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So What's An Icon Then?
by John Cryne
Well if "ICONS Online a portrait of England" (www.icons.org.uk) is to be believed, and it would be churlish of us to argue with them, then a pint of real ale is up there amongst them, being one of the first of 53 icons to have been chosen as emblematic of this country's cultural heritage.
This is great news for supporters of cask conditioned beer, many of whom will have voted via the web-site for real ale to be included. When you visit the site, it is very clear from the lead pages that it's a pint of real ale that has joined a club which includes that other essential element in drinking in its collection, the pub, alongside fish and chips and a cup of tea.
The web-site is refreshingly clear on the matter, "To visitors from overseas, the English typically like to drink their beer warm, but in practice that only means that the national taste has nearly always been for a pungently hop-scented bitter brew that doesn't need chilling to within an inch of its life, like bland continental lagers. As well as bitter, though, there is a whole spectrum of styles, from mild and porter to stout and seasonal ales with all sorts of natural flavours in them."
So that's clear then but why oh why did their press release choose not to focus in on the content – real ale for heaven's sake – but the size of the drinking vessel. Indeed you will search the announcement in vain for the words real ale. Was it thought the message would be too difficult? And although the web-site contains lots of references to CAMRA and real ale, you tend to get the feeling that it's more enamoured about the "pint" itself as the icon, than a "pint of real ale".
I am sure that Mark Hastings, of the British Beer & Pub Association, was referring to real ale when he was quoted as saying, "What better way to celebrate this tremendous accolade than by everyone raising a pint and saying - cheers to beer! The nation's brewers are proud and delighted that the pint has been chosen as an Icon of England. Beer is our national drink of choice and Britain's rich brewing heritage means we should be as proud of our beers as the French are of their wines. Every year more than 2,000 different beers are crafted by brewers."
But Mark – get it right, those of us who voted at ICONS Online, voted for a pint of real ale – sure, those of us in the know realise that those 2,000 different beers you refer to have to be real ales, but go on, be bold and use the real ale word, it won't bite you know. Except hopefully in the great taste it imparts as it goes down your throat! And for the sake of good balance, let's not forget that all of the UK, not just England, has pints of real ale on offer for our greater good and delectation. And I am sure they are just as much an icon there as well.
John Cryne, North London CAMRA Branch Chair
ICONS Online is a not-for-profit organisation set up to develop projects like this one. It is being incubated by a new media company Cognitive Applications and the project is supported by an advisory board and commissioned by Culture Online (www.cultureonline.gov.uk) a part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Reproduced from the Full Pint, Issue 37.
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