Curmudgeon - Beer & Pubs Archive - 2007

INDEX

January

Miles More Choice? - is a beer better the less, or more, distance it has travelled?
A Tale of Two Pubs - why do designers ignore the simple design point that makes a pub feel pubby?

February

A Weak Selection - a beer promoted for its lack of strength will never be any more than a distress purchase
Only the Strong - a range comprising only headbanging beers does not serve the customer well

March

Divided We Fall - be careful what you wish for when criticising other parts of the licensed trade
Keep Your Cool - real ale is still far more often served too warm than too cold

April

Random Target - so-called random breath testing will have a negative effect on road safety
One too Many? - how can licensees be expected to monitor their customers’ consumption in detail?

May

Degrees of Danger - claims that alcohol is more dangerous than many illegal drugs are ludicrous and disingenuous
A Vicious Circle - offering keg alongside cask is a false choice that is likely to harm the better product

June

High and Dry - the smoking ban will leave small landlocked pubs stranded and devoid of customers
Shell Shocked - so where will those pistachio shells go?

July

Intolerance Triumphs - supporting the smoking ban displays a shortsighted attitude to the future of the pub

August

A Pint of the Usual - most drinkers actually want beers they have heard of before
Boozed Up Babies? - unnecessary caution over drinking in pregnancy is part of the wider war against alcohol

September

Priced Out - higher taxation may make alcohol problems worse, not better
When is a Pub not a Pub? - does there come a point when the dining pub is no longer deserving of the name?

October

Essence de Pub - tobacco smoke often masked an unpalatable atmosphere in pubs
The Ghost Army - the predicted influx of non-smokers has, not surprisingly, failed to materialise
Out of Sight, out of Mind - moving the focus of the pub outside creates new problems

November

School of Drinking - the best way for young people to learn how to drink responsibly is in the pub
Room for All - unrestricted access for children to pubs is in the interest neither of children themselves nor of adult pubgoers

December

Spy in the Pub - one man’s drunk may be another man’s person simply having a good time

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