Light Ale in 1960

One of the up and comers, style-wise, of the post-war period was Light Ale. Benefitting from the surge in popularity of bottled beer, it became one of the most popular types of beer.

Its origins go back to the early Running Pale Ales of the late 19th century. The first Pale Ales were all Stock Ales, matured for months before sale. But after 1850 a new lighter, style emerged that was drunk fresh. Cheaper and more accessible, these beers soon picked up a following. Initially draught beers, soon bottled version began to appear under a variety of different names: Luncheon Ale, Light Dinner Ale, Dinner Ale, Light Bitter.

By the middle of the 20th century, Light Ale began to consolidate its position as the standard name for this type, though other terms did continue to be used. Including simply Pale Ale, which makes things confusing. Where does Light Ale stop and Pale Ale begin? It’s almost as impossible to define as the difference between IPA and Pale Ale. Ultimately, I usually go with the brewer’s designation.

That’s not what Which? did, as the table below will make clear. They’ve included beers with gravities almost up to 1040º, which seems too high to me. I’d have placed the cut off at around 1034-1035º. Note that none of the examples over 1035º are actually called Light Ale.

I’m surprised that the bitterness level isn’t that much lower than for bottled strong Pale Ales. They averaged 32.8 as compared to 26.33 for Light Ales. But the average gravity of the Pale Ales was much higher, 1048º. And Hammonds Prize Medal at 38 was just one point behind the most bitter bottled Pale Ale.

The two tables have many similarities. Like the price per % ABV: 6.56d and 6.58d. Remove the expensive Export Golden Mead Ale and the average price per pint is pretty similar, too: 20.0d and 20.8d. It’s odd that, despite both tables having rates of attenuation all over the shop, the average for both isn’t far from the gold-standard 75%.

I saw an American tourist drinking a bottle of Light Ale in a UK airport 20-odd years ago. He looked rather confused. I assume he’d asked for a Light Beer.

Table time.

Light Ale in 1960
Brewer	Beer	Price per pint d	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Index of Hop Bitter	price per % ABV
Georges	Bitter Ale	18	1031.5	1006.1	3.30	80.63%	24	5.46
Ushers	India Pale Ale	18	1031.6	1008.5	3.00	73.26%	25	6.00
Friary Meux	Friary Ale	20	1030.6	1009.7	2.70	68.30%	27	7.40
Strong	Golden Ale	20	1030.7	1006.1	3.20	80.29%	22	6.25
Simonds	SB. Light Ale	20	1034.2	1009.5	3.20	72.22%	32	6.25
Fremlins	Elephant Light Ale	21	1031.0	1006.4	3.20	79.52%	32	6.56
Younger, Wm.	Younger's Pale Ale	22	1032.3	1006.2	3.40	80.96%	16	6.48
Hammond	Prize Medal	22	1036.3	1005.6	4.00	84.57%	38	5.51
Wilson	Wembley Ale	22	1036.9	1007.7	3.80	79.27%	28	5.79
Greenall Whitley	Champion Pale Ale	22	1038.9	1012.6	3.40	67.61%	32	6.47
Tolly Cobblold	Tolly Extra Quality Light Ale	24	1035.3	1010.6	3.20	69.97%	23	7.51
Hope & Anchor	Export Golden Mead Ale	30	1037.4	1011.9	3.30	68.18%	17	9.09
Average		21.6	1033.9	1008.4	3.31	75.40%	26.33	6.56
Source:
Which Beer Report, 1960, pages 171 - 173.

Light Ale in 1960
Brewer	Beer	Price per pint d	Acidity	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour	price per % ABV
Brickwoods	Light Bitter Ale	20	0.02	1031.2	1008.8	2.80	71.79%	22	7.14
Cheltenham & Hereford Brewery	Cheltenham Ale	18	0.02	1032.1	1007.6	3.06	76.32%	25	5.88
Norman & Pring	Pale Ale	20	0.02	1031	1003.8	3.40	87.74%	15	5.88
Starkey, Knight & Ford	Tivvy Pale Ale	20	0.02	1030.5	1005.1	3.18	83.28%	28	6.30
Strong	Golden Ale	22	0.02	1031.8	1006.3	3.19	80.19%	16	6.90
Stroud Brewery	Allbright Ale	18	0.02	1030.9	1008	2.86	74.11%	25	6.29
Tennent	Pale Ale	20	0.02	1029.9	1011.8	2.26	60.54%	26	8.84
Tomson & Wotton	Allbright Pale Ale	20	0.02	1029.9	1005.8	3.01	80.60%	18	6.64
Ansell	Triple Gold Light Ale	22	0.02	1039.1	1008.1	3.87	79.28%	24	5.68
Fremlin	Elephant Light Ale	21	0.02	1031.5	1005.8	3.21	81.59%	23	6.54
Morland	Light Ale	19	0.04	1033.6	1009.5	3.01	71.73%	27	6.31
Average		20.0	0.02	1032.0	1007.3	3.08	77.02%	22.6	6.58
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

Draught Mild next.