The “Doctor” Brand

 Yet more from the Brewers' Socirty advertorial in the London Evening Standard. Which also happens to be a Barclay Perkins advertisement. How could I not publish it?

Barclay Perkins were quite early in assigning all their bottled beers a single brand.It was a pretty succcessful move in giving them a common identity. But, ultimately, it didn't do the brewery that much good. Barclay Perkins output declined after WW I. As you can see from this table:

Barclay Perkins output 1908 - 1929
Year	output (barrels)
1908	527,716
1909	525,854
1910	500,205
1911	549,841
1912	589,543
1913	587,547
1914	582,263
1915	511,870
1916	438,242
1917	426,170
1918	247,089
1919	325,965
1920	464,033
1921	393,045
1922	348,576
1923	293,728
1924	303,676
1925	329,464
1926	317,628
1927	306,682
1928	306,300
1929	300,569
Sources:
The British Brewing Industry, 1830-1980 T. R. Gourvish & R.G. Wilson, pages 610-611.
Barclay Perkins brewer's notebook held in the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/1/711/1.

To put those numbers into context, in 1929 Barclay Perkins brewed less beer than in 1821, when their output was 326,398 barrels.*

It's fascinating to see which beers Barclay Perkins was bottling , as reveled at the end of this advertisement.

"Look for this Trade Mark on your bottled beer. Look for this Trade Mark on your bottled beer.

The “Doctor” Brand means good beer, and beer that is good to drink.

The label showing the head of Dr. Johnson, who was so intimately connected with Barclay, Perkins, and Co.’s Brewery, is affixed to all the bottles containing ale and stout prodaced by this firm.

The “Doctor” Brand means good beer, and beer that is good to drink.

Brewed from the Finest Materials Procurable, and Bottled on the premises under skilled management the Stouts of BARCLAY, PERKINS, and CO., Limited, are always sound, the Ales brilliant, and free from sediment.

The “Doctor” Brand means good beer, and beer that is good to drink.
We believe these malt liquors are thoroughly genuine, and they are evidently brewed with care, judging from their excellent condition and flavour."—The Lancet.

The "Doctor” Brand means good beer, and beer that is good to drink.
The following are some of the beers sold in bottle:

PALE ALE	2/6 per dozen
STOUT	2/6  "     "
BEST STOUT	3/6  "     "
IMPERIAL STOUT	4/6  "     "
IMPERIAL RUSSIAN STOUT	7/- "     "

BREWERS, Park Street, Southwark, S.E.
Established 1781."
London Evening Standard - Monday 19 October 1908, page 12.

They bottled four varieties of Stout and one of Pale Ale. Though I know that isn't the beer that was actually called Pale Ale within the brewery. That, at 1060º, was way too strong to retail ata mere 2.5d per pint in bottled form.** That price implies something that sold for 2d per pint on draught. I'm sure that it was really XLK, their Ordinary Bitter. That had an OG of 1050º. ***

Unfortunately, not all the Barclay Perkins records from this period have survived. Best Stout I'm pretty sure was BS in the records. Which had an OG of 1074º. **** Imperial Stout has me stumped. Based on the price, it must have had a gravity of around 1090º. I can't see anything in the records of that strength.

I am pretty certain what the beer simply called "Stout" was. It has to be the bottled form of TT, Barclay Perkins Porter. Anything called Stout in the brewing records is too strong to seel for a mere 2.5d per pint. This seems to follow a trend of not using the name Porter for bottled Porter. Some other brewers, such as Whitbread, called it Cooper.


* Whitbread brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/09/014.

** Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/1/602.

*** Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/1/601.

**** Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/1/602.