Burton Beers

I've finally got around to something you'd probably forgotten I'd promised. Matching up the beer descriptions in Andrew Campbell's "The Book Of Beer" with technical details from the Whitbread Gravity Book and period labels.

Well here it is. Part one of many. Where we look at the beers of Bass and Worthington. The latter had joined forces with Bass in 1927, but still operated fairly independently in the 1950's, having their own separate range of beers. This was to change later, with Bass Red Triangle and Worthington White Shield becoming the same beer with different labels.

"Burton Beers
Quality and sustained publicity have combined to make draught Bass Pale Ale the most renowned draught beer in the world.A bitter pale ale of gravity around 1050º, with fine rich colour and aroma, firm and dry in flavour, strong and mildly bitter to the palate. A very similar pale ale is sold naturally matured in bottle with the famous red triangle trade mark which has the distinction of being Numer 1 in the Register of Trade Marks established by the Act of 1875. With a blue triangle it is the same pale ale but fully matured before bottling; rather carbonated, it can be served if desired from the ice.

Bass brew other beers, sold under the diamond label in various colours denoting: Mild Ale, Mild No. 5, Imperial Stout, Amber Ale and another justly famous product Bass No ! Barley Wine, a strong ale that encourages respect wherever it is to be found. Rich, dark, rather sweet, it is a beer of quality, substance and great strength. The malty flavour is very positive and the general smoothness contrasts with the present-day tendency to carbonate."
"The Book Of Beer" by Andrew Campbell, 1956, pages 201-202.

Now let's see what those beers were really Like. Campbell was right about Draught Bass being around 1050º. Of all British beers, those from Burton had remained the closest to pre-WW I gravities. Bass had been 1065º around 1900 and 1055º in the 1930's. Even their Mild was strong, being one of the very few over 1040º in the 1950's.

Bass beers in the 1950's
Year	Beer	Style	Price	size	package	FG	OG	Colour	ABV	attenuation
1950	Mild Ale	Mild	1/3d	pint	draught	1008	1041.4	40.1	4.34	80.68%
1951	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1/7d	pint	draught	1008.8	1049.9	26 B	5.36	82.36%
1954	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1/7d	pint	draught	1008.7	1046	20	4.86	81.09%
1956	Pale Ale (Blue Triangle)	Pale Ale	1/5d	halfpint	bottle	1012.4	1051.9	21	5.14	76.11%
1956	Pale Ale (Red Triangle)	Pale Ale	1/5d	halfpint	bottle	1004.1	1053.5	20	6.48	92.34%
1958	No. 1 Barley Wine	Barley Wine	1/9d	nip	bottle	1039.8	1106.8	100	8.71	62.73%
1959	Brown Ale	Brown Ale	1/-	nip	bottle	1015.6	1052.9	105	4.84	70.51%
1959	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1/4d	halfpint	bottle	1010.7	1050.7	17	5.21	78.90%
Source: Whitbread Gravity Book

 That's Bass done. On to Worthington. Campbell only describes their most famous product, their bottled IPA. Or White Shield as it's normally known to drinkers. A beer that's still kicking around today. I used to drink a fair bit of it myself, when I lived in London in 1979. The East End wasn't great for draught beer in those days and White Shield was often the safest bet. And mixed with a half pint of Draught Bass it certainly had more poke than your everyday Bitter.

"Of the Worthington brews the most celebrated is their pale ale, sold on draught or in bottle with the familiar red, black and white label of India Pale Ale. Moderately hopped, of good strength, Worthington is a little softer and darker than Bass, a little less carbonated, more subtle in flavouring and thyerefore perhaps the best choice for the dinner table. If the label has a small white shield the beer is bottle matured; it must never be chilled or shaken, and it must be poured with some care, avoiding too much tilting which would let the sediment run into the glass. If there is a asmall green shield it is a fully-fermented, non-deposit beer."
"The Book Of Beer" by Andrew Campbell, 1956, page 202.

 Time to take a more detailed look at the specs of Worthington's beers.

Worthington beers in the 1950's
Year	Beer	Style	Price	size	package	FG	OG	Colour	ABV	attenuation
1950	Dinner Ale	Light Ale	1/4d	pint	bottled	1004.8	1034.6	21 B	3.88	86.13%
1950	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	18d	pint	draught		1047	24
1951	India Pale Ale	IPA	1/4d	halfpint	bottled	1006.1	1054.6	19	6.35	88.83%
1951	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	18d	pint	draught		1046.5	28
1953	India Pale Ale	IPA			bottled	1013.5	1061.1	27B	6.21	77.91%
1955	Special Mild Ale	Mild	1/7d	pint	bottled	1007.9	1036.9	85	3.77	78.59%
1955	Nut Brown Ale	Brown Ale	11d	halfpint	bottled	1008.6	1036	80	3.56	76.11%
1955	Dinner Ale	Light Ale	1/6d	pint	bottled	1007.8	1036.1	20	3.68	78.39%
1955	Imperial Stout (White Shield)	Stout			bottled	1017.3	1078.2	325	7.97	77.88%
1955	India Pale Ale (Green Shield)	IPA			bottled	1009.4	1063.3	18	7.06	85.15%
1955	India Pale Ale (White Shield)	IPA			bottled	1002.9	1063.7	18	8.02	95.45%
1956	XX Stout	Stout	1/2d	halfpint	bottled	1013.8	1036.7	300	2.96	62.40%
1957	PA	Pale Ale	1/9d	pint	bottled	1004.6	1043.5	20	5.08	89.43%
1959	India Pale Ale	IPA	1/4d	halfpint	bottled	1011.5	1051.6	18	5.22	77.71%
Sources: Whitbread Gravity Book Truman Gravity Book

I can't see any confirmation of Worthington IPA being darker than Bass Red Triangle. Bottled Bass had a colour between 17 and 21, bottled Worthington between 18 and 27, though there was only one sample higher than 20.

That was so much fun, I think I'll do it all over again tomorrow. For different breweries and beers, obviously.