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Matthew Curtis

@totalcurtis.bsky.social

2.6K followers 780 following 2.8K posts

A writer and photographer obsessed with beer, pubs and their culture. Founding editor @pelliclemag.com. He/Him. More about me and my work: www.totalales.co.uk

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · Sep 10

In February 2024 I visited French & Jupps, the UKs oldest existing maltster, and roasted malt specialist. I’d never heard of them before, despite them being in operation since 1689. It’s story fascinated me, so I wrote it for @pelliclemag.com here:

www.pelliclemag.com/home/2025/9/...

A spurt of soaked grain leaping in the steep tanks at French and Jupps

Crystal malt coming off the roaster at French and Jupps

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 4h

Looks very, uh, pale.

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 10h

Muted horn and Hopfenreich are both great bars

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 12h

This was my favourite album from last year. I love it.

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 13h

The balance is now readdressed

Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 14h

But it’s not that terrible, so maybe it doesn’t 🤔

Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 14h

I decided to try somewhere new so the pint is Pravha. The balance once again needs to be readdressed.

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 14h

I think it might well be

Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 14h

I could just show you my year on year accounts vs last year if you want to see the kind of impact it’s having

Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 15h

This is reflective of why ai is so bad though, because it also make us suspicious. I use a lot of em dashes in my writing so someone could well accuse me of the same because ai uses a them a lot in copy. It is polluting the information ecosystem, and our minds.

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 15h

I also sat down for a chat with their in house designer this week and talked about their process, so I am inclined to also take them on their word.

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 15h

I contacted the brewery directly about this some months ago and they explicitly stated that it wasn’t AI. All I can do is take their word for it.

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 16h

Lost an entire morning getting mad about ai. So going to lose part of an afternoon having a nice pint. Balance.

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Reposted by Matthew Curtis

James @derpjames.bsky.social · 18h

I saw this on the same shelf as a load of slop-labelled beer. Pretty much guaranteed my purchase. 🙌

The front of a beer can entitled "AI is killing art!". The image is a skull wearing sunglasses with a pencil and pen through it.

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 18h

It might well do, but tend not to follow those breweries in the first place

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 18h

Just fyi I’m instigating an instant block policy for any business or individual I see using GenAI from today onwards. If I know you I’ll check in with you first but I just don’t want this bile on my timeline. I don’t care if you think it’s funny.

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

🙏

Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

Dead certain

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

Brb off to suck a few eggs

Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

I don't feel comfortable about muting as it feels like self censoring what I can see, which isn't wise. I'm just going to have to tinker with my feed I think.

Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

Ah that is interesting — I've never really considered it because I've always followed people in the old fashioned way.

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

Delicious

Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

Ah thanks, I will check those out.

Reposted by Matthew Curtis

Mark @peelacres.bsky.social · 1d

Hard agree. Not a pub, nor even an area of London I visited in my capital residing year but Will has a way with words that makes you immediately feel at home in the venues he writes about. Watching the documentary mentioned within right now, great piece of social history.

Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

Yesterday's @pelliclemag.com piece was great, you should read it.

www.pelliclemag.com/home/2025/9/...

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out — The Dog and Bell in Deptford, London — Pellicle

On a Friday night in early December, Deptford’s Dog and Bell is Christmas as imagined by a Haribo-addled toddler.  A huge resin Santa, grinning merrily in his sleigh, squats in Prince Street out...

www.pelliclemag.com

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

Now getting a bunch of unsolicited advice from a bunch of accounts that don't follow me. Bluesky is weird, man!

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

I think you're right, I just have to be brutal and unfollow people who post stuff I don't like. My reticence comes from when I did that on twitter back in the day some of those people had a hissy fit with me about it! Means I probably made the right decision though.