Government Ale - no joke

From the Ashburton Guardian, 1918:

He gazed gloomily out, of the window overlooking, the market, square. Men- were gathered in groups outside the corn exchange. "See that nice girl leading that black bull over there ? A nice thing that is ! Land girls, soldier girls, and sailor girls. I don't know what the country's coming to. There's no pleasure, and no money market nowadays. Who'd get market-merry on Government ale, and that not served after half-past two ? Now I must go and see about my little old pigs, though why I sent 'em here I don't know!"