Banding

In one of my newspaper archive searches, I came across this article about the launch of Bateman XXXB in 1977. Which contains a throwaway reference to "banding", something I'd never heard about before.

Let's have a look at the article.

'Jubilee brew packs a wallop
AFTER AN initial period of test marketing to assess the public interest, Messrs George Bateman & Son Ltd, the Wainfleet brewers are putting on general release a new and stronger bitter beer, the first new beer they have produced since before the last war.

Claiming to be the equal fifth strongest beer in the country, the new bitter, which is known as XXXB, has a specific gravity of 48, compared with the 35 or 38 found m most bitter beers. If a report by the Food Standards Committee becomes law, the name of the new beer may have to be changed, for one of the recommendations is that the strength of beers should be officially indicated by "banding", ie by grouping gravities under X, XX, XXX and so on. Under this banding the new beer would become XXXXB, and Bateman's ordinary bitter, which is now known as XB would become XXB."
Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian - Friday 25 March 1977, page 9.

Banding, it seems, was a proposed method of indicating the strength of beer. One which, as I've never heard of it before, never came into effect. Probably because around this time CAMRA forced everyone's hand by revealing beer gravities.

Do you know what this banding reminds me of? The gravity bands of WW I price controls. From the limited information in the article, I can make a guess at the proposed bands.

X 1030-1035
XX 1035-1040
XXX 1040-1045
XXXX 1045-1050

I wonder if XXXX was the top band?

The claim that XXXB was the fifth strongest beer in the country is obvious bollocks. I can think of more than four stronger beers off the top of my head. I think they mean fifth strongest draught beer.

Now more about the beer itself.

"Full bodied
The managing director of the firm, Mr George Bateman, told the Standard "We felt there was a demand for a stronger beer, and in certain parts of the country there seems to be a very considerable interest in these stronger beers. We still think the main trade will be in a lower gravity beer, where the average drinker feels he can have several pints in safety, but there are people who want something rather stronger."

Bateman's head brewer, Mr Kenneth Dixon, describes the new beer as "a full bodied bitter with a distinct strong gravity flavour, well hopped and considerable lighter than most gravity beers.” A Standard reporter who sampled the new beer described it as “very smooth and satisfying ” The alcohol content is about 5.8 per cent, compared with 3.9 per cent in ordinary bitter beer.

There is a snag, of course. The new beer is 4p a pint more than ordinary bitter, but according to those who have sampled it, it is well worth the extra.
The experimental marketing was in several public houses in the Lincoln, Louth and Sleaford areas. The new beer is now on sale at the Woolpack, Louth, Stag’s Head, Burwell, Londesborough Arms, Metheringham, Butcher and Beast, Heighington, Nag's Head, Sleaford, Ship Tavern and Brittania, Boston, New Inn and Royal Oak, Wainfleet, Royal Oak, Winthorpe, and Queen's Head, Legbourne.

Gradually the beer will be introduced into all Bateman's houses where there is a sufficient anticipated demand."
Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian - Friday 25 March 1977, page 9.

I don't think XXXB was 5.8% ABV, To achieve that from an OG of 1048, the rate of attenuation would need to be 95%. 4.8% ABV is more likely.

And what was XXXB? A stronger version of XB. I know from a brewery visit to Batemans about this time that the two were parti-gyled together.

I like the idea of being able to drink several pints in safety. That's how I always like to drink my pints.