Craft and (crap) beer at Glastonbury

[donthaveacoolname]

Hello to all you wise and wonderful folk, I have a couple of questions you might help me with, I'm coming from outside the UK so am not familiar with the current offerings in the UK supermarkets, I usually end up on Stella and sh*t cider for the weekend but was thinking of going down a different path this year, what would you recommend that isn't going to break the bank, I've no interest in paying £3 or £4 per can for a really nice beer that is going to be drank warm, I drink all types from larger to real ale to craft, 

I'll be doing my shopping in a supermarket en-route so it would have to be something that is widely available, also which supermarket chain should I aim for?

Thanks for your help in advance 

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, donthaveacoolname said:

 also which supermarket chain should I aim for?

Thanks for your help in advance 

Aldi or Lidl

[donthaveacoolname]

Just now, Skip997 said:

Aldi or Lidl

Thanks, have they a decent range of cans? Here in Ireland most of there decent beer is in bottles

[Long Drop]

Download had the Brooklyn Pilsner, I think it was 3.6/8% at about £6.50.

Nothing like the cans from the supermarket, I think it was just regular Carlsberg.

[Drinky]

Download also had Brooklyn Defender in a couple of spots apparently, a 5.5% IPA

[Drinky]

I have prepared a box of big bad things in case of the worst weather. The 568ml stovepipe cans of 14.8% Deth’s Tar are to be deployed in case of biblical downpour (or during Elton, if it stays dry)

[balti-pie]

14.8%! That’ll be like treacle! Is it barrel aged? I love a barrel aged imperial stout, and they are perfect for so many reasons at festivals; don’t need to be cold, can be carried around and won’t fizz up, you can deploy them at will just before a set starts and get a decent buzz by just having a good swig, and you’ll not need to head to the toilet so often like when on pints of standard 4% stuff. The choice of champions. 

strongest beer I’ve had was an 18.9% bourbon barrel aged macadamia nut stout from the US, can’t remember the brewer - had it at a beer festival a couple of years back, it was amazing. Sadly not canned though, cos I would defo import a couple of cans of that for stupid money, it was beautiful 

[Jacksamthompson]

Forgot to share how excellent the beer tent was at Slamdunk festival the other week. I dont mind paying for pricey beer as long as its good. 

[balti-pie]

Pints of schofferhoffer would be absolutely amazing 🥳 

[Jacksamthompson]

1 minute ago, balti-pie said:

Pints of schofferhoffer would be absolutely amazing 🥳 

so much choice i didnt even make it onto that! 

[balti-pie]

1 minute ago, Jacksamthompson said:

so much choice i didnt even make it onto that! 

It wouldn’t be a popular choice for most cos of the low alcohol content, but it’d be just about rehydration-neutral and a cold one on a hot day is absolutely wonderful 

[king_oxymoron]

I’m getting a little older and over the last couple of years have been struggling with intolerances to certain things in some alcohol that can make me quite sick. Barley is a big one, Millet, Rye to a certain degree, also certain preservatives (E222 in Brothers Cider - and probably others but Brothers was the first I checked).

Im going to be mainly on the vodka train but I don’t know that it’s especially a daytime drink and wanted to try and find a good gluten free beer to take in so I can have a couple per day. Any suggestions? I know Peroni do a gluten free version but it specifically says they use the same ingredients including barley so I’m sceptical 

[Barrioke]

Appreciate it may not be for everyone but Camden Off Menu IPA is a fiver for 4 cans in Sainsbury’s at the moment with a nectar card which I think is really reasonable. Works out about £3.79/litre which is on par with your peroni/madri in larger packs

I really like it - very drinkable and at 5.8% means more bang for your buck. I like neck oil but it is outrageously expensive, this is a great alternative.

I’ll be taking a load of these and then a few stronger individual cans

[Peter_Quaife]

36 minutes ago, donthaveacoolname said:

Thanks, have they a decent range of cans? Here in Ireland most of there decent beer is in bottles

Are you travelling down from Bristol? We're flying into Bristol and heading down via Shepton Mallet which has an Aldi and Tesco. There's a Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco and Waitrose in Wells, about 15 mins West of Shepton Mallet. Issue is, the beer won't be chilled. I've been looking for an Off-License on route that would serve chilled cans

 

Beers & Ciders | ALDI

Summer Drinks from Thursday, 18.05. at Lidl UK - www.lidl.co.uk

Multi-pack Beer | Waitrose & Partners

Cider Cans: Cider: Beer, Wines & Spirits: Morrisons Shop

Beer: Beer, Wines & Spirits: Morrisons Shop 

[donthaveacoolname]

2 minutes ago, Peter_Quaife said:

Are you travelling down from Bristol? We're flying into Bristol and heading down via Shepton Mallet which has an Aldi and Tesco. There's a Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco and Waitrose in Wells, about 15 mins West of Shepton Mallet. Issue is, the beer won't be chilled. I've been looking for an Off-License on route that would serve chilled cans

 

