Bottled beers in the 1860's

Hello. It's me again, with yet more stuff about bottled beer. Not quite sure how we've ended up in bottled beer week. Well, bottled beer fortnight, more like. You'd best just pray I don't dig out my copy of "Bottling of British Beers". I'd be busy for a month or two. Though that has just inspired me to do a quick search in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing. Make that six months.

As you can see, I've lumped the beers into styles in a fairly haphazard way. It's not very consistent, as I've given Scotch Ales their own category and listed the Burton Ales as Strong Ales.

The trends in bottled beer are clear in this set. Lots of Pale Ales/IPA, Stout and Strong Ales. Just a few Table Ales, Porters and Mild Ales. Also clear is how the list is dominated by a few large breweries: Bass, Allsopp and Guinness. Bass and Allsopp seem to have had the bottled IPA market pretty much sewn up between them. Guinness likewise with the bottled Stout market, though Barclay Perkins was still hanging in there.

Talking of Barclay Perkins, I have details of their beers that appear in the table. It's a bit complicated for two reasons. First, I don't have details from the exact year, 1867, but a decade earlier, 1856. Second, there are no beers called Double Stout and Extra Stout in the brewing records. The brewhouse names for their Porters and Stouts were:

Barclay Perkins Porter/Stout in 1856
beer	description	OG
TT	Running Porter	1060
EI	East India Porter	1061
Hhd	Keeping Porter	1060
FSt	Family Stout	1061
BSt	Brown Stout	1092
IBSt	Imperial Stout	1107
Source:
Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/1/542.

It looks like the Double Stout was BSt and the London Stout was FSt. I only have details of TT from the late 1860's, when it had a gravity of around 1055. Assuming a similar fall (about 8%) in the OG, that would leave BSt at 1084 and FSt at 1056.

It's interesting to see that the Burton brewers were still very much in the strong Burton Ale business, despite the enormous fame of the Pale Ales of Bass and Allsopp. In fact, they were even in the Mild Ale business still - all the Mild Ales in the table (the unknown one excepted) are from Burton.

Hang on, I've some idea of the Bass gravities of this period, too. A little bit later, but still pretty close:

Bass OG's in the 1870's
Beer	OG
India Pale Ale	1060
No. 1 Burton Ale	1110
No. 2 Burton Ale	1090
No. 3a Ale (Old Ale)	1085
No. 3b Ale(Bottling)	1085
No. 3 Burton Ale	1075
No. 4 Burton Ale	1070
No. 5 Burton Ale	1065
No. 6 Burton Ale	1060
No. 2 (P2) Imperial Stout	1095
No. 3 (P3) Extra Stout	1075
No. 4 (P4) Double Stout	1070
No. 5 (P5) Stout	1065
Source:
Bass price list

My guess would be that the XX Mild Ale is No. 6 Burton Ale. The Pale Ale is pretty obvious. Based on the price, the Bass Burton Ale from 1861 looks like No. 3 Burton Ale. Allsopps "Burton Ale (Extra Strong, No. 1)" presumably was a similar strength to Bass No. 1

And finally we get to Cooper. The term usually meant a mixture of Porter and Stout. I suspect by this time, when referring to a bottled beer, it was often straight Porter. Though in this case that can't be true as it's more expensive than the cheapest Stout, No. 3 Stout. At the price it was being sold at, No. 3 Stout looks like it was of Porter-strength. Why did the name Porter so fall out of favour as a bottled beer? It's an odd one, that.

Surprisingly, Table Ale was still kicking around. It gradually faded away in the second half of the 19th century, its place being taken by another type of low-gravity beer: Light Dinner Ale. A style which eventually dropped the Dinner and became plain old Light Ale. One of the styles most threatened with extinction

I think you can guess what will be coming next - the 1870's.

