Roger Protz Rss news feed for Morning Advertiser

How low can abvs go?

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:25:00 GMT

Just because some ales are lower in abv, it doesn’t mean they must be lacking in taste, says Roger Protz.

Time for a new Beer Orders

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:01:00 GMT

The recent eviction of two licensees underlines the pubcos’ upper hand, says Roger Protz.

Czech change is no small beer

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:49:00 GMT

Two massive brewers plan to sell off or close breweries in the Czech Republic, says Roger Protz.

Beware of EU prying into tie

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:55:00 GMT

The GMB trade union should consider the overall impact before taking grievances over the tie to Europe, says Roger Protz.

250 years of the black stuff

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:08:00 GMT

When Arthur Guinness signed the lease on a brewery in 1759 it was the start of a legend, says Roger Protz.

Sheffield’s cask-ale oasis

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:19:00 GMT

The Kelham Island Tavern is a popular haven for beer fans, says Roger Protz.

The rewards of tradition

Fri, 29 May 2009 01:08:00 GMT

At Harvey’s Brewery, in Lewes, they do things the time-honoured way, says Roger Protz.

Give women what they want

Fri, 22 May 2009 02:19:00 GMT

Not enough women drink beer, but a few simple changes could boost trade no end, says Roger Protz.

Make your vote count

Fri, 15 May 2009 02:39:00 GMT

European elections take place on 4 June, so make the most of your chance to benefit brewers and licensees, says Roger Protz.

If the tie goes, regionals suffer

Fri, 08 May 2009 02:09:00 GMT

Ditching the beer tie would leave the healthy independent cask-ale sector on its knees, says Roger Protz.

Act now to stop Darling’s axe

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:05:00 GMT

Alistair Darling is trying to kill off pubs, just like Dr Beeching butchered the railways in the 1960s, says Roger Protz.

ASA ban’s no laughing matter

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:51:00 GMT

Promoting beer or pubs is no joke, if Courage Best’s exile to the sin bin is anything to go by, says Roger Protz.

Revolution behind the bar

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:27:00 GMT

Greene King’s new font is tempting keg drinkers to have a go, says beer expert Roger Protz.

Forecast cloudy, but fine

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:08:00 GMT

Australian brewery Cooper’s blends traditional values with chutzpah to produce highly distinctive beer, says Roger Protz.

Aussie ale: out of the shadows

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:02:00 GMT

It’s not all about super cold — there’s a great variety of beers Down Under

United by a common passion

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:53:00 GMT

Wells & Young’s is spending £4.5m to promote its cask portfolio this year, says Roger Protz.

It did the Youngsters good

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:57:00 GMT

For some, children in pubs are a minor irritation but the history of the Butt & Oyster features some interesting characters — fictional and real, says Roger Protz.

Careless talk costs pubs

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:08:00 GMT

So you thought things couldn’t get worse for the pub trade at the hands of the present Labour Government.

My glass is half and half full

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:15:00 GMT

Czech brewer Budvar has introduced a new beer to London. It’s a blend of two styles, reminiscent of intriguing 1960s beer mixes, says Roger Protz.

Auntie thumbs nose at Camra

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:22:00 GMT

Why did the BBC edit out any sign of Camra from a programme about drinking in Britain?

Economics of the mad house

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:13:00 GMT

It seems obvious that rising prices and duty do no one any good in the long term — neither brewers nor Brown & Co — so why do they persist, asks Roger Protz.

Winter’s tale

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:56:00 GMT

The recession may be hitting the trade hard, but experienced craft brewers such as Norfolk’s David Winter are determined to survive, says Roger Protz.

Better watch out Mandelson because the beast is back

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:20:00 GMT

Beer lover Ken Clarke’s return to the Tory front bench must surely have the pub trade cheering — and Peter Mandelson quaking

Grape expectations

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:41:00 GMT

Barbara Haigh struggled at first with the Grapes’ desolate East End location, but her efforts have resulted in a celebrated ale house, says Roger Protz.

The rise and fall of the Stag

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:26:00 GMT

The demise of the Stag Brewery has evoked mixed feelings among the cask fraternity, says Roger Protz.

Anyone for humble pie?

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:44:00 GMT

When Marston’s bought Jennings in 2005, many said the Lakeland brewery was doomed. Far from it…

Barrelling towards big sales

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:32:00 GMT

Whether you start a craft brewery or get in a best-seller, cask is the way forward, says Roger Protz.

