Provincial English Mild before WW II

The classes of Mild brewed in the provinces were exactly the same as in London: 4d, 5d and 6d. The strengths they were brewed to were much the same, too. Not really a surprise, when tax made up around a third of the retail price.  

Regional brewers tended to stick to just a single Mild, either in the 4d or 5d category. Out in the countryside especially, Milds were already about as weak as a serious beer could get – 1029º or so. Which did at least mean that the war couldn’t reduce their strength significantly.

Outside London, Milds in the 6d price category seem to have been only brewed in parts of country. The examples in the table below all come from areas that were both Mild drinking strongholds and very industrial: Hull, Birmingham and South Wales. Some of these Milds are a bit stronger than anything brewed in London: over 4,5% ABV.

The examples in the 4d category, on the other hand, come from more rural areas: East Anglia, Kent and Sussex.

Provincial Mild Ale before WW II
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price per pint (d)	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour
1935	Leney & Co	X	4	1028	1006	2.85	78.57%
1936	Greene King	Ale	4	1028.9
1936	Wells & Winch	Ale	4	1031.8
1937	Tamplin	Draught LA	4	1032.7	1007.3	3.30	77.68%
1934	Steward & Patteson	XX Mild		1030
	Average		4	1030.3	1006.7	3.08	78.12%
1935	Shepherd Neame	X	5	1039.9
1937	Crosswells	Mild		1035
1938	Lees	K		1035.0	1005.0	3.97	85.71%	28
	Average		5	1034.0	1005.8	3.52	81.92%
1938	Hancock	Draught Ale	6	1040.6	1006.1	4.50	84.98%
1938	Phillips Newport Mow	Draught Ale	6	1044.5	1010.9	4.36	75.51%
1935	Ansell	Ale	6	1047	1009.7	4.85	79.36%
1935	Dare	Ale	6	1047	1013.7	4.32	70.85%
1934	Hull Brewery	6d Draught	6	1041	1008	4.29	80.49%	14
	Average		6	1044.0	1009.7	4.46	78.24%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
“Cardiff Pubs and Breweries” by Brian Glover, 2005. pages 97-101
What's Brewing (Beer) May  2005, p.17; July 2005 p.5
Lees brewing record held at the brewery
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252.