Good Beer Guide


The Good Beer Guide is a book published annually by the Campaign for Real Ale listing what it considers to be the best 4,500 real ale outlets in the United Kingdom.

Details

The content of the guide is decided upon by volunteers in CAMRA's 200-plus local branches. Throughout the preceding year CAMRA members anonymously rate the quality of the cellarmanship of beer in venues using CAMRA's National Beer Scoring System through either or the Good Beer Guide app. These scores are then reviewed by local volunteers in the spring who put forward those they consider to serve the best real ale. The number of entries each branch area has is decided at county level with an emphasis on ensuring that a geographically wide spread set of entries are included in each year's Guide.
Entries for each venue give details on factual information such as opening times, food availability and accessibility of the property, as well as subjective information such as the attractiveness of the wallpaper and the welcome visitors are likely to get from the bar staff.
The Guide also includes a list of real ale breweries in the United Kingdom, with lists and tasting notes on their beers.
After two long stints as Editor, Roger Protz announced in autumn 2017 that the 2018 Guide would be his last. CAMRA stated that the 2019 Guide would not have a named author.
The Good Beer Guide 2020 features a foreword by Professor Brian Cox and is sponsored by Cask Marque.

History

The guide was first published in 1972 and was just 18 pages long.
Rather than a professionally published volume, it was a collection of sheets of paper stapled together and posted out to CAMRA members.
The first printed edition was published in 1974, and contained the comment on Watney's brewery: "Avoid like the plague", which generated a lot of media attention and caused the publisher, Waddington, to recall the first print run and revise the description to "Avoid at all costs".

Editions

The guide is published each year, occasionally with multiple bindings:
YearSponsored ByEdited ByPagesBindingISBN
1972Michael Hardman18Unbound
1974John Hanscomb96Paperback
1975Michael Hardman176Paperback
1976Michael Hardman224Paperback
1977Michael Hardman256Paperback
1977Michael Hardman256Hardback
1978Roger Protz256Paperback
1979Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback
1980Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback
1981Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback
1982Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback
1983Roger Protz236 + 36 MapsPaperback
1984Neil Hanson280 + 36 MapsPaperback
1985Neil Hanson280 + 36 MapsPaperback
1986Neil Hanson280 + 36 MapsPaperback
1987Neil Hanson280 + 36 MapsPaperback
1988Neil Hanson352Paperback
1989Andrea Gillies384Paperback
1990British CoalAndrea Gillies480Paperback
1991British CoalJeff Evans504Paperback
1992British CoalJeff Evans480Paperback
1993Jeff Evans508Paperback
1993Jeff Evans508Leather Bound
1994Jeff Evans512Paperback
1995Jeff Evans528Paperback
1996Jeff Evans544Paperback
1997Jeff Evans544Paperback
1998Homefire Smokeless CoalJeff Evans560Paperback
1998Homefire Smokeless CoalJeff Evans560Hardback
1999Homefire Smokeless CoalJonathan Preece576Paperback
1999Homefire Smokeless CoalJonathan Preece576Hardback
2000Homefire Smokeless CoalRoger Protz578Paperback
2001Cask MarqueRoger Protz578Paperback
2002Cask MarqueRoger Protz804Paperback
2003Cask MarqueRoger Protz830Paperback
2004Cask Marque / Beer SellerRoger Protz830Paperback
2005Beer SellerRoger Protz848Paperback
2006Waverley TBSRoger Protz864Paperback
2007Roger Protz880Paperback
2008Cask MarqueRoger Protz880Paperback
2008Cask MarqueRoger Protz880Hardback
2009Cask MarqueRoger Protz896Paperback
2010Cask MarqueRoger Protz888Paperback
2011Cask MarqueRoger Protz888Paperback
2012Cask Marque / Society of Independent BrewersRoger Protz908Paperback
2012Cask Marque / Society of Independent BrewersRoger Protz908Kindle-
2013Cask Marque / Society of Independent BrewersRoger Protz944Paperback
2014Society of Independent Brewers / It's Better Down The PubRoger Protz944Paperback
2015Society of Independent Brewers / Cyclops BeerRoger Protz976Paperback
2016Pipers Crisp Co.Roger Protz1016Paperback
2017Cask MarqueRoger Protz1032Paperback
2018Cask MarqueRoger Protz1032Paperback
2019Cask MarqueEmma Haines - Project Manager1048Paperback
2020Cask MarqueEmma Haines - Managing Editor1060Paperback

Other publications

In the past, CAMRA also published the Good Cider Guide and the Good Bottled Beer Guide.