>From: Craig Welch

>What utter nonsense. The beer might well be in aluminium kegs, and
>there's a certain sentimental attachment to wooden kegs. But the
>whole method of promulgation, with kegs, gas etc. provides a totally
>different drink to that in tins or bottles. A better one, without
>exception (unless the pub doesn't clean its lines often enough!)

Yup. I've had the good fortune to drink great handcrafted beers and can't
imagine how much better it could be 50 years ago, given the wide range of
superior ingredients available these days.

I'm very fond of bottled beers including, but not exclusive to Butte Creek
Organic Porter and Ale, St. Peter's Organic Ale; Pikes, Deschutes and Mirror
Pond, plus some excellent ones from England (imported here to Florida) that I
can't recall right now. URP!.

McMenamens in Eugene, OR made some pretty good beers, enjoyed solely on tap -
though they never did figure out the importance of a sterile pints washing
system that didn't include nasty cleaning agents that left a highly detectable
odor on them which seriously diminished my enjoyment of drinking "in". No
worries in Oregon, tho. It was legal to bring in your own container and have it
filled with tap beer and lambric to enjoy at home.

Ellen