Saturday, October 07, 2006

Beer in a Box - Buffy's Ales

A group of traditional ales from Buffy's Brewery, a micro-brewery in Norwich, England has for some time been available in bag-in-box packaging. I don't know how long, but I discovered the site about a year ago. They market the box to the home drinker.

Beer Boxes

Whilst Buffy's is available in numerous discerning pubs, the beers have always been available to the home drinker looking for a quality alternative to the mass brands of fizz available in cans or bottles. Buffy's quality ales can be bought in two different sized boxes and are easy to set up and serve. They also make the ideal gift! The beer is contained within a plastic liner complete with its own tap, and is then encased in a rigid cardboard box.

The smallest contains 10 litres, which is roughly 17 pints of drinkable beer, whilst the larger size holds 20 litres which is 34 pints. Being "real ale" the box must be allowed to stand in its serving position for approximately 24 hours, to allow the yeast sediment to drop to the bottom. This yeast though will carry on working gently away, to provide the beer with natural condition without the need for carbonation or preservatives. Once opened the beer will remain fresh and in prime drinking condition for up to 14 days. Storage temperature will play a big part in the life of the beer, so a cool unheated room is the best place in which to store the beer if it is to be kept for any length of time. Most of the beers in the Buffy's range can be supplied in each size and larger quantities can also be arranged. Enjoy!

Buffy's Beers


The box is not just for wine anymore! I have often wondered if bag-in-box would work for anything fizzy, but I understand a traditional ale has nothing like the amount of fizz and pressure of carbonated drinks.