Good Beer Guide

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]

GBG 2006

Details
First Edition in 1974

The content of the guide is decided upon by volunteers in CAMRA's 200-plus local branches. 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.[2] 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 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 2018 Guide would be his last. CAMRA stated that from the 2019 Guide it would not have a named author.

The Good Beer Guide 2021 features a foreword by the Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge.

History

The guide was first published in 1972 and was just 18 pages long.[3] Rather than a professionally published volume, it was a collection of sheets of paper stapled together and posted out to CAMRA members.[4]

The first printed edition was published in 1974, and contained the comment on Watney's brewery: "Avoid like the plague", which generated a lot of media attention and caused the publisher, Waddington, to recall the first print run and revise the description to "Avoid at all costs".[5]

Editions

The guide is published each year, occasionally with multiple bindings:

YearSponsored ByEdited ByPagesBindingISBN
1972Michael Hardman18Unbound
1974"Avoid like the plague" version withdrawnJohn Hanscomb96Paperback
1974"Avoid at all costs" replacement versionJohn Hanscomb96Paperback
1974Facsimile "Avoid at all costs" version issued March 1996John Hanscomb96Paperback
1975Michael Hardman176Paperback
1976Michael Hardman224Paperback0-09-912290-1
1977Michael Hardman256Paperback0-09-914510-3
Hardback
1978Roger Protz256Paperback0-09-916980-0
1979Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback0-09-919630-1
1980Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback0-09-922160-8
1981Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback0-09-925260-0
1982Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback0-9503340-7-3
1983Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback0-950-3340-8-1
1984Neil Hanson280 + 36 MapsPaperback0-950-3340-9-X
1985Neil Hanson280 + 36 MapsPaperback0-9509584-0-9
1986Neil Hanson280 + 36 MapsPaperback0-9509584-1-7
1987Neil Hanson280 + 36 MapsPaperback0-9509584-3-3
1988Neil Hanson352Paperback1-85249-000-4
1989Andrea Gillies384Paperback1-85249-001-2
1990British CoalAndrea Gillies480Paperback1-85249-002-0
1991British CoalJeff Evans504Paperback1-85249-003-9
1992British CoalJeff Evans480Paperback1-85249-004-7
1993Jeff Evans508Paperback1-85249-005-5
Leather Bound1-85249-005-5
1994Jeff Evans512Paperback1-85249-006-3
1995Jeff Evans528Paperback1-85249-007-1
1996Jeff Evans544Paperback1-85249-008-X
1997Jeff Evans544Paperback1-85249-009-8
1998Homefire Smokeless CoalJeff Evans560Paperback1-85249-131-0
Hardback1-85249-133-7
1999Homefire Smokeless CoalJonathan Preece576Paperback1-85249-149-3
Hardback1-85249-154-X
2000Homefire Smokeless CoalRoger Protz578Paperback1-85249-159-0
2001Cask MarqueRoger Protz578Paperback1-85249-163-9
2002Cask MarqueRoger Protz804Paperback1-85249-178-7
2003Cask MarqueRoger Protz830Paperback1-85249-176-0
2004Cask Marque / Beer SellerRoger Protz830Paperback1-85249-186-8
2005Beer SellerRoger Protz848Paperback1-85249-196-5
2006Waverley TBSRoger Protz864Paperback1-85249-211-2
2007Roger Protz880Paperback1-85249-224-4
2008Cask MarqueRoger Protz880Paperback978-1-85249-231-1
Hardback978-1-85249-251-9
2009Cask MarqueRoger Protz896Paperback978-1-85249-249-6
2010Cask MarqueRoger Protz888Paperback978-1-85249-266-3
2011Cask MarqueRoger Protz888Paperback978-1-85249-272-4
2012Cask Marque / Society of Independent BrewersRoger Protz908Paperback978-1-85249-286-1
Kindle-
2013Cask Marque / Society of Independent BrewersRoger Protz944Paperback978-1-85249-290-8
2014Society of Independent Brewers / It's Better Down The PubRoger Protz944Paperback978-1-85249-312-7
2015Society of Independent Brewers / Cyclops BeerRoger Protz976Paperback978-1-85249-320-2
2016Pipers Crisp Co.Roger Protz1016Paperback978-1-85249-327-1
2017Cask MarqueRoger Protz1032Paperback978-1-85249-335-6
2018Cask MarqueRoger Protz1032Paperback978-1-85249-344-8
2019Cask MarqueEmma Haines - Project Manager1048Paperback978-1-85249-354-7
2020Cask MarqueEmma Haines - Managing Editor1060Paperback978-1-85249-358-5
2021Emma Haines - Managing Editor912Paperback978-1-85249-366-0

Other publications

In the past, CAMRA also published the Good Cider Guide and the Good Bottled Beer Guide.

References
  1. "CAMRA's Good Beer Guide". CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  2. "CAMRA's Good Beer Guide App". CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  3. "West Cumbria CAMRA". Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  4. Queralt, Richard (October–November 2007). "CAMRA good beer guide" (PDF). The Oxford Drinker. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  5. Good Beer Guide celebrates record number of British breweries: most for 70 years, Protz On Beer, September 12th 2012
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