is a UK-based consumer organization which campaigns for the promotion of cask-conditioned “real ale” and the traditional British pub. See real ale. CAMRA was founded in 1971 at the most westerly point in Europe—Kruge’s Bar in Dunquin, Co. Kerry, Ireland—by four men from the northwest of England in response to the perceived poor quality and blandness of British beer at that time. Cask-conditioned beer was then on the wane, phased out by British brewers who deemed it archaic, expensive, and difficult to maintain and serve. Filtered, force-carbonated keg beers were offered in its place, but CAMRA rejected these and struck back with organized boycotts. Originally called the Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale, it adopted the name Campaign for Real Ale in 1973. Its stated aims include the protection and improvement of (beer) consumer rights; the promotion of quality, choice, and value for money; supporting the pub as a focus of community life; and campaigning for the greater appreciation of traditional beers, ciders, and perries. Traditional ciders and perries have been offered a place under the tent in recent years.

Membership of CAMRA is open to all individuals, although commercial entities are not eligible for membership, which is well over 100,000. CAMRA members are an eclectic group, with around 1,000 members residing outside the UK (mainly in the United States) and a strong constituency comprised of medical practitioners and clergymen as well as peers of the realm and Members of the UK Parliament. Members have been seen traditionally as “middle-aged men with beards and sandals” but the organization has been making great strides to broaden its appeal, particularly to a younger profile and, more particularly, to women.

The organization is governed by a voluntary, unpaid national executive, elected by the membership. It has over 200 local branches to which members usually affiliate. The branches organize local beer festivals, publish newsletters and run websites in addition to a range of social events (usually involving visits to pubs and breweries) as well as campaigning on behalf of local pubs and breweries threatened with closure.

Beer festivals are an important part of the CAMRA events calendar and showcase regional beers, ciders, and perries. The festivals are organized by the local branches who supply voluntary, unpaid members to operate them. Beer supplied to these festivals must meet strict criteria laid down by CAMRA. Beer that is dispensed using carbon dioxide or a carbon dioxide/nitrogen mix is disqualified from entry, much to the disquiet of those brewers producing unpasteurized beer which is not dispensed either directly from the container or through the agency of a hand-pull tap. Each festival usually operates an awards system whereby the beers at the festival are assessed by a panel of CAMRA members. Awards are made in a number of classes, usually corresponding to ABV range or style. These awards are much coveted by local brewers and are usually exploited commercially by promotional activities in the local market. Success at the local branch festival level also results in the winning beers progressing to regional judging competitions, with further progression ultimately to the national awards at the Great British Beer Festival held in August each year at a London location. See great british beer festival. Here, 10 different classes of beer (bitter, best bitter, premium bitter, special bitter, strong bitter/ale, golden ale, mild, speciality beer, new brewery, and bottle-conditioned beer) from the regional award winners are tasted by an expert panel. Awards are made in each class with the accolade “Champion Beer of Britain” given to the outstanding beer. This award is greatly cherished by the brewer of the winning beer, although it can be an embarrassment in that many smaller breweries are unable to meet the demand that the attendant publicity generates.

CAMRA publications range from the monthly newspaper What’s Brewing and the periodic Beer magazine through to the highly regarded annual Good Beer Guide. A range of specially commissioned books on beer, pubs, and brewing are also published by CAMRA, including a series of “Guide” books like the Good Bottled Beer Guide and the Good Beer Guide Belgium. What’s Brewing reports on current issues affecting beer, cider, and pubs in the UK, with a strong slant on those particular issues which are subject to CAMRA’s campaigning zeal. These campaigns vary from support for breweries and pubs threatened with closure through to the prickly subjects of beer supply to pubs, licensing laws, beer duty (tax), and many more. As the largest single consumer group representing beer and pubs, CAMRA opinion carries considerable weight both within the brewing and pub businesses in the UK but also at the government level, where the voice of CAMRA is heard and respected.

The promotion of great beer in good pubs is at the heart of the annual Good Beer Guide, a compilation of the top 4,500 pubs in the UK together with a comprehensive listing of all breweries, large and small, and their main beer brands. The list of approved pubs is compiled by CAMRA members whose primary criterion for assessment is cask- conditioned beer quality, using the assumption “that if a landlord keeps his beer well and pours perfect pints then everything else in his pub— welcome, food, accommodation, and family facilities—are likely to be of an equally high standard.” Good pubs are listed in the Guide according to region and location, with information on pub opening hours, food availability, accommodation, and the range of beers available. Pubs included in the Guide will proudly display a “Good Pub Guide” notice at the entrance to the pub, a symbol of quality. The Guide is an essential companion to anyone traveling in the UK who wishes to enjoy the delights of traditional British beer.

The overall effect of CAMRA on the quality of British beer is widely lauded, but the organization is not without its detractors. Some argue that CAMRA may have saved “real ale,” but has stunted the further development of British beer by casting aspersion upon quality beers and excellent pubs that lie outside its tight designations. A good example of such controversy centers around a device called a “cask breather,” which would allow beer drawn from casks to be replaced with a non-pressurized layer of flavor-neutral carbon dioxide as opposed to air. While proponents laud the device and say that it would allow more cask-conditioned beer to be sold in modern pubs at better quality, CAMRA derides the cask breather as an unnecessary and unwanted intrusion into the traditional cellar. Pubs using the device must face de-listing from The Good Beer Guide, a fate which usually has deleterious effects on their trade. This ongoing dispute highlights CAMRA’s unique place in British beer culture; it is doubtful that any other consumer-based organization can claim such influence over the beer brewed and served in their home country.