Morrissey Fox Blonde
A beer spawned by a TV documentary just went on sale downstairs. Peter wasn't interested. He was already pissed off at the absence of Batemans XXXB, and preferred to grumble his way through a pint of Landlord. Chicago John - a loveable regular I have on timeshare with Binnie at The Harp - didn't think it was so hot. He prefers more traditional beers. Julia the barmaid took a sip, then paused, a look of intense concentration on her face (a sign that the jury had smashed the windows, jumped out, then run to the pub). She stared at me intensely with those mad, terrifying eyes, said "yeah, nice, really nice", then scuttled away.
Morrissey Fox Blonde was devised last year by Actor Neil Morrissey (famous for Men Behaving Badly, Waterloo Road and cuckolding Les Dennis) and his mate Richard Fox. They think it's a hybrid between a lager and an ale, because the malts used are more traditonally associated with bottom fermented beers. I think it's a brilliant golden ale and I'm very pleased to be selling it as a guest. Come and try it tonight or tomorrow. If you haven't figured it out already, the pub's here.
24 comments:
Do you know which brewery makes the beer?
The website says it's made by their "brewing partners", but I haven't looked into further than that.
I don't think there's anything wrong with companies contract brewing at existing brewplants. It makes much more sense than a proliferation of underused equipment up and down the land.
Hi! Jeff,
I certainly agree with you about contract brewing and use of resources. What I can't agree with is a beer being brewed under contract then someone else taking all the credit.
CHEERS! Podge
www.podgebeer.co.uk
"I don't think there's anything wrong with companies contract brewing at existing brewplants. It makes much more sense than a proliferation of underused equipment up and down the land."
The logical conclusion of which is to fabricate all UK beer in Tadcaster.
The last time I met Neil was in the bar of Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas after a Ricky Hatton fight and we were both arse-holed.
He does like a drink so it makes common-sense that he's brewing the stuff himself.
By the way - is it me or have many of the comments in the last few days gone all curmudgeonly.
It's only an effing pub blog.
When beers are identified with a particular place, it's a great selling point for them. I see that when I sell guest beers. People are very chuffed when a beer they grew up with, from their area, is on sale in their London local. A beer like Morrissey Fox Blonde won't benefit from that. As a result it'll lack staying power, I think.
On the other hand, I think it's a bit weird to gnash one's teeth and cry foul when someone releases a contract brewed beer, particularly in circumstances like these. Just enjoy it, or don't. As I've found out today, opinions are split on this beer (although they tend toward the positive).
Apparently it's brewed by Cropton Brewery.
Tried a quick pint last night on my way home. Very nice!
I think they've staked a lot on people buying into the Neil Morrissey brand, i.e. laddishness, shagginess and (mock) dopiness. Personally, those aren't things I aspire to...
I thought they did not come of very well in the TV program about the beer
An it sound like they made a pseudo lager, when the originally want to stray away from lager
BUS WANKERS!
It certainly used to be Cropton's who brewed this. If the TV show was to be believed, the beer brewed at their pub was only for sale there, while Cropton's made the stuff that went out to the trade. No idea if this is still the case.
Tried it once in the Museum Tavern, and was surprised at how good it was. Very tasty. Couldn't give a monkeys if it's contract brewed if it's as good as that.
It's been around for a while now. It was a guest in the local Ember a few months ago.
It's OK but it's no Bowman Swift One.
Mr Lloyd Evans
Cropton Brewery
Having sat through the three programmes about the plot to launch this beer, the only thing that puts me off it is what a complete arsehole Neil Morrissey is.
They brew under licence with the guys at Cropton Brewery. The bottled beer is a completly different beer than the draught.
more importantly, is it true that you are about to go on holiday with Doc Gibbles again, and will thus be furnishing us with more of his vile adventures?
I think they've staked a lot on people buying into the Neil Morrissey brand, i.e. laddishness, shagginess and (mock) dopiness.
I donn't see any evidence of that. I don't think anyone looking at the website, or at the pumpclip, or at the label on the bottled beer would think that. I didn't see the TV programme though. Sure you're not just reacting against something that isn't really there?
Not sure about that, Stonch. Why else would they call it 'Morrissey Fox' and stick a photo of the charmless duo on the label?
Witwoud, I don't see how using their own names on the label means they're deliberately trying to promote "laddishness, shagginess and (mock) dopiness", as Bailey suggested.
If a TV celebrity makes a TV programme about brewing a special beer, and then releases it under his name, then he is essentially trying to get you to buy into his brand. The TV programme may contain depper messages or meaning, but they know that many of the people buying into it, know little or care little of the deeper motivation behind it.
Now I'm not biased about this, I have not seen the programme or tried the beer. But there has clearly been some heavy marketing behind this. The fact that they have tried to create a crossover lager/ale is a bit of a clue, isn't it ?? Widest possible customer base ?? It's not exactly the most adventurous style of beer to attempt.
As I say, I have no idea what the TV programme was about, or what it's goals were.
Maybe I’m missing something here, Stonch, but surely that’s the connection they’re trying to make? I mean, a beer label is supposed to associate the beer itself with a certain image — eg hobgoblins, jolly country inns, the Suffolk Coast. But I can’t think of any other beer that tries to sell itself with a photo of the head brewers. There’d be no reason for it to, unless the head brewers also happened to be celebrities who are defined by a particular image, as all celebrities are — in this case a couple of lads off the telly, one of whom is best known for playing the beer-drinking bloke in a sitcom.
Chaps, I think I've figured out the reason for our difference of opinion here. You're picturing Neil Morrissey in the 1990s sitcom Men Behaving Badly, and perhaps pondering him up to his nuts on Amanda Holden. I, on the other hand, am seeing him purely in the guise of the firm but fair deputy headmaster of Waterloo Road school, with his shirt inexplicably untucked but otherwise far from laddish.
Reliably informed by chap who was brewing for them that it is brewed at some mega brewery in Wales due to it's marketing success. It rapidly outstripped the capacity of both themselves and Cropton. Last time i visited their pub the brewery was standing idle with the other MF beers on the bar indeed brewed at Cropton.
I'd heard they were using Cropton for the smaller stuff, Marston's for the bigger & supermarket bottles.
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