Vote Labour? Never again

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:22:00 GMT

What on earth is the Government trying to do to pubs? Roger Protz can’t believe its latest tax moves.

Still on the campaign ale trail

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:15:00 GMT

Camra’s founding members reunited recently. Roger Protz was there for a fine pint of cask beer.

Leaving no Stone unturned

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:58:00 GMT

Lymestone uses water from the original brewery well to make its beers, reflecting its owners’ passion for authenticity, says Roger Protz.

Bitter end is nigh for Tetley’s

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:41:00 GMT

The closure of Tetley’s Leeds brewery highlights the crisis among global brands, says Roger Protz.

Reduce beer duty and everyone wins

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:06:00 GMT

If British brewing is to recover from its worst crisis since the 1930s, the Government must take action soon, says Roger Protz.

Lager's new cold war

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:17:00 GMT

Modern techniques mean that true lagering is in danger of disappearing, says Roger Protz.

A hard cask to master

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:19:00 GMT

Fuller’s pulled out all the stops to create a beer comparable to fine wine, says Roger Protz.

Hoppiness breeds success

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:26:00 GMT

Industry support enables research into new hop varieties, says Roger Protz.

Celebrating a world of choice

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:14:00 GMT

Roger Protz explores the international brews on offer at the forthcoming Wetherspoon beer fest.

Are wee heavies for the axe?

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 02:43:00 GMT

A 20-year-old Orkney Brewery beer is now being criticised by the Portman Group for its name and its abv, reports Roger Protz.

Master of his trade

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:11:00 GMT

Quality-focused licensee Bryan Walsh has just been named Fuller’s Master Cellarman of the Year.

Repent ye pro-ban pubgoers

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:50:00 GMT

The launch of the Good Beer Guide has fanned further debate about the smoke ban.

Micros under the microscope

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:50:00 GMT

Demand is high for the training courses run by the Brewers’ Laboratory.

Living with the fallout of the Beer Orders

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:36:00 GMT

Closed pubs are just one tangible face of the damage done by the Beer Orders.

Ladies who brew...

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:56:00 GMT

This brewing business, it’s women’s work. So, for that matter, is running top beer festivals.

Pub tenants foxed by debt

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:31:00 GMT

Effects of the bad weather, smoking ban, rising beer duty and rent are overwhelming rerasons why Gary and Sandra Higginbotham left Punch pub Old Fox in Hertfordshire.

Beer’s good-news blackout

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:47:00 GMT

Cains’ demise has eclipsed the Great British Beer Festival in the gloomy media.

Beer in a cold climate

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:24:00 GMT

Craft brewers are recreating some of Britain’s most interesting historical beers, says MA beer expert Roger Protz.

Music to the taste buds

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:41:00 GMT

Graham Trott's musically-themed brews are part of a major craft-brewing revolution, says MA beer expert Roger Protz.

Size matters — small is big

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:27:00 GMT

Flavour and character, not brand or bigness, are key qualities for western beer drinkers says beer expert Roger Protz.

Heaven knows pubs are not all miserable now

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:13:00 GMT

Evidence from many pubs defies the popular belief that the trade is trapped in a downward spiral, says Roger Protz.

Enough of the competition — let’s hear it for co-operation

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:54:00 GMT

It’s far from being a dog-eat-dog world among craft brewers. Combined effort is the way forward, says MA beer expert Roger Protz.

Warming to the cask task

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:12:00 GMT

MA beer expert Roger Protz

Warming to the cask task

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Camra and Cask Marque both agree cask beer should be cool and refreshing. Who'd argue?

Protz: Stoking the fires of protest

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:48:00 GMT

MA beer expert Roger Protz visits a pub fighting for its life

Stoking the fires of protest

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

The battle lines have been drawn in the fight to save a popular community pub in Stoke from the plans for a road widening scheme

Protz: Flying the flag for local beer

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Derby's Royal Standard was rescued from the wrecking ball by town brewer Trevor Harris

Protz: Giant brewers close in for kill

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:09:00 GMT

MA beer writer considers implications of a possible Inbev bid for Anheauser Busch

Protz: Spot the difference in Old Ric

Thu, 29 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Bearded beer-lover Ric Sainty has transformed the Old Spot from smelly pub to award-winning haven — and had an ale named after him, says Roger Protz

Protz: Bateman's bucks the trend and sets plenty of new ones

Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

A great survivor and innovator, Lincolnshire brewer Bateman's continues to go from strength to strength

Protz: Back to black: Baltic porter is heading for pole position

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:14:00 GMT

MA's beer expert Roger Protz asks is dark beer the new black?

