Monday 24 May 2021

AK hops after WW II

We really are done with AK after this post. I promise. Unless I'm too lazy to write a recipe for Wednesday. Which is definitely a possibility. Especially as I'm investing do much time in Heineken's wartime records.

Lots and lots of English hops is the short overview.  Along with a few Styrians and one lot of Californian. That's no surprise. From the 1950s the UK was pretty much self-sufficient in hops. No need to import any. It seems to have almost completely ended hop imports from the USA.

About all you see in the first couple of decades after WW II are European hops. Quite often Styrian. Presumably because they were cheap. Quality hops like Hallertau and Saaz also crop up a little.

Between 1946 and 1965 only in three years, 1956, 1959 and 1961 were insufficient hops grown to cover domestic needs.


Hops: home production and imports 1946 - 1965
Year ended 31st Dec. Estimated Produce Imports: Less Re-Exports Exports: British Hops Consumption Years ended 30th Sept. following surplus British hops
  Cwts. Cwts. Cwts. Cwts. Cwts.
1946 257,451 29,243 35,056 217,759 39,692
1947 289,908 7,716 31,661 231,470 58,438
1948 273,584 4,561 29,135 233,168 40,416
1949 250,406 900 42,301 232,979 17,427
1950 368,313 269 84,027 229,106 139,207
1951 321,824 626 107,738 228,512 93,312
1952 282,349 502 76,620 225,569 56,780
1953 272,593 1,015 64,762 216,841 55,752
1954 246,748 3,075 51,323 217,716 29,032
1955 256,821 5,836 49,049 218,820 38,001
1956 184,170 6,416 40,746 215,114 -30,944
1957 267,677 8,848 38,635 208,870 58,807
1958 302,640 5,441 42,352 226,371 76,269
1959 222,768 6,007 34,291 234,611 -11,843
1960 248,195 8,172 12,220 234,611 13,584
1961 204,306 19,235 24,914 226,437 -22,131
1962 266,812 16,489 16,070 234,611 32,201
1963 276,384 10,063 21,790 226,437 49,947
1964 252,398 12,624 24,181 226,565 25,833
1965 258,727 12,961 19,474 237,356 21,371
Sources:
1955 Brewers' Almanack, page 63.
1971 Brewers'Almanack, page 54

During the 1950s hip imports were minimal, though they did start to increase in the 1960s, they still amounted for well under 10% of the hops used in UK brewing.

AK hops after WW II
Date Year Brewer Beer hop 1 hop 2 hop 3 hop 4 hop 5
22nd Jan 1946 Shepherd Neame AK English 1942 English 1944 English 1945    
15th Jul 1947 Shepherd Neame AK English 1943 Kent 1945 Kent 1946    
19th Mar 1952 Strong SAK Worcs 1951 Kent 1950 Kent 1950 Kent 1951 Kent 1951
3rd Jan 1964 Eldridge Pope BAK Kent 1962 Worcs 1962 Sussex 1962 Styrian 1962   
6th Jan 1967 Eldridge Pope BAK Kent 1965 Worcs 1965 Worcs 1965 Californian 1965 Styrian 1965
17th May 1982 Eldridge Pope BAK English English English Styrian  
27th Jun 1984 Eldridge Pope BAK English English English English Styrian
Sources:
Strong brewing record, number 79A01-A3-3-27.
Eldridge Pope brewing record.
Shepherd Neame brewing record held at the brewery.

 

3 comments:

Chris Pickles said...

And at the end of this long saga, I am left thinking "I would really like a light, easy drinking pint of AK.

What would be the closest available equivalent these days... Kolsch perhaps?

Ron Pattinson said...

Chris,

I'd say a nice Ordinary Bitter would be the closest equivalent.

Chris Pickles said...

Coopers Pale Ale used to be called Light Dinner Ale - that seems to come under the AK umbrella.