Draft Beer

[Bazrat]

Looking at the upcoming refit on Azura draft beer is coming to four bars, just out of interest what did they used to serve on there instead 

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Bazrat said:

Looking at the upcoming refit on Azura draft beer is coming to four bars, just out of interest what did they used to serve on there instead 

I think they are just increasing the number of bars that have draft beer facilities. Depending how busy the waiters were you could generally get draft beer, but they had to fetch it from another bar.

[brillo]

John Smiths smooth is not draught beer in my world !!

[Roger88]

Who cares about draft beer? I mean its popularity has fallen like 2-3 years ago. It was a thing before but now people would rather buy some good Belgian triple instead of craft\draft\wutever else beer 

[davecttr]

The on tap beer on ships is generally not 'drought' beer because traditional beer is live and the ships motion would make it cloudy by disturbing the sediment. Best to buy bottled stuff

[galeforce9]

44 minutes ago, Roger88 said:

Who cares about draft beer? I mean its popularity has fallen like 2-3 years ago. It was a thing before but now people would rather buy some good Belgian triple instead of craft\draft\wutever else beer 

Think you are referring to the 90s?!   No craft beer and ale is where it’s at 

[terrierjohn]

5 minutes ago, galeforce9 said:

Think you are referring to the 90s?!   No craft beer and ale is where it’s at 

But that's better served in cans not bottles, Goose Island IPA or Magic Rock Cannonball for me.

[daiB]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

The on tap beer on ships is generally not 'drought' beer because traditional beer is live and the ships motion would make it cloudy by disturbing the sediment. Best to buy bottled stuff

In the past year or two the has been a “real ale” sold on P&O ships, OrIana had it in the Lords Tavern. It was developed by an East Anglian brewer. It may also be on Britannia.

 

That will be the “draught” they are talking about.

 

 

[brillo]

It is impossible to keep real ale onboard any ship due to the motion, the drinks they promote as draught beers are all top pressure concoctions !!!

 

[Cathygh]

My DH is always moaning he can't get draught lagers in the bars I prefer. But whether P&O will include them who knows? We'll find out in April when we board
Cathy

[amfc_lenny]

The selection of draft beer and indeed bottled beer on p and o at present  is very poor. Badly needs to be improved in the vast majority of its bars.

[davecttr]

Depend on the ship, IIRC there were dozens available on Britannia.

 

As far as the main bars are concerned as long as the usual selection of bottles Spitfire, Doom Bar, London Pride etc etc is available I will be happy.

[Bazrat]

4 hours ago, Roger88 said:

Who cares about draft beer? I mean its popularity has fallen like 2-3 years ago. It was a thing before but now people would rather buy some good Belgian triple instead of craft\draft\wutever else beer 

Alas the majority does prefer draft hence why they sell it, if I require Belgian beer I would probably give up drinking.

[Bazrat]

4 hours ago, brillo said:

John Smiths smooth is not draught beer in my world !!

Well it’s weak beer to be drunk on a hot day to quench your thirst, as for real beer that’s a different story.

[daiB]

5 hours ago, brillo said:

It is impossible to keep real ale onboard any ship due to the motion, the drinks they promote as draught beers are all top pressure concoctions !!!

 

For the most part correct but they have developed a real ale for use on ships. It was on Oriana and is on other ships.

 

[daiB]

Taken from the P&O web site:-

 

At the end of last year, Oriana sailed to Hamburg to undergo a refit. As she left the dry docks, she became the second ship ever – and the first in the P&O Cruises fleet – to be fitted with a technology that enables guests in her pub to relax with the quintessential British drink, a perfectly pulled pint of real ale.

 

Why is this such big news?

What makes real ale different to normal beer, and so difficult to get right, is that it is a natural, living product. Most draught beer throughout the world is pasteurised and kegged, with fewer factors affecting tastes and flavours. Real ale, however, is brewed using traditional ingredients and is left to mature in the cask from which it is served, meaning that it has a limited shelf life and needs to be carefully looked after, including keeping it at a certain temperature (11°C compared to a normal draught beer at 4°C). All of this means that serving real ale away from where it is brewed can be a tricky business.

 

In terms of serving real ale on board our ships, the two main challenges the Beverage Services team has always faced are stopping the sediment being disturbed to avoid cloudy pints (a difficult thing on the high seas), and keeping the ale fresh for whole cruises – typically it has a shelf life of four to five days.

 

As P&O Cruises always strives to offer on board what our guests can enjoy on dry land, the Beverage Services team, headed up by Anthony Habert, has been working with Lincolnshire brewer Batemans and Dark Star brewery in West Sussex to develop a way to offer two very different real ales to P&O Cruises guests.

 

Both of the guest British ales are from the P&O Cruises Great British Beer Selection. Dark Star is a bright beer and so has no sediment, meaning it’s easier to keep clear at sea. Batemans’ real ale, however, does have sediment, and this is where the new technology comes into play. The details behind the new cask system are all top secret, but the result is that the sediment is kept at the bottom of the cask, and the brewer is able to keg the beer with very little or no atmospheric air, slowing down the rate of deterioration. Bright beer has a small amount of CO₂ added at kegging to give it a fresh feel, but the real ale from Batemans has zero added gas – the beer makes its own. The casks served on board have around 10 weeks of life and once ‘tapped’ have to be consumed within 10 days – giving you plenty of time to enjoy these tasty tipples.

 

The Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) chief executive Tim Page is supportive, saying: ‘CAMRA is delighted to hear that P&O Cruises has worked with brewers to serve traditional real ale on board Oriana. Real ale is a live beer that continues to ferment and develop in whichever container it’s served from, so it is particularly impressive that P&O Cruises has managed to take cellar-craft to sea with them and ensure their guests can enjoy beer at its best.’

 

Head of Beverage Services Anthony Habert agreed: ‘Since time immemorial, the challenge of serving real ale at sea – or even away from the UK – has been a genuine obstacle to serving a proper pint, so we are now truly delighted to offer real ale on Oriana. After months of testing, we are very pleased with the results. Real ale is such a hallmark of British life and I love the idea that our guests could be drinking a pint of real ale while looking out across Monaco’s harbour – that has to be a first!’ 

 

Get a taste of the good stuff on your next cruise – real ale can be enjoyed in the pub on board Oriana.

 

The introduction of real ale on board is part of Oriana’s latest refit, which rejuvenated her look while staying true to the integrity of this special ship. Improvements included new soft furnishings and carpets, a fresh colour scheme, upgraded lighting and increased seating in some of the dining spaces. The spa has a new pedicure station and upgraded salon equipment.