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Colston Crawford's
Beer Column
For 21 years I wrote a beer and pubs column for the Derby Telegraph. After retiring in October 2025, I am continuing it as a blog, and this is it. Feel free to read, subscribe, comment or whatever.
Posts
The Draught Bass revival that shows no sign of slowing down
PLENTY has been written about Draught Bass in the last couple of years and here is some more, because a remarkable story continues to evolve. What has happened with Bass is one of the more unlikely tales in the last few years of Britain’s brewing history because, at a time when many beer enthusiasts favour the work of independent breweries, here is a revered brand which is owned and marketed by one unloved international conglomerate (Ab-InBev) and brewed for them under contra
Colston Crawford
Sep 174 min read
The Draught Bass revival that shows no sign of slowing down
PLENTY has been written about Draught Bass in the last couple of years and here is some more, because a remarkable story continues to evolve. What has happened with Bass is one of the more unlikely tales in the last few years of Britain’s brewing history because, at a time when many beer enthusiasts favour the work of independent breweries, here is a revered brand which is owned and marketed by one unloved international conglomerate (Ab-InBev) and brewed for them under contra
Colston Crawford
Sep 17
Why monks switched dairy farming for brewing... the fascinating story of Tynt Meadow
It was 2014 when the monks at Mount St Bernard’s Abbey in Leicestershire took the decision to stop dairy farming, which had been the principal source of revenue to keep their monastery sustainable for over 160 years. The proliferation of similar farms around their 200-acre estate and plunging commercial prices for milk were just too much and the monks had to work out what they might do next. Peter Grady, brewery and operations manager for Tynt Meadow, holds court with St Arno
Colston Crawford
Sep 2
Why the evolution of micropubs should be welcome news for the whole industry
BARELY a week goes by without the news that a new micropub is being proposed or is opening. They have become an important part of the hospitality scene, originally offering an alternative to the “traditional” pub – they set out as quiet rooms, almost always serving traditional cask beer, with no fruit machines, no music, and with conversation encouraged above all else. So, I thought I’d revisit the history of them, nationally and locally, and pick out a few local success stor
Colston Crawford
Aug 18
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