>I'm trying to figure this out here: if people are worried
now about what
>they might/might not be drinking next january, what are we
going to be
>discussing come november or december...?
>There's also something surreal with "educated" americans
being "scared" of
>british beer (or is this a case of the brits taking the
piss out of their
>assumptions about the general level of intelligence this
side of the
>atlantic?!)...
>I'm trying to be politic about this, but... Coors or bud
against a local
>bitter, or some porter pulled properly...


I'm with Geoff on this one...  The mere idea of someone
who's prepared to drink Bud Light getting worked up over
British beer is frankly laughable (and the chances of
anything - never mind the beer - being warm in York in
January are fairly low anyway).

I'm sure those of us who are past (in my own case) or
present residents of York would be more than happy to show a
few people around some of the more interesting beers and
pubs.  Don't worry, if this is your first time, I promise
we'll be gentle.

Down here in Australia, the beer situation's almost as
depressing as it is in the United States.  Just like the US,
there are some fine boutique beers / micro-brews but the
vast majority of the beer - particularly that abomination
that goes under the name VB (mid-Atlantic Americans, think
National Bohemian, only worse) - is truly excreble.  South
Australians, with their ready access to Coopers, are
arguably the best off (Tasmanians would no doubt disagree,
but I'll keep an uncharacteristically polite silence on
Tassie beer).

Alasdair Brooks