Let's Brew Wednesday - 1987 Boddington's Mild

Mild Month. It's the perfect time for me to stagger down reminiscence row. Mild being the drink the fueled my youth.

I can remember exactly the first time I drank Boddie's Mild. It was while I lived in Leeds. Me and Matt made a day trip to Manchester. It was my first ever visit to the city.

We were totally unprepared. We got off the train at Manchester Victoria and just wandered randomly. I now realise that we managed to miss the city centre completely, sticking to the east of it. Ancoats, I guess. Having dreamt of all the little local breweries, it was a disappointment to find nothing but Wilson's and Greenall Whitley (spit) pubs. At least in the beginning.

Eventually we stumbled on a Boddie's pub. A new estate style pub. It reminded me of the Cardinal's Hat in Newark. Except much more salubrious. Less salubrious than the Hat would have been a rare achievement. We both ordered Mild. I can remember being surprised at how pale it was. Luckily Boddies's Bitter was even paler, so it was still easy enough to tell the difference between that and the Mild.

A decent enough pint, but not really what I'd come to Manchester for pub-wise. We eventually did find a decent pub. The Jolly Angler. That was love at first sight. Those shiny aluminium beer engines. Lovely to look at. And the only vaguely modern objects in the place. Dispensing delicious Hydes. Just a shame it took us so long to find the pub.

You probably want to hear more about the beer rather than my rambling recollections. Well tough shit. This is my blog and I can do what I want.

Oh, OK then. This is an example of what I would call a half-dark Mild. Where Dark Mild started in the early 20th century. Banks is another one. And Barclay's Best Ale. Though that, of course, no longer exists. The closest you can get is Barclay's Ale (Pretty Things 1945 X Ale).

That do you?





Kristen time . . . . . . .

Kristen’s Version:

Notes: Make it just like the Oldham. Use some hops that are old b/c there is really no hop character to this baby. A combination of any number of English malts. I used bits and pieces of numberous nearly empty sacks. Boddies used no less than 5 in various blends. A nice darker English crystal around 75L because that’s pretty much from whence your flavor will cometh. Use any yeast. Really. This finishes at 1.007 so pick whatever you’d like and it should finish that low. If you are all grain brewing if you mash in pretty wet for a short time (~25-30min) you’ll have more body in the finished product.