Bottled beers in the 1860's
Brewery	Place	year	beer	style	price per dozen	size	source
Fremlins	Maidstone	1867	Cooper	Cooper	2s 9d	Imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Unknown	Alloa	1861	Light Alloa Dinner Ale	Dinner Ale	3s	Imperial pint	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Bass	Burton	1861	India Pale Ale	IPA	4s	pint	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Bass	Burton	1861	India Pale Ale	IPA	5s	Imperial pint	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Bass	Burton	1861	India Pale Ale	IPA	7s	quart	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Bass	Burton	1861	Pale India Ale	IPA	7s	quart	Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Allsopp	Burton	1863	India Pale Ale	IPA	6s 6d	reputed quart	Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Allsopp	Burton	1863	India Pale Ale	IPA	3s 9d	reputed pint	Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Allsopp	Burton	1863	India Pale Ale	IPA	4s 9d	Imperial pint	Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Robinson	Burton	1865	India Pale Ale	IPA	5s 9d	quart	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson	Burton	1865	India Pale Ale	IPA	4s	Imperial pint	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson	Burton	1865	India Pale Ale	IPA	3s	reputed pint	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Bass	Burton	1866	Pale Ale	IPA	7s	quart	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Bass	Burton	1866	Pale Ale	IPA	4s	pint	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Allsopp	Burton	1866	Pale Ale	IPA	7s	quart	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Allsopp	Burton	1866	Pale Ale	IPA	4s	pint	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Bass	Burton	1866	Pale Ale	IPA	7s	quart	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Bass	Burton	1866	Pale Ale	IPA	4s	pint	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Allsopp	Burton	1866	Pale Ale	IPA	7s	quart	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Allsopp	Burton	1866	Pale Ale	IPA	4s	pint	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Allsopp	Burton	1867	East India Pale Ale	IPA	6s 6d	quart	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Allsopp	Burton	1867	East India Pale Ale	IPA	5s	Imperial pint	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Allsopp	Burton	1867	East India Pale Ale	IPA	3s 9d	reputed pint	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Bass	Burton	1868	Pale Ale	IPA	4s		Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Allsopp	Burton	1868	Pale Ale	IPA	4s		Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Bass	Burton	1861	Fine Mild XX Ale	Mild Ale	6s	quart	Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Allsopp	Burton	1863	Fine Mild Burton Ale	Mild Ale	5s 6d	reputed quart	Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Allsopp	Burton	1863	Fine Mild Burton Ale	Mild Ale	3s 3d	reputed pint	Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
???	???	1868	Fine Mild Ale	Mild Ale	3s 6d		Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Unknown	Unknown	1861	Fine Pale Ale	Pale Ale	5s 6d	quart	Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Fremlins	Maidstone	1867	No. 5 Light Bitter Beer	Pale Ale	2s 6d	Imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins	Maidstone	1867	No. 4 Family Ale	Pale Ale	3s	Imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins	Maidstone	1867	No. 3 Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	3s 6d	Imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins	Maidstone	1867	No. 2 Pale Ale	Pale Ale	3s 9d	Imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Unknown	London	1861	Best London Porter	Porter	4s 6d	quart	Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Unknown	Unknown	1861	Superior Strong Scotch Ale	Scotch Ale	5s	pint	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Unknown	Unknown	1861	Superior Strong Scotch Ale	Scotch Ale	8s	quart	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Unknown	Scotland	1866	Scotch Ale	Scotch Ale	10s	quart	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Unknown	Scotland	1866	Scotch Ale	Scotch Ale	5s 6d	pint	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
???	???	1868	Scotch Ale	Scotch Ale	4s 6d		Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Guinness	Dublin	1861	Extra Stout	Stout	4s	pint	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Guinness	Dublin	1861	Extra Stout	Stout	5s	Imperial pint	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Guinness	Dublin	1861	Extra Stout	Stout	7s	quart	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Unknown	London	1861	Best London Stout	Stout	5s 6d	quart	Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Guinness	Dublin	1861	Dublin Stout	Stout	6s 6d	quart	Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
Guinness	Dublin	1863	Extra Stout	Stout	6s 6d	reputed quart	Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Guinness	Dublin	1863	Extra Stout	Stout	3s 9d	reputed pint	Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Guinness	Dublin	1863	Extra Stout	Stout	4s 9d	Imperial pint	Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Guinness	Dublin	1864	Dublin Stout	Stout	3s 6d	pint	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 04 June 1864, page 2.
Guinness	Dublin	1864	Dublin Stout	Stout	6s 6d	quart	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 04 June 1864, page 2.
Guinness	Dublin	1865	Extra Stout	Stout	5s 9d	quart	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Guinness	Dublin	1865	Extra Stout	Stout	4s	Imperial pint	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Guinness	Dublin	1865	Extra Stout	Stout	3s	reputed pint	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Guinness	Dublin	1866	Extra Stout	Stout	7s	quart	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Guinness	Dublin	1866	Extra Stout	Stout	4s	pint	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 316
Guinness	Dublin	1866	Extra Stout	Stout	7s	quart	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Guinness	Dublin	1866	Extra Stout	Stout	4s	pint	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Guinness	Dublin	1867	Extra Stout	Stout	6s 6d	quart	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Guinness	Dublin	1867	Extra Stout	Stout	5s	Imperial pint	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Guinness	Dublin	1867	Extra Stout	Stout	3s 9d	reputed pint	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins	London	1867	Double Stout	Stout	5s 6d	quart	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins	London	1867	Double Stout	Stout	4s 3d	Imperial pint	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins	London	1867	Double Stout	Stout	3s	reputed pint	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins	London	1867	London Stout	Stout	4s 3d	quart	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins	London	1867	London Stout	Stout	3s 6d	Imperial pint	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Barclay Perkins	London	1867	London Stout	Stout	2s 9d	reputed pint	Hertford Mercury and Reformer - Saturday 02 March 1867, page 1
Fremlins	Maidstone	1867	No. 3 Stout	Stout	2s 6d	Imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins	Maidstone	1867	No. 2 Stout	Stout	3s 6d	Imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Fremlins	Maidstone	1867	No. 1 Stout	Stout	4s	Imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 August 1887, page 1.
Guinness	Dublin	1868	Extra Stout	Stout	3s 6d		Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
Bass	Burton	1861	Burton Ale	Strong Ale	4s 6d	Imperial pint	Northampton Mercury - Saturday 20 July 1861, page 4
Allsopp	Burton	1863	Burton Ale (Extra Strong, No. 1)	Strong Ale	6s 6d	Imperial pint	Bucks Herald - Saturday 12 September 1863, page 4.
Robinson	Burton	1865	Extra Strong Burton	Strong Ale	6s	quart	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson	Burton	1865	Extra Strong Burton	Strong Ale	4s 3d	Imperial pint	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson	Burton	1865	Extra Strong Burton	Strong Ale	3s 6d	reputed pint	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson	Burton	1865	Strong Burton	Strong Ale	4s 6d	quart	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson	Burton	1865	Strong Burton	Strong Ale	3s 6d	Imperial pint	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Robinson	Burton	1865	Strong Burton	Strong Ale	2s 6d	reputed pint	Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 15 December 1865, page 8
Unknown	Burton	1866	Burton Ale, strong	Strong Ale	11s	quart	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Unknown	Burton	1866	Burton Ale, strong	Strong Ale	6s	pint	The commercial and general directory of the town and parish of Croydon, 1866, page 341
Unknown	Unknown	1861	Table Ale	Table Ale	3s 6d	quart	Alnwick Mercury - Friday 01 March 1861, page 1
???	???	1868	Imperial Table Ale	Table Ale	2s 6d		Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868