Sunday 1 September 2013

Bottled beers in the 1860's

Hello. It's me again, with yet more stuff about bottled beer. Not quite sure how we've ended up in bottled beer week. Well, bottled beer fortnight, more like. You'd best just pray I don't dig out my copy of "Bottling of British Beers". I'd be busy for a month or two. Though that has just inspired me to do a quick search in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing. Make that six months.

As you can see, I've lumped the beers into styles in a fairly haphazard way. It's not very consistent, as I've given Scotch Ales their own category and listed the Burton Ales as Strong Ales.

The trends in bottled beer are clear in this set. Lots of Pale Ales/IPA, Stout and Strong Ales. Just a few Table Ales, Porters and Mild Ales. Also clear is how the list is dominated by a few large breweries: Bass, Allsopp and Guinness. Bass and Allsopp seem to have had the bottled IPA market pretty much sewn up between them. Guinness likewise with the bottled Stout market, though Barclay Perkins was still hanging in there.

Talking of Barclay Perkins, I have details of their beers that appear in the table. It's a bit complicated for two reasons. First, I don't have details from the exact year, 1867, but a decade earlier, 1856. Second, there are no beers called Double Stout and Extra Stout in the brewing records. The brewhouse names for their Porters and Stouts were:

Barclay Perkins Porter/Stout in 1856
beer description OG
TT Running Porter 1060
EI East India Porter 1061
Hhd Keeping Porter 1060
FSt Family Stout 1061
BSt Brown Stout 1092
IBSt Imperial Stout 1107
Source:
Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/1/542.

It looks like the Double Stout was BSt and the London Stout was FSt. I only have details of TT from the late 1860's, when it had a gravity of around 1055. Assuming a similar fall (about 8%) in the OG, that would leave BSt at 1084 and FSt at 1056.

It's interesting to see that the Burton brewers were still very much in the strong Burton Ale business, despite the enormous fame of the Pale Ales of Bass and Allsopp. In fact, they were even in the Mild Ale business still - all the Mild Ales in the table (the unknown one excepted) are from Burton.

Hang on, I've some idea of the Bass gravities of this period, too. A little bit later, but still pretty close:

Bass OG's in the 1870's
Beer OG
India Pale Ale 1060
No. 1 Burton Ale 1110
No. 2 Burton Ale 1090
No. 3a Ale (Old Ale) 1085
No. 3b Ale(Bottling) 1085
No. 3 Burton Ale 1075
No. 4 Burton Ale 1070
No. 5 Burton Ale 1065
No. 6 Burton Ale 1060
No. 2 (P2) Imperial Stout 1095
No. 3 (P3) Extra Stout 1075
No. 4 (P4) Double Stout 1070
No. 5 (P5) Stout 1065
Source:
Bass price list

My guess would be that the XX Mild Ale is No. 6 Burton Ale. The Pale Ale is pretty obvious. Based on the price, the Bass Burton Ale from 1861 looks like No. 3 Burton Ale. Allsopps "Burton Ale (Extra Strong, No. 1)" presumably was a similar strength to Bass No. 1

And finally we get to Cooper. The term usually meant a mixture of Porter and Stout. I suspect by this time, when referring to a bottled beer, it was often straight Porter. Though in this case that can't be true as it's more expensive than the cheapest Stout, No. 3 Stout. At the price it was being sold at, No. 3 Stout looks like it was of Porter-strength. Why did the name Porter so fall out of favour as a bottled beer? It's an odd one, that.

Surprisingly, Table Ale was still kicking around. It gradually faded away in the second half of the 19th century, its place being taken by another type of low-gravity beer: Light Dinner Ale. A style which eventually dropped the Dinner and became plain old Light Ale. One of the styles most threatened with extinction

I think you can guess what will be coming next - the 1870's.

