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Colston Crawford's
Beer Column
For 21 years I wrote a beer and pubs column for the Derby Telegraph. After retiring in October 2025, I am continuing it as a blog, and this is it. Feel free to read, subscribe, comment or whatever.
Posts
Why the evolution of micropubs should be welcome news for the whole industry
BARELY a week goes by without the news that a new micropub is being proposed or is opening. They have become an important part of the hospitality scene, originally offering an alternative to the “traditional” pub – they set out as quiet rooms, almost always serving traditional cask beer, with no fruit machines, no music, and with conversation encouraged above all else. So, I thought I’d revisit the history of them, nationally and locally, and pick out a few local success stor
Colston Crawford
Aug 185 min read
Why the evolution of micropubs should be welcome news for the whole industry
BARELY a week goes by without the news that a new micropub is being proposed or is opening. They have become an important part of the hospitality scene, originally offering an alternative to the “traditional” pub – they set out as quiet rooms, almost always serving traditional cask beer, with no fruit machines, no music, and with conversation encouraged above all else. So, I thought I’d revisit the history of them, nationally and locally, and pick out a few local success stor
Colston Crawford
Aug 18
Life in The Old Dog. And it's not the first time I've used the headline...
It’s not as if I haven’t called in a few times but what an absolute pleasure it was to be back at the Old Dog at Thorpe at the weekend. A big part of the pleasure was to be there with friends from my regular walking group – and relatives, since both daughters, Sharon and Molly, and one of my granddaughters, Sadie, were among the 10 of us, 11 with Lois the springer spaniel. The 10-strong Elvaston Crew walking group pictured by landlady Gemm Pollock outside The Old Dog at Thorp
Colston Crawford
Aug 11
Less is more? It certainly can be with beer strength... in more than one way
Stand & Deliver, a delicious beer of 3.2%, features strongly in this article. A great deal has been written and debated of late about large brewing companies reducing the strength of their core beers so that they will pay less tax on them. The latest example is Molson Coors reducing the strength of Carling to 3.4% from 4.0%. It will save the conglomerate millions in tax and is likely to make little difference to the already falling sales of the product – it’s beer for people
Colston Crawford
Aug 4
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