Must Watch TV: Oz and James Drink to Britain
by Jim Vondracek on 09/26/11
A friend pointed me to a really great show originally produced for BBC 2 called "Oz and James Drink to Britain." It features British wine expert Oz Clarke and James May, one of the hosts of the British show "Top Gear". Oz is quite knowledgeable about British beers and is trying to teach James about the great traditions, while James resists intellectualizing things too much.
They spend their summer driving a lovely Rolls Royce and pulling what the Brits call a caravan and we would call a camper. The caravan is 30 years old, small, eccentric and decrepit. The show is lighthearted and entertaining, with great bantering, a bit of the history of British brewing, all while being an interesting travelogue. In addition to beer, this series also touches upon British cider, perry, sparkling wine, and gin.
As my friend says, "Oz and James aren't creating a serious historical treatise, but they are a hoot."
You can read the info about the show at the BBC 2 website, but the shows aren't available there anymore. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gn2z. Thank heavens for YouTube! All eight episodes are on YouTube now, broken into two parts. Follow the links below.
Episode One: Clarke and May travel to Yorkshire and Derbyshire, learn what goes into beer and visit a vineyard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go3rIKghpIE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1FH076U4Lk&feature=related
Episode Two: Clarke and May travel to Wigan and visit a small commercial brewery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhckP5tpljU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMoZjuUHfgs&feature=related
Episode Three: Clarke and May travel to Scotland, receive a blindfolded whisky tasting and meet brewers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb9QSkvtapY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmmMfj1t6Zg&feature=related
Episode Four: Clarke and May travel to Ireland, test Irish Guinness and host "Strictly Come Drinking".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co5P9_U3da8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exV4yi7Kh3Y&feature=related
Episode Five: Clarke and May taste some extreme beers, and attempt to work as barmen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QrZhFWCqug&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3NaK6TYqsQ&feature=related
Episode Six: Clarke and May travel to Wales, sample vodka, perry and wines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjCSWMKrEHQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XvKLgu_Q1o&feature=related
Episode Seven: Clarke and May travel to the South West on a traditional cider farm and James makes his own Plymouth Gin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxRSX0Fn1o0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1vyhhqSSwA&feature=related
Episode Eight: Clarke and May try British sparkling wine and visit a traditional Kentish hop garden.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elMjo8bgLVA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTeLqkmPtU0&feature=related
