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Good Beer Guide

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GBG 2006

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

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 carry the name of the managing editor.

The Good Beer Guide 2023 featured a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales.

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:

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1974 "Avoid like the plague" version withdrawn John Hanscomb 96 Paperback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 0-09-912290-1
1977 Michael Hardman 256 Paperback 0-09-914510-3
Hardback
1978 Roger Protz 256 Paperback 0-09-916980-0
1979 Roger Protz 236 + 36 Maps Paperback 0-09-919630-1
1980 Roger Protz 236 + 36 Maps Paperback 0-09-922160-8
1981 Roger Protz 236 + 36 Maps Paperback 0-09-925260-0
1982 Roger Protz 236 + 36 Maps Paperback 0-9503340-7-3
1983 Roger Protz 236 + 36 Maps Paperback 0-950-3340-8-1
1984 Neil Hanson 280 + 36 Maps Paperback 0-950-3340-9-X
1985 Neil Hanson 280 + 36 Maps Paperback 0-9509584-0-9
1986 Neil Hanson 280 + 36 Maps Paperback 0-9509584-1-7
1987 Neil Hanson 280 + 36 Maps Paperback 0-9509584-3-3
1988 Neil Hanson 352 Paperback 1-85249-000-4
1989 Andrea Gillies 384 Paperback 1-85249-001-2
1990 British Coal Andrea Gillies 480 Paperback 1-85249-002-0
1991 British Coal Jeff Evans 504 Paperback 1-85249-003-9
1992 British Coal Jeff Evans 480 Paperback 1-85249-004-7
1993 Jeff Evans 508 Paperback 1-85249-005-5
Leather Bound 1-85249-005-5
1994 Jeff Evans 512 Paperback 1-85249-006-3
1995 Jeff Evans 528 Paperback 1-85249-007-1
1996 Jeff Evans 544 Paperback 1-85249-008-X
1997 Jeff Evans 544 Paperback 1-85249-009-8
1998 Homefire Smokeless Coal Jeff Evans 560 Paperback 1-85249-131-0
Hardback 1-85249-133-7
1999 Homefire Smokeless Coal Jonathan Preece 576 Paperback 1-85249-149-3
Hardback 1-85249-154-X
2000 Homefire Smokeless Coal Roger Protz 578 Paperback 1-85249-159-0
2001 Cask Marque Roger Protz 578 Paperback 1-85249-163-9
2002 Cask Marque Roger Protz 804 Paperback 1-85249-178-7
2003 Cask Marque Roger Protz 830 Paperback 1-85249-176-0
2004 Cask Marque / Beer Seller Roger Protz 830 Paperback 1-85249-186-8
2005 Beer Seller Roger Protz 848 Paperback 1-85249-196-5
2006 Waverley TBS Roger Protz 864 Paperback 1-85249-211-2
2007 Roger Protz 880 Paperback 1-85249-224-4
2008 Cask Marque Roger Protz 880 Paperback 978-1-85249-231-1
Hardback 978-1-85249-251-9
2009 Cask Marque Roger Protz 896 Paperback 978-1-85249-249-6
2010 Cask Marque Roger Protz 888 Paperback 978-1-85249-266-3
2011 Cask Marque Roger Protz 888 Paperback 978-1-85249-272-4
2012 Cask Marque / Society of Independent Brewers Roger Protz 908 Paperback 978-1-85249-286-1
Kindle -
2013 Cask Marque / Society of Independent Brewers Roger Protz 944 Paperback 978-1-85249-290-8
2014 Society of Independent Brewers / It's Better Down The Pub Roger Protz 944 Paperback 978-1-85249-312-7
2015 Society of Independent Brewers / Cyclops Beer Roger Protz 976 Paperback 978-1-85249-320-2
2016 Pipers Crisp Co. Roger Protz 1016 Paperback 978-1-85249-327-1
2017 Cask Marque Roger Protz 1032 Paperback 978-1-85249-335-6
2018 Cask Marque Roger Protz 1032 Paperback 978-1-85249-344-8
2019 Cask Marque Emma Haines - Project Manager 1048 Paperback 978-1-85249-354-7
2020 Cask Marque Emma Haines - Managing Editor 1060 Paperback 978-1-85249-358-5
2021 Emma Haines - Managing Editor 912 Paperback 978-1-85249-366-0
2022 Cask Marque / Stay In A Pub Emma Haines - Managing Editor 896 Paperback 978-1-85249-376-9
2023 Cask Marque Emma Haines - Managing Editor 944 Paperback 978-1-85249-380-6
Hardback Numbered Limited Edition (of 1775) 978-1-85249-380-6-
Hardback Personal Page Printed 978-1-85249-380-6

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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