Good Beer Guide
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The Good Beer Guide is a book published annually by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), listing what it considers to be the best 4,500 real ale outlets (pubs, clubs, and off-licences) in the United Kingdom.[1]
Details
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The content of the Guide is decided upon by volunteers in CAMRA's local branches.[2] Throughout the preceding year, CAMRA members anonymously rate the quality of the cellarmanship of beer in venues using CAMRA's National Beer Scoring System (NBSS) through either WhatPub or the Good Beer Guide app.[3] These scores are then reviewed by local volunteers in the spring, who put forward those they consider to serve the best real ale. The number of entries each branch area has is decided at county level, with an emphasis on ensuring that a geographically wide spread set of entries are included in each year's Guide.
Entries for each venue give details on factual information such as opening times, food availability and accessibility of the property, as well as subjective information such as the attractiveness of the wallpaper and the welcome visitors are likely to get from the bar staff.
The Good Beer Guide also includes a list of real ale breweries in the United Kingdom, with lists and tasting notes on their beers.
After two long stints as editor, Roger Protz announced in autumn 2017 that the Good Beer Guide 2018 would be his last.[4] CAMRA stated that from 2019 the Guide would carry the name of the managing editor.
The Good Beer Guide 2023 featured a foreword by King Charles III.[5]
History
The Guide was first published in 1972 and was just 18 pages long.[6] Rather than a professionally published volume, it was a collection of sheets of paper stapled together and posted out to CAMRA members.[7]
The first printed edition was published in 1974. In a list of the country's brewers, the entry for Watney's consisted of the advice to "Avoid like the plague."[8] Concerned that this statement was libellous, the publisher, Waddington's, recalled the first print run and revised the entry to "Avoid at all costs."[9]
Editions
The Guide is published each year, occasionally with multiple bindings:
| Year | Sponsored by | Edited by | Pages | Binding | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Michael Hardman | 18 | Unbound | ||
| 1974 | "Avoid like the plague" version withdrawn | John Hanscomb | 96 | Paperback | |
| 1974 | "Avoid at all costs" replacement version | John Hanscomb | 96 | Paperback | |
| 1974 | Facsimile "Avoid at all costs" version issued March 1996 | John Hanscomb | 96 | Paperback numbered limited edition (of 500) | |
| 1975 | Michael Hardman | 176 | Paperback | ||
| 1976 | Michael Hardman | 224 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1977 | Michael Hardman | 256 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| Hardback | |||||
| 1978 | Roger Protz | 256 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1979 | Roger Protz | 236 + 36 maps | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1980 | Roger Protz | 236 + 36 maps | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1981 | Roger Protz | 236 + 36 maps | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1982 | Roger Protz | 236 + 36 maps | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1983 | Roger Protz | 236 + 36 maps | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1984 | Neil Hanson | 280 + 36 maps | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1985 | Neil Hanson | 280 + 36 maps | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1986 | Neil Hanson | 280 + 36 maps | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1987 | Neil Hanson | 280 + 36 maps | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1988 | Neil Hanson | 352 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1989 | Andrea Gillies | 384 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1990 | British Coal | Andrea Gillies | 480 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 1991 | British Coal | Jeff Evans | 504 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 1992 | British Coal | Jeff Evans | 480 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 1993 | Jeff Evans | 508 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| Leather Bound | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | ||||
| 1994 | Jeff Evans | 512 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1995 | Jeff Evans | 528 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1996 | Jeff Evans | 544 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1997 | Jeff Evans | 544 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 1998 | Homefire Smokeless Coal | Jeff Evans | 560 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| Hardback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | ||||
| 1999 | Homefire Smokeless Coal | Jonathan Preece | 576 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| Hardback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | ||||
| 2000 | Homefire Smokeless Coal | Roger Protz | 578 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2001 | Cask Marque | Roger Protz | 578 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2002 | Cask Marque | Roger Protz | 804 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2003 | Cask Marque | Roger Protz | 830 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2004 | Cask Marque / Beer Seller | Roger Protz | 830 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2005 | Beer Seller | Roger Protz | 848 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2006 | Waverley TBS | Roger Protz | 864 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2007 | Roger Protz | 880 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 2008 | Cask Marque | Roger Protz | 880 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| Hardback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | ||||
| 2009 | Cask Marque | Roger Protz | 896 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2010 | Cask Marque | Roger Protz | 888 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2011 | Cask Marque | Roger Protz | 888 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2012 | Cask Marque / Society of Independent Brewers | Roger Protz | 908 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| Kindle | - | ||||
| 2013 | Cask Marque / Society of Independent Brewers | Roger Protz | 944 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2014 | Society of Independent Brewers / It's Better Down The Pub | Roger Protz | 944 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2015 | Society of Independent Brewers / Cyclops Beer | Roger Protz | 976 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2016 | Pipers Crisp Co. | Roger Protz | 1016 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2017 | Cask Marque | Roger Protz | 1032 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2018 | Cask Marque | Roger Protz | 1032 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2019 | Cask Marque | Emma Haines - Project Manager | 1048 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2020 | Cask Marque | Emma Haines - Managing Editor | 1060 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2021 | Emma Haines - Managing Editor | 912 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| 2022 | Cask Marque / Stay In A Pub | Emma Haines - Managing Editor | 896 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| 2023 | Cask Marque | Emma Haines - Managing Editor | 944 | Paperback | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| Hardback Numbered Limited Edition (of 1775) | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | ||||
| 2024 | Emma Haines - Managing Editor | 941 | Paperback - Plain Cover | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | |
| Paperback - Iron Maiden Cover | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | ||||
| Hardback - Iron Maiden Cover | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". | ||||
| 2025 | Midland Snacks | Emma Haines - Managing Editor | 912 | Paperback Coronation Street Cover Edition | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
| Paperback Emmerdale Cover Edition | Script error: No such module "template wrapper". |
Other publications
In the past, CAMRA also published the Good Cider Guide and the Good Bottled Beer Guide.
References
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- ↑ Good Beer Guide celebrates record number of British breweries: most for 70 years, Protz On Beer, 12 September 2012
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