Advert fun - Wm Younger 1870

The title says it all. Advert fun. Wm. Younger. 1870. No need for any fancy introduction.

I had considered writing about beer's cultural cringe today. But that required too much thought. And the noggin isn't what it was. I blame school milk. Maybe I'll be more capable of coherent thought tomorrow. Or think I am, after the first couple of Abts.

Here's the subject of today's chat:

I like the first paragraph:

"The season for exporting Wm. Younger & Co's ales in wood to distant Markets commences on the 1st November, and ends 30th June. Wm. Y. & Co do not recommend shipments in wood to be made during the summer months."

Very revealing. I'd never realised there was an exporting seasion. But it makes sense.No point taking the piss with the weather.

You can probably guess what comes next. I pluck the details of the beers on the price list from brewing records. Who am I to disappoint you? Here's one of my trademark tables:

Wm. Younger beers in 1868
Year	Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Attenuation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl	boil time (hours)	boil time (hours)
1868	XXP	Pale Ale	1055	1014	5.42	74.55%	11.67	3.29	2	2.25
1868	1	Strong Ale	1099	1041	7.67	58.59%	7.08	3.70	1.75	2
1868	2	Strong Ale	1088	1034	7.14	61.36%	7.11	3.18	1.5	2.25
1868	3	Strong Ale	1077	1022	7.28	71.43%	11.67	5.75	1.75	2
1868	4	Strong Ale	1068	1022	6.09	67.65%	13.13	4.67	2	2.5
1868	DBS	Stout	1062	1014	6.35	77.42%	12.22	3.47	2	3
Source: Wm. Younger brewing records held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

One advantage of numbered ales is that it's a piece of piss to match logs with ads. I won't insult your intelligence by telling you the 3 and 4 are the beers in the ad. Ands it doesn't take a genius to work out that DBS = Double Brown Stout.  I'm not so sure about the other draught beer. XXP is about the right strength. But I wouldn't put money on it.


"Street's Indian and Colonial Mercantile Directory for 1870" (page xiv) That's where the ad comes from.