Peculiar Old Peculier

Adulteration. It doesn't seem to have died out in the 1960s. Because here's a case from the 1970s.

Personally, I think they got off lightly in this case.

The 'Old Peculier' was so peculiar
THE "Old Peculiar" beer sold at a pub called The Brahms and Liszt lived up to its name, a court heard today. 

For the beer reckoned by real ale addicts to be the strongest in Britain contained 21 pc more water than it should have done. Even with the extra water, it was the most potent beer in the pub. 

But today. licensee Alan Richard Cookman (30), pleaded guilty at Leeds to selling "Old Peculier" - one of its peculiarities is its spelling - not of the quality demanded. He was fined £60 with £l5 costs. 

Mr John McCandlish, prosecuting, said the Brahms and Liszt, in East Parade, Leeds, specialised in real ale. "Old Peculier." made by Theakstons of Masham, was the strongest beer sold in the pub "and to my knowledge anywhere else." 

A sample bought on June 6 was, on analysis, found to contain 21 pc extraneous water. 

"Such is the strength of this particular beer that even with this percentage of water it was still the strongest beer sold in that public house." said Mr. McCandlish. 

Mr. George Moorbouse, defending Cookman, from Bothwell, near Leeds, said: "There was no question of the beer having been watered. Two types of beer had been mixed as a result of an employee's mistake." 

Mr. David Loy, stipedary magistrate, said he accepted it was not a deliberate offence. "But it is important that the public get what they pay for and are protected against receiving beer not of sufficient quality so far as gravity is concerned."
Belfast Telegraph - Tuesday 11 October 1977, page 6.

How could they have "accidentally" mixed two beers? And where did the mixing take place? Was it in the cask or at point of service? I can't see how the latter could be accidental. The most likely seems the former. That some sort of slops were being put back into the Old Peculier cask. Do they mean that they "accidentally" put Mild slops into the Old Peculier barrel?

Was Old Peculier the strongest beer in the UK at the time? No. Not even close. They probably mean the strongest draught beer. But it wasn't even that. Marstons Owd Roger was a good bit stronger: 1080 to Old Peculier's 1060. Maybe they mean the strongest year-round draught beer. As Owd Roger was only available in the winter.

I remember The Brahms and Liszt. It was a new pub opened up in the mid-1970s. There were some objections to the licence and it was only granted on the condition that they only sold real ale. No keg and no brewery-conditioned bottled beers. I can remember that they sold a range of Selby Brewery bottle-conditioned beers.

On a personal note, The Brahms and Liszt is the only pub where I've ever been refused service. Which, given the number of pubs I've been to, is pretty notable. Why did they refuse to serve me? Because I looked like a hippy.