Good Beer Guide

Last updated

Good Beer Guide 2006 GBG06lowres.jpg
Good Beer Guide 2006

The Good Beer Guide is a book published annually by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), listing what it considers to be the best 4,500 real ale outlets (pubs, clubs, and off-licences) in the United Kingdom. [1]

Contents

Details

First edition in 1974 Good Beer Guide (book cover).jpg
First edition in 1974

The content of the Guide is decided upon by volunteers in CAMRA's local branches. [2] Throughout the preceding year, CAMRA members anonymously rate the quality of the cellarmanship of beer in venues using CAMRA's National Beer Scoring System (NBSS) through either WhatPub or the Good Beer Guide app. [3] These scores are then reviewed by local volunteers in the spring, who put forward those they consider to serve the best real ale. The number of entries each branch area has is decided at county level, with an emphasis on ensuring that a geographically wide spread set of entries are included in each year's Guide.

Entries for each venue give details on factual information such as opening times, food availability and accessibility of the property, as well as subjective information such as the attractiveness of the wallpaper and the welcome visitors are likely to get from the bar staff.

The Good Beer Guide also includes a list of real ale breweries in the United Kingdom, with lists and tasting notes on their beers.

After two long stints as editor, Roger Protz announced in autumn 2017 that the Good Beer Guide 2018 would be his last. [4] CAMRA stated that from 2019 the Guide would carry the name of the managing editor.

The Good Beer Guide 2023 featured a foreword by King Charles III. [5]

History

The Guide was first published in 1972 and was just 18 pages long. [6] Rather than a professionally published volume, it was a collection of sheets of paper stapled together and posted out to CAMRA members. [7]

The first printed edition was published in 1974. In a list of the country's brewers, the entry for Watney's consisted of the advice to "Avoid like the plague." [8] Concerned that this statement was libellous, the publisher, Waddington's, recalled the first print run and revised the entry to "Avoid at all costs." [9]

Editions

The Guide is published each year, occasionally with multiple bindings:

