FYI: > The Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) > > CAMRA was founded in 1971 by a group of beer drinkers who were > becoming increasingly concerned over the apparent disappearance of > real ale from pubs and inns all over the British Isles. > > Real ale is a natural product that is placed in thefinal cask while > the yeast is still fermenting.On arrival in the pub cellar it is > allowed to settle and condition before being dispensed either by a > manual or by an electrical beer engine. The head is formed by carbon > dioxide produced by the continuing fermentation. > > What was replacing real ale in the 1960s and 1970s was keg beer. This > product is pasteurised at the brewery so that the beer is placed into > metal barrels (kegs) dead. It is then served by pressurising it with > carbon dioxide from a cylinder which both forces the beer out and > gives it a head. Keg beer is much loved by brewers (and lazy > publicans) as it is easy to handle and requires no expertise in > cellarmanship before it is ready for use. Lavish advertising campaigns > were launched supporting various brands of keg beers in the '70s. > > Keg beer doesn't taste anything like real ale and it has always been > CAMRA's main objective to protect and encourage the brewing and sale > of the natural product. The result has, eventually, been a spectacular > victory for a consumer campaign. Real ale is now widely available once > more. Where maybe it was available in only 10% of pubs fifteen years > ago, almost all pubs now offer one or more proper beers, often > including a changing "guest" beer. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > The Campaign produces a monthly Newsletter and the annual Good Beer > Guide as well as organising many beer festivals and events. If you > would like more information on CAMRA either contact myself, Paul > Westwell via Email (address at bottom of page), or CAMRA directly at > their HQ address (below). > > Campaign For Real Ale Ltd, > 230 Hatfield Road, > St. Albans, > Herts, > AL1 4LW. > Tel: 01727-867201 > Fax: 01727-867670 > > Please tell them where you found this information. ( I might get > reduced membership !) > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > [Top Of Page] [Beer Page] > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Email [log in to unmask] > Updated: 2nd May 1995 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >