First Oxford Drinker magazine in print since March 2020 hit the pubs in August
Have you missed our printed magazine? Maybe, maybe not! The Covid pandemic halted production of all CAMRA magazines for a long time, as there was no point producing them when pubs and breweries were closed or under trading restrictions, and the advertising needed to cover printing costs simply wasn’t there. Some CAMRA magazines have returned to print before the Oxford Drinker, some have yet to do so and some may never return, but with the support of our advertisers we felt that the time was now right to go back into print. You can also read the new edition here.
We haven’t been sleeping, however – far from it. In September 2020, six months after the pandemic started and while CAMRA was still not allowing magazines to be printed, the Oxford Drinker was relaunched as the dedicated website you are reading now. In the nearly three years since then more than 100 articles have appeared online including news, features, guest columnists and Comment, and all these are still available to read. Updates are usually made once or twice a month, and these continue as the Oxford Drinker online is still our prime focus. News can be posted online as it happens, and this website has become an important source of information for local print and broadcast media as well as CAMRA members and anyone interested in local pubs and breweries.
We have gone back into print because we appreciate that not everyone has online access, and many who do still prefer the look and feel of a printed magazine that they can enjoy while supping a pint. A printed version can never rival online for topicality, but we will be producing another in November, before settling down to hopefully more regular production in 2023.
Every edition of the magazine will have content that you can read here first before it goes online, in the Summer 2022 edition that included guest columnists Paul Silcock and Graham Shelton (both since published online), and Tony’s Travels along the Cowley Road. We also update you about Oxford’s four closed historic pubs, the growing number of beer festivals, pub and brewery news, and more.
There are still many threats to pubs and breweries, not least the consumer spending squeeze that can only get worse come the autumn. Cask ale is in decline nationally with a mixed picture locally, but whatever happens we will be there to tell you about it, both online and in print. In the meantime your contributions, suggestions and comments are welcome: contact editor@oxford.camra.org.uk.