YearSponsored byEdited byPagesBindingISBN
1972Michael Hardman18Unbound
1974"Avoid like the plague" version withdrawnJohn Hanscomb96Paperback
1974"Avoid at all costs" replacement versionJohn Hanscomb96Paperback
1974Facsimile "Avoid at all costs" version issued March 1996John Hanscomb96Paperback numbered limited edition (of 500)
1975Michael Hardman176Paperback
1976Michael Hardman224Paperback 0-09-912290-1
1977Michael Hardman256Paperback 0-09-914510-3
Hardback
1978 Roger Protz 256Paperback 0-09-916980-0
1979Roger Protz236 + 36 mapsPaperback 0-09-919630-1
1980Roger Protz236 + 36 mapsPaperback 0-09-922160-8
1981Roger Protz236 + 36 mapsPaperback 0-09-925260-0
1982Roger Protz236 + 36 mapsPaperback 0-9503340-7-3
1983Roger Protz236 + 36 mapsPaperback 0-950-3340-8-1
1984Neil Hanson280 + 36 mapsPaperback 0-950-3340-9-X
1985Neil Hanson280 + 36 mapsPaperback 0-9509584-0-9
1986Neil Hanson280 + 36 mapsPaperback 0-9509584-1-7
1987Neil Hanson280 + 36 mapsPaperback 0-9509584-3-3
1988Neil Hanson352Paperback 1-85249-000-4
1989Andrea Gillies384Paperback 1-85249-001-2
1990 British Coal Andrea Gillies480Paperback 1-85249-002-0
1991British Coal Jeff Evans 504Paperback 1-85249-003-9
1992British CoalJeff Evans480Paperback 1-85249-004-7
1993Jeff Evans508Paperback 1-85249-005-5
Leather Bound 1-85249-005-5
1994Jeff Evans512Paperback 1-85249-006-3
1995Jeff Evans528Paperback 1-85249-007-1
1996Jeff Evans544Paperback 1-85249-008-X
1997Jeff Evans544Paperback 1-85249-009-8
1998Homefire Smokeless CoalJeff Evans560Paperback 1-85249-131-0
Hardback 1-85249-133-7
1999Homefire Smokeless CoalJonathan Preece576Paperback 1-85249-149-3
Hardback 1-85249-154-X
2000Homefire Smokeless CoalRoger Protz578Paperback 1-85249-159-0
2001 Cask Marque Roger Protz578Paperback 1-85249-163-9
2002Cask MarqueRoger Protz804Paperback 1-85249-178-7
2003Cask MarqueRoger Protz830Paperback 1-85249-176-0
2004Cask Marque / Beer SellerRoger Protz830Paperback 1-85249-186-8
2005Beer SellerRoger Protz848Paperback 1-85249-196-5
2006Waverley TBSRoger Protz864Paperback 1-85249-211-2
2007Roger Protz880Paperback 1-85249-224-4
2008Cask MarqueRoger Protz880Paperback 978-1-85249-231-1
Hardback 978-1-85249-251-9
2009Cask MarqueRoger Protz896Paperback 978-1-85249-249-6
2010Cask MarqueRoger Protz888Paperback 978-1-85249-266-3
2011Cask MarqueRoger Protz888Paperback 978-1-85249-272-4
2012Cask Marque / Society of Independent Brewers Roger Protz908Paperback 978-1-85249-286-1
Kindle-
2013Cask Marque / Society of Independent BrewersRoger Protz944Paperback 978-1-85249-290-8
2014Society of Independent Brewers / It's Better Down The PubRoger Protz944Paperback 978-1-85249-312-7
2015Society of Independent Brewers / Cyclops BeerRoger Protz976Paperback 978-1-85249-320-2
2016Pipers Crisp Co.Roger Protz1016Paperback 978-1-85249-327-1
2017Cask MarqueRoger Protz1032Paperback 978-1-85249-335-6
2018Cask MarqueRoger Protz1032Paperback 978-1-85249-344-8
2019Cask MarqueEmma Haines - Project Manager1048Paperback 978-1-85249-354-7
2020Cask MarqueEmma Haines - Managing Editor1060Paperback 978-1-85249-358-5
2021Emma Haines - Managing Editor912Paperback 978-1-85249-366-0
2022Cask Marque / Stay In A PubEmma Haines - Managing Editor896Paperback 978-1-85249-376-9
2023Cask MarqueEmma Haines - Managing Editor944Paperback 978-1-85249-380-6
Hardback Numbered Limited Edition (of 1775) 978-1-85249-380-6
2024Emma Haines - Managing Editor941Paperback - Plain Cover 978-1-85249-387-5
Paperback - Iron Maiden Cover 978-1-85249-387-5
Hardback - Iron Maiden Cover 978-1-85249-387-5
2025Midland SnacksEmma Haines - Managing Editor912Paperback Coronation Street Cover Edition 978-1-85249-391-2
Paperback Emmerdale Cover Edition 978-1-85249-391-2

Other publications

In the past, CAMRA also published the Good Cider Guide and the Good Bottled Beer Guide.

References

  1. ↑ "CAMRA's Good Beer Guide". CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "Queen's Head, Newton: In the Good Beer Guide for 50 years". BBC News. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "CAMRA's Good Beer Guide App". CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Beeson, James (11 September 2017). "Roger Protz to step down as Good Beer Guide editor" . The Morning Advertiser. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Cheers! Stroud pubs feature in 2023 CAMRA Good Beer Guide". Stroud Times. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "West Cumbria CAMRA" . Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  7. ↑ Queralt, Richard (October–November 2007). "CAMRA good beer guide" (PDF). The Oxford Drinker. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  8. ↑ Boak, Jessica; Bailey, Ray (19 June 2014). Brew Britannia: The Strange Rebirth of British Beer. Aurum. ISBN   978-1-78131-271-1.
  9. ↑ Good Beer Guide celebrates record number of British breweries: most for 70 years, Protz On Beer, 12 September 2012
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