Beers & Ciders | ALDI

Summer Drinks from Thursday, 18.05. at Lidl UK - www.lidl.co.uk

Multi-pack Beer | Waitrose & Partners

Cider Cans: Cider: Beer, Wines & Spirits: Morrisons Shop

Beer: Beer, Wines & Spirits: Morrisons Shop 

Thanks, I'm driving down from Pembroke so I have some flexibility where to shop, Thanks for the links, I'm not sure I'd bother with getting them chilled they are going to be warm in a tent fro the weekend so I'd go for value rather than chilled, unless you have a handy way of keeping them chilled, but what would a festival be without warm beer lol  

[Peter_Quaife]

9 minutes ago, donthaveacoolname said:

Thanks, I'm driving down from Pembroke so I have some flexibility where to shop, Thanks for the links, I'm not sure I'd bother with getting them chilled they are going to be warm in a tent fro the weekend so I'd go for value rather than chilled, unless you have a handy way of keeping them chilled, but what would a festival be without warm beer lol  

sup down those warm suds ! :)...we've a camper with a wee fridge in it and cooler backpacks. Trying to avoid warm beer if possible, especially days 3/4/5 

[donthaveacoolname]

1 minute ago, Peter_Quaife said:

sup down those warm suds ! :)...we've a camper with a wee fridge in it and cooler backpacks. Trying to avoid warm beer if possible, especially days 3/4/5 

thats the way to do it.....

[StePotts]

1 hour ago, balti-pie said:

Pints of schofferhoffer would be absolutely amazing 🥳 

I would probably just spend all weekend wherever they were serving this. 

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

1 hour ago, balti-pie said:

Pints of schofferhoffer would be absolutely amazing 🥳 

I've got 24 cans ready to go, of the red hot weather comes in they will be perfect to drink through the day 

[balti-pie]

3 hours ago, king_oxymoron said:

I’m getting a little older and over the last couple of years have been struggling with intolerances to certain things in some alcohol that can make me quite sick. Barley is a big one, Millet, Rye to a certain degree, also certain preservatives (E222 in Brothers Cider - and probably others but Brothers was the first I checked).

Im going to be mainly on the vodka train but I don’t know that it’s especially a daytime drink and wanted to try and find a good gluten free beer to take in so I can have a couple per day. Any suggestions? I know Peroni do a gluten free version but it specifically says they use the same ingredients including barley so I’m sceptical 

The bar down at the Unfairground had pint cans of a gluten free Arbor pale, they were possibly a fiver and absolutely bloody gorgeous and cold. This was 2019, and in 2022 they were only in the staff bar down there (broke Britain? I think it’s called) but they’d sold out by Wednesday I think. I hope they’re back, in greater numbers, and in the public bar down there, cos they were a magnificent find 

[Barneym]

7 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

The bar down at the Unfairground had pint cans of a gluten free Arbor pale, they were possibly a fiver and absolutely bloody gorgeous and cold. This was 2019, and in 2022 they were only in the staff bar down there (broke Britain? I think it’s called) but they’d sold out by Wednesday I think. I hope they’re back, in greater numbers, and in the public bar down there, cos they were a magnificent find 

I’d forgotten about that had a can of Arbor at about 3am in 2019 on the Friday, no idea what but assume it was that, was a great change from the usual drinks (although probably not needed at that time)

[coma girl]

Got a can of this set aside for the festival, will save it for an evening when I don't want to be drinking weaker cans and having to go to the loo as often. Or maybe have it in the queue on Tuesday night.

Edited June 13, 2023 by coma girl

[Greenelk]

7 minutes ago, coma girl said:

Got a can of this set aside for the festival, will save it for an evening when I don't want to be drinking weaker cans and having to go to the loo as often. Or maybe have it in the queue on Tuesday night.

I got a can of this as well, but decided to not take it to the festival.  I usually have an emergency bottle of Buckie decanted for the festival to revive me on bad mornings, but didn't get round to picking one up this year

[dcsessions]

3 hours ago, donthaveacoolname said:

Thanks, I'm driving down from Pembroke so I have some flexibility where to shop, Thanks for the links, I'm not sure I'd bother with getting them chilled they are going to be warm in a tent fro the weekend so I'd go for value rather than chilled, unless you have a handy way of keeping them chilled, but what would a festival be without warm beer lol  

Morrison's often have northern monk - faith on at a decent price. That's my "go to" house beer. I always prefer the 330ml cans as it seems to taste nicer than the 440ml?!

Otherwise you can't go too far wrong with the camden IPA listed above or the vocation beers. 

Most supermarkets have decent craft beer offerings these days tbf.

This looks good bang for your buck:

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/313009086

Edited June 13, 2023 by dcsessions

[Boomtowner]

20 hours ago, Derby_Dave said:

Oakham Citra and black Iris Endless summer are two of the nicest beers ever brewed.

 If only Glastonbury had anything even close to this selection of breweries.

I had the Endless Summer whilst at BT, it was my favourite of the ones I tried. To be honest the range at BT wasn't as good as usual. For example they only had a single beer from Brew York, Tonkoko, and that was the one I took with me in cans. They had two from Black Iris, so the poster made it look better than it was.