Bottled beers in the 1860's
Brewery Place year beer style price per dozen size source
Fremlins Maidstone 1867 Cooper Cooper 2s 9d Imperial pint Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Unknown Alloa 1861 Light Alloa Dinner Ale Dinner Ale 3s Imperial pint Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Bass Burton 1861 India Pale Ale IPA 4s pint Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Bass Burton 1861 India Pale Ale IPA 5s Imperial pint Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Bass Burton 1861 India Pale Ale IPA 7s quart Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Bass Burton 1861 Pale India Ale IPA 7s quart Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Allsopp Burton 1863 India Pale Ale IPA 6s 6d reputed quart Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Allsopp Burton 1863 India Pale Ale IPA 3s 9d reputed pint Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Allsopp Burton 1863 India Pale Ale IPA 4s 9d Imperial pint Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Robinson Burton 1865 India Pale Ale IPA 5s 9d quart Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson Burton 1865 India Pale Ale IPA 4s Imperial pint Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson Burton 1865 India Pale Ale IPA 3s reputed pint Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Bass  Burton 1866 Pale Ale IPA 7s quart The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Bass  Burton 1866 Pale Ale IPA 4s pint The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Allsopp Burton 1866 Pale Ale IPA 7s quart The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Allsopp Burton 1866 Pale Ale IPA 4s pint The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Bass  Burton 1866 Pale Ale IPA 7s quart The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Bass  Burton 1866 Pale Ale IPA 4s pint The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Allsopp Burton 1866 Pale Ale IPA 7s quart The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Allsopp Burton 1866 Pale Ale IPA 4s pint The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Allsopp Burton 1867 East India Pale Ale IPA 6s 6d quart Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Allsopp Burton 1867 East India Pale Ale IPA 5s Imperial pint Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Allsopp Burton 1867 East India Pale Ale IPA 3s 9d reputed pint Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Bass Burton 1868 Pale Ale IPA 4s Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Allsopp Burton 1868 Pale Ale IPA 4s Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Bass Burton 1861 Fine Mild XX Ale Mild Ale 6s quart Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Allsopp Burton 1863 Fine Mild Burton Ale Mild Ale 5s 6d reputed quart Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Allsopp Burton 1863 Fine Mild Burton Ale Mild Ale 3s 3d reputed pint Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
??? ??? 1868 Fine Mild Ale Mild Ale 3s 6d Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Unknown Unknown 1861 Fine Pale Ale Pale Ale 5s 6d quart Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Fremlins Maidstone 1867 No. 5 Light Bitter Beer Pale Ale 2s 6d Imperial pint Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins Maidstone 1867 No. 4 Family Ale Pale Ale 3s Imperial pint Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins Maidstone 1867 No. 3 Bitter Ale Pale Ale 3s 6d Imperial pint Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins Maidstone 1867 No. 2 Pale Ale Pale Ale 3s 9d Imperial pint Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Unknown London 1861 Best London Porter Porter 4s 6d quart Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Unknown Unknown 1861 Superior Strong Scotch Ale Scotch Ale 5s pint Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Unknown Unknown 1861 Superior Strong Scotch Ale Scotch Ale 8s quart Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Unknown Scotland 1866 Scotch Ale Scotch Ale 10s quart The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Unknown Scotland 1866 Scotch Ale Scotch Ale 5s 6d pint The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
??? ??? 1868 Scotch Ale Scotch Ale 4s 6d Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Guinness Dublin 1861 Extra Stout Stout 4s pint Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Guinness Dublin 1861 Extra Stout Stout 5s Imperial pint Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Guinness Dublin 1861 Extra Stout Stout 7s quart Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Unknown London 1861 Best London Stout Stout 5s 6d quart Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Guinness Dublin 1861 Dublin Stout Stout 6s 6d quart Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Guinness Dublin 1863 Extra Stout Stout 6s 6d reputed quart Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Guinness Dublin 1863 Extra Stout Stout 3s 9d reputed pint Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Guinness Dublin 1863 Extra Stout Stout 4s 9d Imperial pint Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Guinness Dublin 1864 Dublin Stout Stout 3s 6d pint Northampton Mercury - Saturday 04 June 1864, page 2.
Guinness Dublin 1864 Dublin Stout Stout 6s 6d quart Northampton Mercury - Saturday 04 June 1864, page 2.
Guinness Dublin 1865 Extra Stout Stout 5s 9d quart Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Guinness Dublin 1865 Extra Stout Stout 4s Imperial pint Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Guinness Dublin 1865 Extra Stout Stout 3s reputed pint Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Guinness Dublin 1866 Extra Stout Stout 7s quart The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Guinness Dublin 1866 Extra Stout Stout 4s pint The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Guinness Dublin 1866 Extra Stout Stout 7s quart The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Guinness Dublin 1866 Extra Stout Stout 4s pint The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Guinness Dublin 1867 Extra Stout Stout 6s 6d quart Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Guinness Dublin 1867 Extra Stout Stout 5s Imperial pint Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Guinness Dublin 1867 Extra Stout Stout 3s 9d reputed pint Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins London 1867 Double Stout Stout 5s 6d quart Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins London 1867 Double Stout Stout 4s 3d Imperial pint Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins London 1867 Double Stout Stout 3s reputed pint Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins London 1867 London Stout Stout 4s 3d quart Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins London 1867 London Stout Stout 3s 6d Imperial pint Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins London 1867 London Stout Stout 2s 9d reputed pint Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Fremlins Maidstone 1867 No. 3 Stout Stout 2s 6d Imperial pint Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins Maidstone 1867 No. 2 Stout Stout 3s 6d Imperial pint Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins Maidstone 1867 No. 1 Stout Stout 4s Imperial pint Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Guinness Dublin 1868 Extra Stout Stout 3s 6d Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Bass Burton 1861 Burton Ale Strong Ale 4s 6d Imperial pint Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Allsopp Burton 1863 Burton Ale (Extra Strong, No. 1) Strong Ale 6s 6d Imperial pint Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Robinson Burton 1865 Extra Strong Burton Strong Ale 6s quart Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson Burton 1865 Extra Strong Burton Strong Ale 4s 3d Imperial pint Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson Burton 1865 Extra Strong Burton Strong Ale 3s 6d reputed pint Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson Burton 1865 Strong Burton Strong Ale 4s 6d quart Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson Burton 1865 Strong Burton Strong Ale 3s 6d Imperial pint Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson Burton 1865 Strong Burton Strong Ale 2s 6d reputed pint Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Unknown Burton 1866 Burton Ale, strong Strong Ale 11s quart The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Unknown Burton 1866 Burton Ale, strong Strong Ale 6s pint The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Unknown Unknown 1861 Table Ale Table Ale 3s 6d quart Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
??? ??? 1868 Imperial Table Ale Table Ale 2s 6d Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868

2 comments:

Martyn Cornell said...

I wonder if porter lost favour as the name of a bottled beer because porter on draught was gaining the reputation towards the end of the 19th century of being something cheap and not particularly cheerful, a beer made (by then) with the poorest ingredients, the beer that the slops went back into, ...

Ron Pattinson said...

Martyn,

that might explain Porter, but what about Mild?