Roger Protz

Leaks ahead of #Budget2026: Beer Duty to rise by 3.9%. Already among highest rates in Europe. A tax on brewers. Lower strength & small producer relief tba. Will pubcos round it up & pass it on to hard-pressed publicans with wafer-thin margins on the price of a pint?

So many of our top UK brewers too started their passionate brewing journey as homebrewers: Mark Tranter @burningskybeer.bsky.social, Andy Parker @tabamatu.bsky.social @elusivebrewing.com, Evin O'Riordain @kernelbrewery.bsky.social, Jim Rangeley @abbeydalebeers.bsky.social...

Reporting in from the British Museum: this is a thing.

One of the best pubs. Superb pub cat.

The Scott & Brassey, Carlisle 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 My big reveal. This year Lancaster Brewery refurbished this superb Neo-Gothic train station bar, formerly a Buffet Bar into a one of 2026's standouts. Lancaster on cask, regional keg ales and Budvar lager. Spectacular success. Station pubs a burgeoning phenomenon 👍🍻

A charming pub I visited at the end of September.

The Pineapple - famously rescued from conversion 2001 - has been sold again. Grade II listed gem, famous Bass mirrors, quiet residential street Kentish Town. Bought this week by Remarkable Pubs (highly regarded the Heritage, Boleyn Tavern etc) To keep long-serving manager, Thai food, focus on Cask.

In one day, two politicians - Bolsonaro in Brazil and Vucic in Serbia - with ties to Trump have lost surprise elections thanks to high turnout. The rise of the international far-right is not inevitable.

"We need a pasty-style guarantee to stop Molson Coors marketing beers as Cornish" Chair CAMRA Cornwall, re planned move of Sharp's Doom Bar & Atlantic to Hartlepool. My piece in Private Eye.

It’s 11-13 degrees outside today, depending on where you are in the UK. This is also the recommended serving temperature range for cask ale. So this is my annual invitation to anyone who thinks cask is served “warm” to go outside in your summer clothes and let us know how you get on.

‘Pure arrogance’: anger in Finland as Google illegally fells 250,000 trees for datacentre

So just because I missed out on @petersgatetap.bsky.social Monsters weekend today, doesn't mean I'm going to miss out on a @torrside.bsky.social beer this evening! And as per usual,this is perfect given the Autumnal conditions,warming and flavoursome 🥰👌 #BskyBeer

Well done Manchester City Council! Plans rejected for 17 storey skyscraper by @themarblearch.bsky.social! The pub's been fighting for its future. Flagship & original home of the brewery, Grade II listed, outstanding Victorian interior, multi-award winning & that famous sloping floor!

Huzzah! 👏

Red Ale Season is open... and this Brick By Brick from @marblebrewers.bsky.social, on cask at @thefreetradeinn.bsky.social, is autumn in a glass 🍁 #BskyBeer

Wonky floors and a ridiculously clear pint of Manchester Bitter. You’ve gotta love a proper pub! @themarblearch.bsky.social @marblebrewers.bsky.social

A wet & windy Friday evening calls for cockle warming Stout. My world quest for wood-aged beers leads me to Poland & Japan. Komes Imperial Stout 12% & Sakura Stout 6.5%, both rich & warming. Happy Friday!

Brighton based book launch for Pubs for the People 📍Caroline of Brunswick pub 📆 November 5th, 7pm Me and Vallu will be in conversation with @philmellows.bsky.social & Malcolm James @manchesterup.bsky.social x @sc4culturalstudies.bsky.social free tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pubs-for-t...

Betty Stogs, still on, and still brewed in Cornwall.

First storm not hit the East Midlands yet and all very calm out there. My acer is looking pretty awesome too!

And of course Harvey's is an honorary Yorkshire beer, their yeast originally came from John Smith's: www.harveys.org.uk/news/60th-an...

The Shakespeare in Bethnal green has been a fixture for several decades

Following partnership BrewDog/West Ham announced May 25 & launch of Claret & Brew last November, a new collaborative beer: Boleyn Brew. Pity it's a lager. First ever IPA was brewed at Bow Bridge nr the Boleyn. Bitter would also be more appropriate to East End than lager, though not as popular as IPA

This is getting interesting: Trump filed $10bn lawsuit v: #BBC. BBC playing hardball, Trump's evading. Kudos BBC. Popcorn event or TACO.

Good morning. It’s nice to be back home and to this lovely girl. The best thing is there are no immediate events or anything that MUST be done in the coming few weeks. I might press some apples if I can find some, maybe some quince if we get enough, but no pressure. 

Say what? Trump envoy, Witkoff, to Putin today: "You say so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that." Clip gleefully posted on Russian social media.

Just celebrated The Absinthe Forger’s book birthday. Thanks to everyone who read it (and especially to those who left reviews, which really help!) If you’re curious, here’s the NYT review that came out while I was on the train to Dallas during the book tour: www.nytimes.com/2024/10/18/b...

The Guardian's homepage right now... 1. "UK approves Jackdaw gasfield in North Sea" 2. World must cut emissions by 18% in four years ‘to find our way back’, UN says

In this article we discuss the challenges facing the pub sector, the importance of community-owned social infrastructure, & why community ownership shouldn't be viewed as a "too difficult" solution. Find out more👉 https://plunkett.co.uk/why-community-pubs-matter-more-than-ever/

Allsopp's India Pale Ale was released in 70 pubs across the country on Friday, including Burton Bridge Inn and The Roebuck Inn, returning the beer to its original hometown #bskybeer bbc.com/news/article...

8th stop in Gent = Rock Circus, again first time here in years. Just 58 draft beers + c.100 botttles in case there's nothing you fancy on draft 😂. Exclusively Led Zeppelin soundtrack wins the day for me. Brilliant place.

My wife's grandparents ran a pub in Gloucestershire for a while long ago, and we have a few souvenirs. As an Ulsterman by birth, the red hand intrigued me...

IPA revolution goes with beer based on a Burton original protzonbeer.co.uk/news/2026/10... @camraofficial.bsky.social

Good to see historic saved Burton Union system in operation @thornbridge.bsky.social with iconic St Mars of the Desert. On cask @thefreetradeinn.bsky.social with panoramic views across the Tyne & spotted at other fine pubs from Stockport to Chester.

One for the Diary all #BskyBeer The Amazing @thefreetradeinn.bsky.social does it again

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Someone stole my chair! #sunspot #RescueDogDudley #DogsOfBluesky

Green Hop season is in full swing. This is Gadds' Green Hop Ale which is up to Gadds' usual exceptional standard and packed of Kent Crisps. The lunch of kings. #caskale #beer

May God grant me the confidence of an Aldi intellectual property lawyer

Today's @theguardian.com features "super-session beers". Traditional classic styles of low strength beers. Table Beer, originally for family consumption, Session Beer, deliberately brewed for social drinking. Recommendations include @kernelbrewery.bsky.social @beavertown.bsky.social & Dark Star.

Very big cabbage harvest time. Surprised they didn't bolt in the heat of the summer!

Swansea City 0-1 West Ham. Following this top-two Championship clash we're just one point behind table-topping Swansea. We're on course to obliterate Championship goal-scoring record!!! #COYI

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Very much enjoyed my first cask conditioned real ale in Seoul, South Korea. Joe, the brewery owner at Ashtree brewery, used to work at Redemption and Partizan and we spent time in Belgium together about a decade ago. Was in tip top condition, obvs!