Saturday 3 October 2015

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.

3 comments:

Gary Gillman said...

Useful in its time as a mixing beer for bitter, "light and bitter" was the main form. Apart from this, it struck me as a modern form of small beer, maybe a vestigial survivor. It's virtually disappeared from the market I understand.

Gary

Thom Farrell said...

I think the sole survivors of this genre are Young's Pale Ale and (if they're still around) Courage Light Ale and Whitbread Pale Ale.

StuartP said...

I remember drinking a bottle of Courage Light Ale (can't remember why) and it was really quite good.
Yes, really.
I was as surprised as you are.