part of the recently launched All Bar One Beer Boutique, which runs until mid-November. Beer Boutique offers All Bar One�s guests �some of Europe�s most satisfying and flavoursome beers�. Spread nationwide, each of the outlets will host different Beer Boutique launch nights and showcase different brands. Innis & Gunn will be available in every All Bar One outlet nationwide as a permanent listing. Dougal Sharp, Managing

Director of Innis & Gunn, says: "We are very proud to be part of the success of All Bar One and its Beer Boutique. Innis & Gunn beer is now available in outlets up and down the country." Kate Peers, Senior Marketing Manager at All Bar One says: "Innis & Gunn is an excellent addition to our range of beer, and its unique brewing process and quality taste make it a perfect product to showcase as part of our Beer Boutique".

Small brewer Inveralmond, based in Perth in Scotland, are celebrating a double whammy in teh Society of Independent Breweries (SIBA) awards. The brewery started up nine years ago by a BSc graduate of Heriot Watt's brewing and microbiology course has won the Supreme Champion Beer title in SIBA's annual Scottish awards, lifting two gold medals including the ultimate accolade for its distinctive dark beer Lia Fail (4.7% ABV). 'Lia Fail', whose Gaelic name translates as 'Stone of Destiny', also took gold in the Premium Bitter category, and Inveralmond won gold in the Speciality Beer category for its Sunburst Pilsner (4.8% ABV). The awards capped a highly successful entry for an Inveralmond team poised to

celebrate a decade in business in 2007. Head Brewer Ken Duncan says: "Our beer has always been good, but we continually strive to make it even better. All independent brewers share the same passion for brewing and the same desire to produce a fresh, distinctive quality product they can be 100% proud of, so this recognition by our peers in the industry means a great deal to everyone in the team at Inveralmond." Managing director Fergus Clark (centre) and his brew team of (Left to right) George Samson, Mark Scrivens, John McDuff and Ken Duncan are shown toasting their double success.