Post details: What if the beer tie was no more?

15/11/09

Permalink 12:35:43 pm, Categories: contentious issue, 176 words   English (UK)
POSTED BY: Paul Garrard

What if the beer tie was no more?

There has been a lot of ‘discussion’ in beer blogdom about the pros and cons of the beer tie, and I don’t really want to revisit them today. Whilst there is a definite need for some reform I’m broadly in favour of the tie. But let’s just suppose that the beer tie was no more. What would happen?

I’m wondering if restrained by years of having to buy expensive beer there would be a dash for cheap ale. If that happened I reckon you would walk into a majority of pubs in the land and have a choice of around three or so from the following list:

GK IPA
Marston’s Pedigree
OSH
Adnams
London Pride
Bombardier
Deuchars IPA

Perhaps I’ve missed an obvious one or two off the list. It could well be that there will be slight regional variations. But I just can’t help thinking that the end of the tie would mean less choice than there is currently, and in many more pubs a uniform beer offering.

Permalink 6 comments

Comments:

Comment from: Curmudgeon [Visitor] · http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.com
I agree - without the tie, there might be a little more choice of cask ale in a few pubs, but the vast majority would, for simplicity, just source all their wet supplies from a single supplier, who would probably be one of the international brewers, so overall there would be much less choice. "Buy all your stuff from us and get a 10% discount" would be a powerful argument.
Permalink 15/11/09 @ 19:15
Comment from: Tandleman [Visitor] · http://www.tandlemanbeerblog.blogspot.com
The abolition of the tie would restrict choice, not increase it. We shouldn't forget that it is abuse of the tie that is the problem, not the tie itself.
Permalink 16/11/09 @ 07:25
Comment from: jesusjohn [Visitor] · http://jesusjohn.blogspot.com/
I agree with all of the above; your comment and Curmudgeon and Tandleman's.

CAMRA's campaigning often gives the impression that landlords would - if unshackled - hastily axe Stella and smoothflow tripe to put on Punk IPA, Westerham Grasshopper or Dark Star Espresso. Most (who, as we know from bitter experience 'don't touch the stuff') would simply sign up with the cheapest bluechip beverage provider.

I've said it before; I'll say it again - anyone who wants a snapshot of what a non-tie pub landscape would look like ought to go drinking in Ireland. There are some fine pubs indeed but a variety of beer choice is notable by its absence.

I crave your indulgence, Paul, in linking to my take on the matter - broadly in line with yours: http://bit.ly/2sjSIm
Permalink 16/11/09 @ 11:02
Comment from: Tyson [Visitor] · http://tysonsbeerblog.blogspot.com/
I also agree with the above. The anti-tie lobby try to paint a picture that it will be a beer nirvana once the tie is abolished-without any evidence I may add-when all my knowledge of pubs tells me the opposite.
Permalink 16/11/09 @ 13:51
Comment from: Darcy Rodger [Visitor]
I drink lighter Pilsner beer in the spring summer and dark in the fall and winter. My favorite summer beer is Straub thanks for sharing this article I love your site will recommend my friends..I am fully agree with you..
Permalink 18/11/09 @ 10:59
Comment from: Paul Garrard [Member] · www.realaleblog.co.uk
Darcy you are such a wag even though your English is crap. This comment has appeared elsewhere on this blog by someone else. Which one of you is the imposter?
Permalink 18/11/09 @ 13:39

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Real Ale Blog

Beer is good! Whilst here at RealAleBlog we love all beer (well perhaps not that Euro-fizz nonsense) we get particularly horny about the live kind. No beer necrophilia for us. Hence we write solely about cask ale, real ale in a bottle and the whole business that supports its distribution and sale. We don’t always feel moved, nor have the time, to post every single day, as we do have a life. I say ‘we’ although it’s mainly me, Paul Garrard, but from time to time guest writers turn up. I have no pretentions about being a beer writer, I blog because I enjoy it. I’ve been blogging since 2003 and blogging about beer since the beginning of 2005, but not on this site. I don’t consider myself a beer anorak; I just bang on about it a lot. I’m happy to share a drink with any readers/bloggers that happen to be in the right place at the right time. You can email me on: paul (the @ symbol) realaleblog (dot.) co (dot.) uk. Cheers!


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