Saturday 22 September 2007

Watney Draught Beers 1939 - 1968

More Whitbread gravity book madness today. This time it's the turn of ale-lovers' arch-enemy Watney.



After 1943, Watney's Mild doesn't really count as an intoxicating drink. At only around 2.5% ABV, you would have needed to be a very determined man to get even slightly pissed.


This is the start of Watney's keg romance. Notice what crap value Red Barrel was - weaker yet more 2d a pint more expensive than Special Bitter. No wonder they advertised it like crazy. Of course, in those days no-one knew how strong beers were. Apart from the breweries, but they were keeping it to themselves.


Nice to see the Watney's Party Four get a mention. No susrpise that the beer in it was piss weak.

5 comments:

GenX at 40 said...

I not sure what Party Four was - was it one single four pint (@ 2 litre) can or four separate pint cans. I am thrown a bit by the description of "can" and "draught".

Ron Pattinson said...

A Watney's Party Four was a big can with four pints of beer in it. I'm not sure why it's in amongst the draught beers. Maybe they thought it was like a small keg.

I can remember Party Fours and Party Sevens. Various breweries made them, but they were always total crap.

GenX at 40 said...

See, to me, that is the packaging of the future. Having brewed a bit over the last 20 years, it is the small back keggettes that I remember most fondly. Something about half a pin would be perfect. But without the crap beer inside.

Stonch said...

I bought a nice Watney's brass hanging plate from a nice lady on ebay last week. It's currently on the wall in my office. How ironic of me.

Ron Pattinson said...

Stonch, well at least it doesn't have any beer in it.