A refreshing move by Marston's
Stories that end up in the press have to be seen as a form of publicity for the company involved. So to say the Marston's Classic Beers scheme (see linked story) is a completely selfless act isn't exactly right. But it's pretty close.
The whole point of the project, it seems to me, is to give consumers some insight into what they are drinking. Sure, drinkers know the difference between lager and cask ale. But that is like knowing the difference between red and white wine.
Beer styles are not exactly a well-worn area of knowledge among drinkers and yet they remain fundamental to everything that beer is about. An experienced beer taster might describe a beer in a magazine or newspaper as "a malty pale ale". Do we really, truly know what he or she is trying to say? Or if they said a beer was "dark, even for a porter"? I would be surprised if many people did. Certainly not compared to the number of people who would immediately understand what a wine writer meant by a "typical woody chardonnay".
Beer styles are the grape varieties of beer and it is crucial the industry tries to help drinkers understand what they are.
What is admirable is that this appears to be an innovation for the benefit of the beer category as much as the brewer itself. Sure, sales monies go into Marston's pockets and just by writing this the brewer is getting publicity. But in its simplest terms the company is rolling out a new range of beers with not one piece of Marston's branding on it. Much like a classic pale ale, that is most refreshing.