Protz; Hey Rhodri, take a drink on the mild side. Do, do, do, do...

Thu, 01 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Roger Protz did a double take in Cardiff at the Camra annual conference

Protz: If it ain't broken then don't fix it

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Brewing companies seeking success and profit interfere with well-loved and unique beer brands at their peril

Protz: Coors to dim Burton's shining light

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:59:00 GMT

Journalists are supposed to be a hard-bitten crowd but occasionally even we can shed a tear

Protz: Time to celebrate our heritage

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:59:00 GMT

London would be the perfect place for a beer museum, says Beer writer Roger Protz

Protz: Dark arts winner for Wychwood

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Beer expert Roger Protz considers the turnaround in modern brewing fortunes

Protz: Betjeman lives on

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Beer expert Roger Protz tells of his trip to St Pancras station

Protz: Breaking the silence

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Beer expert Roger Protz considers why bad pub news is better than good pub news

Protz: Beer news blackout

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Beer writer Roger Protz says the media should have made more of the SIBA report on soaring cask sales

Protz: Hoppiness is next to Britishness

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Beer expert Roger Protz considers the hops of Britain

Protz: S&N – the global microcosm

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Beer expert Roger Protz considers the consequences of Carlsberg & Heineken's bid for S&N

Protz: Proving the doomsayers wrong

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Wells & Youngs is going great guns, says beer expert Roger Protz

Protz: Things are looking up in Wadworthshire

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Things are looking up at the Wadworth brewery, says Roger Protz

Drink-driving limit won’t kill rural pubs

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:58:00 GMT

“Parliamentary privilege” gives rights to MPs that lesser mortals such as journalists can never enjoy.

Brewing innovations revive cask market

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:47:00 GMT

As two women walked past the Campaign for Real Ale’s (Camra) stand at the BBC Food Show in Birmingham last week, one said: “Ah, Camra – they’ve been around a long time.”

Protz: Time to focus on the hard facts

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Award winning beer writer considers the media onslaught against alcohol

Competition report is divorced from reality

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:59:00 GMT

Competition Commission got it wrong on supermarkets, says Roger Protz

Ringwood: victory for Marston's, says Roger Protz

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:00:00 GMT

When, some 30 years ago, I set out to write an article about the new Ringwood Brewery, in Hampshire, the term "micro" was in its infancy.

Wake up and smell the beer, says Roger Protz

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Does your beer taste better now that the smoking ban has arrived, asks Roger Protz?

Farewell to one of the very best

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 12:00:00 GMT

The first time I met George Bateman, he took me on a tour of his brewery in Wainfleet, in Lincolnshire.

The tide is starting to turn, says Roger Protz

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Hawk-eyed readers may recall that I wrote recently about beer and pubs living in two parallel universes.

Enjoying a civilised drink

Thu, 31 May 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Is the BBC's Panorama losing its touch? Six months have gone by and it hasn't had a programme about binge drinking that proves Britain is going down the pan and up the spout at the same time.

A marriage made in heaven

Thu, 17 May 2007 12:29:00 GMT

During my first visit to Liverpool for a few years, I found the city not only spruced up in preparation for its Year of Culture in 2008, but also transformed, with waterfront buildings that once throbbed with industrial life turned into hotels, bars

Brewers play fairtrade card

Thu, 10 May 2007 02:46:00 GMT

My copy of the MA arrived last week at the same time as I took delivery of two bottles of beer from the Westerham Brewery in Kent and the latest edition of the Siba Journal, produced by the Society of Independent Brewers.

Beware the alcohol police

Thu, 03 May 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Imagine the scene: a family is sitting round the dinner table. A bottle of wine or beer accompanies the evening meal, enjoyed by the parents and their child. The father pours a small taster of alcohol into a glass no bigger than an egg cup and offers it to the child. Suddenly sirens blare,..

American voyage of discovery, by Roger Protz

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:00:00 GMT

American friends often say when we meet up, "We must raise a couple of cold ones". But it's more of a warning than an invitation.

Roger Protz on the sacking of Michael Hardman from Young's

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Michael Hardman has been a special friend of mine for a long time. Without Michael as a mentor, I wouldn't be earning a living as a beer writer.