the class analysis, what's in your glass?' of beer, writes COLIN SMITH.
that preient-day capitalism has to offer to the old village market-place. Commodities ate MNu. among much talk, games, and peneral social intercourse.
Of course pub life" reflocts the unevenness and backwardness of contemporary life. Good conversation and pleasant conviviality take place alongside chauvinism and DRUNK But every day 32 million pints of beer are drunk in has to say about the brewing industry and the state of beer are issues close to the stomachs Да ДУстЬ IC dn LOC 0H005 of the mass of working people.
Proa Cins the marcho late capitalism through Pulling a fast one by Roger Protz is publisted by Pluto Press at £1.20. Available from WHAT'S LEFT uppeners GrupIl you want your sord st Gonions ungently rese HIS 20.P und.
WC2 FICHT RACISM' 15o mạch pua Tp pấp, cr 11p T-ahits, e2 wach plua 15o 05o. From THE THESIS of Roger Protz's book on the brewing industry can be summed up in the phrase Never mind The subject of his book Pulling a Fast One is that friend of the discontented and misunderstood -Public houser are the nearest | brewing indusity. Out of your pints of hilter annual profit of £300m is made and the government takes over but £1,000m in duty and VAT (what the NH5 could do with all those wet 10p pieces!): the the scene huge low by the throat Charangton. Allied Watneys.
Scottish and Newcastle and Courage.
These six not ouly produce most of the beer consunied, but control the majority of the pubs and so can dictate what & and what is net sald.
This is where the Campaign for Real Ale, Roger Prot2's emplovers, come in. lt & not capitalisnt monopolist the otherwise — that turrows the Badges. PO Box 50 London Nt 2XP A TORY VICTORY in the Gesera Election win De a deteat for the Britis bour movoment. But every worsin lass vole that gaia to Labaur or aparation for a lightcack agora ight wing Labour pollpes witt etween now ant the Genera Ele Lise Base TALING Borou Against STITUTE of face Peralions me luminolo Cente Me A Siananoon wi introduce the discussion - a pint a combined brewing combines Bass Whitbread brows and weakens the cibows of CAMRA devotes: bur the COLICIO BECIEM DECE CIASS What started the furore was the intracucian o socalco key britter. "keg" beer for CAMRA fans is that it is processed, refrigera ted, sterilized, and insipid of IRELL For the breweries it had great advantages. It could be casily ming prated on poten major factories, casily stored and handled by unskilled bar staff. It was equivalent of processed pens CAMRA's argument is that the taste, quality, and alcoholic content of most people's beer has disastrously suffered result of the combines thirst for profits, Protz has an easy way with the rechnicalities of contension is what buthies in the beer. Keg bitter gets its bead" and fizziness from carbonation" - injecting carbon dioxide under pressure. This is anathema to CAMRA (though I has led to farting becoming a minor social art among some of our friends). In opposition to the keg beer produced by the 'gang of six"
Protz champions the "real ale BELFAST Werners Resench Unit Bullatir. No 4: De Strachear: Rig-all. Brune invesmen in o and: tern African sie who the Erilish Arme VOMEN IN THE Clut Toen 15 WCHE SHY difficult to The trouble with MANURE transported is good beer.
the breweries" to the 'grear lager of Beownlf, Bjorn Borg, as a brewing for the hreweries of puts the keg beer after driving Pulling a Fast = Ireisne decide 10th COMMUNIST UNIVERSITY Of LONDON Polytechnic of Central London Wide range of specialier and general courses, including British Labour Movement, Comtemporary Marxist Theory, British State and British Road to Socialism, as well as City Politics, Papalar Music, Sex and Clasi, Women's Liberation, Student Polities etc. Special one-day Symposium on the Future of Posc-Schoo Further details from The Organiser, CUL 10, 16.King St., Landon concern. rapidi of mature.
Protz's problems industry from the many small breweries that it fermented naturally kept in casks, goes olf casily, 15 transport prea distances, and is delivered to they overlooking. the glass by a kind of hand vengeance Also it's supposed to laste greal! For CAMRA, small beer But if amall is beautiful" for beer Protz, 'the lager the better certainly notthe case. From the big bitter disgrace we move o reactionary scandal' Lager, supposedly the drink Brunhilde and apparency never of consumer products should certainly be of concern to the workers* movement; and the the high price and low alcoolic content of mass produced heer are indountedy 3 c30e 10E However, portifications on the question of taste are ar best dodgy, and at worst. have the taint of clitisms. After all, one person's elixir is another's CAMRA has a relatively large following - L115 25.000 members but with a and engaged in direct actions such world of so-called consumer But in reality CAMRA is par! and "health through nostalgia" brigade, along with Price. bicycles, and over-priced nuts. One can sec them objecting to the interna! combustion engine because its exhaust doesn't caste of horse solution to the of hrewins and the prdinary that CAMRA doesn't look further shan the bottom of their glass CAMRA has been successful to a desree t certine the br brewers to re-Introduce "rea ale". Butall they have dome is te show to the breweries that there is a corner of the market which were danger of Now they are beginning to exploit it with a Beyond thar, the ideas of Roger Protz et al amount to an Edwardes plan for the brewing industry. He artempts to shom if a litrle coyly, that small breweries not only make belle but ure much more profitable. That these smal capitalists are among the most unica is of little consequence Although he has some nice COURAGE DOUBLE DIAMOND estwiile nationalised brewery hi Newcastle since sold net by Torics, nacionalisation of the brewing the food and wrink manufact urers) that Protz purs forward. The concern for the beer in the glass" cods in the dole quede for Brewery workers *Although brewIng staff should not be allected by such a shake up (breaking down the hig combines to smal local breweries) sailer distribution areas coud lead to cut backsin sail *The utions invohed would have to craure that as mans workers as possible would be absorbed in acher departments ISH. Inevitabie redundancies should be cor "natural wastage' British Leyland directors please A ROUND Mais production of bee under capitalism may result it gaseous insinid beet, although CAMRA is belpine to shou thai this night DOt be 3 recessary. But mass produc workers wir no conelion 2 ander the control paid to the former owners, s the only way to give beer to almost everyone's taste Ir may not be achiesable bur CAMRA should look further than their next pint Roger Prota has been around a hit and it would be a travesty torsay that he approaches every question with an empty class albeit one made neither Moscow:
He has produced probably the best available book on the brewing industry. But be and CAMRA should be careful that they do not speak in Ruddles or try to remain a bit too Young's at heart.
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e ling a fast ane What the brewers have done to your beer