top of page
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
Less is more? It certainly can be with beer strength... in more than one way
Stand & Deliver, a delicious beer of 3.2%, features strongly in this article. A great deal has been written and debated of late about large brewing companies reducing the strength of their core beers so that they will pay less tax on them. The latest example is Molson Coors reducing the strength of Carling to 3.4% from 4.0%. It will save the conglomerate millions in tax and is likely to make little difference to the already falling sales of the product – it’s beer for people
Colston Crawford
4 days ago4 min read
Less is more? It certainly can be with beer strength... in more than one way
Stand & Deliver, a delicious beer of 3.2%, features strongly in this article. A great deal has been written and debated of late about large brewing companies reducing the strength of their core beers so that they will pay less tax on them. The latest example is Molson Coors reducing the strength of Carling to 3.4% from 4.0%. It will save the conglomerate millions in tax and is likely to make little difference to the already falling sales of the product – it’s beer for people
Colston Crawford
4 days ago
To Scotland - twice - seeking out the best of the beers and more
A good selection of beers, enthusiastically served, at the Commercial Inn, in Dunfermline. I love Scotland and, rather obviously, I love beer. Unfortunately, away from the main centres of population, the two do not always go together. That makes it all the more enjoyable seeking out something unusual and good when I am up there and, being retired now, I’ve made a couple of trips in the last few weeks. Here’s what happened beer-wise. I usually go to the Northern Isles, Orkney
Colston Crawford
Jul 23
Unique country pub that fulfils many roles proved a cool refuge in a very hot week
It was with a little trepidation that my wife Pamela and I set out to meet friends for lunch this week – not because we didn’t want to see them but because it was just so hot that to have a hot dinner seemed like an uncomfortable prospect. Happily, we need not have worried. We’d booked at the Coopers Arms at Weston on Trent, a longstanding favourite, and the main bar and restaurant sit below ground level in the former Weston Hall, a17th century manor house. It was suitably co
Colston Crawford
Jun 25
bottom of page