The art of brewing dates back centuries. In medieval times, most people drank
ale as a safer option to the local water. Various cereals were used to produce
brews and in Derbyshire, it is thought that oats were commonly used. It was later
discovered that the addition of flowers and stems of the hedgerow hopbine to the
brew conferred improved keeping qualities and added to the flavour. Thus, the
cultivation and addition of hops became standard practice, and ale (brewed without
hops) became beer (ale brewed with hops).
Lager, which is a type of beer, was first brewed in Central Europe 500 years
ago, and has since become one of the most popular types of beer in the world.
The word 'lager' comes from German and means 'storage'. Traditionally, the beer
is stored for several weeks or longer before being served and can be light or
dark in colour. In 1830, the Beer Act allowed any householder to sell beer, and
the number of small ale-houses brewing their own beer proliferated. By the 1890s
the more successful breweries were expanding and beginning to supply beer to other
outlets.
The 1950s and 1960s saw the introduction of keg beers and national brands by
the big breweries of the day. These had better keeping qualities and were more
consistent than the traditional cask-conditioned beers of the time. Keg beers
rapidly grew in popularity and the decline in locally brewed beers was so marked
that by the 1970s, there were a few regional brewers and only four home-brew pubs
left in Britain.
In 1971 a committed band of beer enthusiasts formed the Campaign for Real Ale
(CAMRA). Since then CAMRA has evolved into a highly effective pressure group that
has done much to reverse this decline for local brewing. There are now more than
400 locally run breweries in Britain producing in excess of 2,000 varieties of
beer - a tremendous testimony to a campaigning organisation! CAMRA rely entirely
on membership subscriptions. Members receive a monthly newsletter, discounts on
the Good Beer Guide and other publications, and free or discounted entry to more
than 140 beer festivals.
For more information about CAMRA, please contact:
CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 4LW
Tel: 01727 867210
Email: camra@camra.org.uk
