The BeerCast’s 5th birthday…
“Kirin – brewed in UK, dissapointing [sic]. James Boags – Aus/Tasmania. Kasteel Cru – France, winey, fruity, not much taste. Sagres Bohemia – Dark, Portugal, strong, subtle…has pre, current and after taste”
That was how we began, four random bottles of beer sampled between Paul and myself, way back in 2007. A lot has changed since – including our spelling and tasting notes. He’s never really managed to explain exactly what a beer’s ‘pre-taste’ is, however. The moment of expectation before taking a sip?
Five years ago yesterday, we published our first post here at the BeerCast – it wasn’t that one above, we were only thinking about starting a beer website whilst tasting those four lagers. Originally, we wanted to theme each post around a country of the world – starting in Scotland and slowly branching out until we had covered every base.
Also, we wanted to learn more about beer. Indeed, we still do. That’s the beauty of getting into something – there’s always more to learn. Even after five years of writing, new styles are appearing, new breweries continue to arrive, and there’s always something happening around the corner. And we’ve also learned how to spell ‘disappointing’.
Over the intervening period, we’ve fired off 373 posts and 69 podcasts. I still remember the first one of those – recorded in a tiny boxroom back in May 2007. Here’s a tip for budding podcasters – don’t sit around a glass table if you plan to record people drinking bottled beer. Remembering trying to edit that one still makes my ears wince.
I don’t know how many beers we’ve featured and reviewed – but we have tagged 379 different breweries over that time. As you’d probably expect, BrewDog have the most articles on the BeerCast – 32 (The Kernel are next on 17). Seeing as BrewDog also started life in April 2007, that’s almost fitting, I think.
Our 69 BeerCasts have featured 262 beers, scored by 22 different guest panellists. A huge thank-you to every one of them – and especially to our subscribers, and everyone who has listened to one of our podcasts (one listen is usually all it takes). We’ll still record them, and still continue following good beer in Edinburgh, Scotland, and further afield.
As part of our fifth birthday, I asked other BeerCasters to note down their comments, or what they feel has changed over that time (the fact that I can now set homework to other adults is clearly a standout for me). Three of them responded, and their comments are below. It’s hard to know where to start, really – so much is different.
MrB
“Richard is one part awe and the other part some but I’ve presumed we’re only talking about BeerCast related stuff. Thanks to my time @ BeerCast my tastebuds have been simultaneously trained and destroyed (mostly destroyed) but it was all worth it. I think I’m correct in saying that I wrote the very 1st ever BeerCast blog* and that I’m also correct in saying I haven’t done a single thing since** aside from drink Richard’s beer – now that’s awesome.”
* It was actually the second
** Just seeing that cheeky smile is enough
Grooben
“So, it’s been 5 years?! I can scarcely believe that, but i’ve done the math and it appears to be the case. I think we’ve all come a long way in that time but personally i’ve gone from a man who thought Harvistoun’s Bitter and Twisted was the hoppiest thing i’d ever tried to someone who can happily sup Ruination IPA with his cornflakes of a morning (only on special occasions though, mind). It’s not all about the hops though, and i’m genuinely proud to have been able to expand my beer knowledge exponentially over the last 5 years – from red ales to IPA’s, Saison’s to Imperial Stouts. I think we’ve also been really lucky to have started the BeerCast just when the UK is starting to appreciate quality beer again – its exciting to be a part of a fertile time for British brewing.
High points – The discovery of American IPA’s (Caldera IPA still stands out), Thornbridge St.Petersburg Imperial Stout.
Low points – I have now tasted 3 barley wines in my life. Peche Mortel from Dieu du Ciel! in Quebec (barf). Proof that wacky ideas do not always pay off. Luckily its not available here.
Here’s to another 5!”
Andy
“Hi, it’s Andy here, BeerCast CTO and occasional host of the London podcasts.
What has the BeerCast taught me over the years? Well, believe it or not it has turned me into somewhat of a beer drinker. Well, perhaps more of an appreciator of beer is more accurate.
When the BeerCast started all those years ago I couldn’t touch the stuff, no sir, wouldn’t touch it, mm mm, nope. The tag underneath my picture on the BeerCast front page says ‘Chief non-beer beer adviser’ and that’s pretty true. The alcohol that I did drink occasionally and purely for medicinal purposes was always gin/vodka/Jack Daniels/Southern Comfort. All beer tasted to me like watery fizzy yeasty dishwater. But the BeerCast opened my eyes and my tastebuds to the world of beer in it’s multifarious forms.
Now, you know, of an evening i might think to myself, well, maybe I’ll have a Negra Modello with my burrito, or perhaps I’ll sup on a Kernel with my pasta. It’s small steps for a man, but it’s a giant leap for Andy-kind.
The bigger picture though I think is that the BeerCast has come along at just the right time. Craft beers are absolutely on the rise, just think back 5 or 6 years ago, Pub taps were full of all the same Guinness/Stella/Tennants combos, to find interesting beers a gentleman drinker would have to really seek out some back-alley under-the-counter liquor shops in the spicy arts of town. Now you see Sierra Nevada, Anchor Steam, Kernel, Brew Dog, Goose Island stocked at many many pubs. I think it’s not long until we start seeing more and more micro breweries popping up in the UK, brewing and selling on premises.
But who knows what’s good? Where does the modern drinker get his news and reviews from in this crafty new world? One place, the BeerCast, with Lord Admiral Richard at the helm and his crew of intrepid beer hunters navigating their way through a sea of beer just for you.
Happy birthday BeerCast and long live the king!”
For me, I think overall the biggest thing is down to choice – today there are so many more beers arriving in Edinburgh, breweries in the UK are opening seemingly every week. Thanks to Twitter we can now keep up instantly, and follow their progress. Everything is much more immediate, and us consumers almost feel entitled to be involved.
In pubs, there are so many more options now than there used to be – which is, of course, wonderful. Ultimately, this expansion may not be sustainable – but at the moment there’s so much going on it’s a fantastic time to be a beer drinker. Thanks for following us on the BeerCast – there’s plenty more to come…!
Richard
3 Comments
Tallulah
April 10, 2012Happy 5th Birthday! Keep up the good work.
Michael
April 10, 2012Happy Birthday! Celebrating anywhere?
Richard
April 10, 2012Thanks guys – we’ll be at Cloisters in Edinburgh tomorrow for the Highland tap takeover. Should be some celebration!