Yes, I'm a beardy weirdy real ale drinker.

What is it? It's unpastuerised and unfiltered beer.

Think of the difference in tinned fruit and fresh fruit - that's the difference between gassy, mass produced, heat treated beer and real ale.

No, it's not all monster strength and the stuff that tastes of old socks was your Dad's homebrew.

Real ale is a in the same crowd as organic free range products. They are produced in a traditional way, taking time and care to make sure the taste is the most important issue. Unlike tins of Carling / Heineken etc. which is brewed to a price that the customer / supermarket wants. Well you're welcome to it.

You don't have to be into brewery preservation or talk about the aroma of the Nantwich stranglefoot hop variety to be into real ale. I just drink what I like best. My Uncle John loves Boddies out of a tin (notice they've taken the word "Manchesterⁱ" out of their adverts and now advertise it as "the cream"? No prizes for guessing why.) and prefers it to the real stuff. He's a lucky man 'cos it's always on special offer and you can buy it anywhere - even at Sydney airport I'm told. In his defence, he does like Black Sheep too (THE BEER!).    A friend likes Fosters top (Fosters with an inch of lemonade in it) - I can't find it in myself to take the mick too much, he's obviously beyond hope.