Boddingtons Bitter

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

It's never been the same since it left Manchester and moved to Wales..

Sounds familiar. Same could be said for me

 

[MCFCTrick]

Then again why single out Bod's when bottles of Bud Light are out there....................??

The point being Boddies was once a superb beer, whereas Bud Sprite has always been piss.

 

[Gremlin]

You cant get real Boddingtons now. They should never have moved the brewery.

Boddies never travelled well IMO - and by 'travelled' I mean more than about 5 miles from the brewery as it was a bit iffy by the time got as far as Bury. So now it all travels it's little wonder that it's all gone downhill.

Had a pint of it in Boston once (the one in the US, not Lincolnshire) - never again.

 

[BrianW]

Beer is highly dependent on the water it's brewed from and the quality of ingredients used. The idea you can shift location to another area altogether, use inferior ingredients and see no change is laughable.

No one would expect to produce Champagne in Barnsley, it's no different.

On another (but related) point many breweries are now dropping the word "bitter" and calling it something else. Can you imagine champagne suddenly starting to call itself "golden fizzy wine"? There is no respect for the product - that's why beer is increasingly cat's piss.

 

[trueblue gio]

I remember drinking it when under age in Preston. It was lighter than most bitter, almost lager coloured. It got darker over the years. Went shite after the brewery shut.
The most surprising place to sell it was a bar in Chicago maybe 15 years ago. Perhaps @ChicagoBlue will know the name of the bar and if it’s still there selling Boddies.

I remember finding it on Draught in an Irish Bar in Auckland and thought that was pretty remote but the found it in New Plymouth further into New Zealand, I don't think it could be physically further away from Manchester.

 

[Grassland Blue]

OB bitter was lovely such a shame that it was swallowed up by boddies/Whitbread and JW Lees survived.

Best boddies I had was a boozer near Stamford Park... Pointsman? Rumour has it there was a stream running through the cellar which made all the difference.

You're right about the pub, The Pointsman.
I used to go in occasionally, back when Boddies was 27p a pint!
A lot of people couldn't take to the brew as it had quite a distinctive taste.
Sadly The Pointsman is no more and I wouldn't wash my underwear in the badge beer that is sold as Boddingtons these days.

 

[Grassland Blue]

Another well known brewery which bit the dust was Wilsons.
I would think that The Marble brewery at The Queens Arms on Red Bank is closest to where Wilsons was. The beer in there is well worth losing an afternoon for....

 

[BufordUSABlue]

Lees stil going strong and still brewing in Middleton. Hydes are also still brewing but no longer in Moss Side.

I always found JWL Bitter one of those beers that when it was good it was fantastic, but when it was bad, it was rancid!

 

[BufordUSABlue]

Iirc the pub in Chicago was Boddingtons branded rather than just serving it which seemed unusual. Maybe it's not.

The Boddies exported to the US is the Boddington's Gold, its a shocker, plus guaranteed to give you a massive hangover headache next morning. I had a proper session on it many years ago in Savannah, GA and had an almighty headache the day after. I mentioned it to my mate (who is from Staly Vegas!) who actually owned the pub (Churchills) and he said "Yeah, it will do that as its not proper Boddies, its that Boddington Gold that they export to the US" ………… he might have mentioned that the previous evening when I virtually took a bath in it!!

 

[Sky Blue Thinking]

I always found JWL Bitter one of those beers that when it was good it was fantastic, but when it was bad, it was rancid!

Bad Holts can have some unpleasant after effects as well. Never been a massive Lees fan as its strongholds were Middleton/Oldham areas and didnt venture there too often but the Mnchester Pale Ale they now do isnt bad.
Seem to recall seeing something called Boddingtons Pub Ale in the states?