Filmed this the day after Stoke Newington Literary Festival, back in June (which is why there are huge bags under my eyes). It went out on BBC Midlands last night.
Marverine Cole, who produced the segment, has since gone on to become a fully fledged beer evangelist, better known as the Beer Beauty.
Great job Marverine!
Smashing piece. I just hope the nausea I feel at the mention of beer cocktails doesn't make me a massive sexist or something.
Cheers, Pete – was a pleasure and you looked sooooooo good!!!
PS Those beer cocktails were WICKED! loooool
Robin Hood used to drink at the Trip?! I guess that explains the merry men…
Beer cocktails are just a particular hobby horse that some people have hit upon because they don't really believe that women like beer in its own right. On the other hand, I don't see how it's any worse than all the American micros throwing coffee and vanilla in their beer.
Very nice piece indeed and ideas very well articulated. I have felt his way for years. Here in the states, a night at my local has more often than I like become tainted by the inane and growing geekery surrounding our beverage of choice. The breaking point was a declaration by some pompous arse that the Fuller's ESB he was inhaling was not properly "to style". Unbelievable.
The very words "not to style" tend to make me, an avowed pacifist, cringe enough to want to bee-atch slap anyone uttering the words. While I recognize, to a point, the need to define things for clarity and consistency in amateur beer judging, I find the insidious intrusion of the terminology into the commercial world (where it has no relevance whatsoever) to be downright annoying.
Perhaps the answer is that we need some kind of international "Just shut up and enjoy your beer!" movement. LOL.
Pete, your bags are nothing compared to the state I looked in that damn oversized rugby shirt! See you soon. Charlie