Bottled beers in the 1880's

Quite predictable, isn't it, my stepping through the decades? Maybe a should throw you off by suddenly jumping to the 1930's. Or something. Just to be different. No-one likes being predictable.

The 1880's were a decade of great change - and prosperity - for the brewing industry. First there was the 1880 Free Mash Tun Act that removed the restrictions on the ingredients used in brewing and moved taxation from malt to beer. More importantly, the tax was calculated on the gravity of wort before fermentation. One effect of this was to encourage the production of lower gravity beers. Particularly the low-gravity Pale Ales known as Light Dinner Ale, Family Ale, Luncheon and a host of similar names. Eventually their names would be shortened to simply Light Ale.

This set has just two Mild Ales and no Porters whatsoever. Though, as I mentioned before, what was called Copper was likely really bottled Porter. At the price it was sold for, I'm sure that's the case. The same applies to the beers sold as Family Stout or Luncheon Stout. This is the start of Stout's slip from a strong to a weak beer.

At the top end of the market, there was clearly still a good demand for the IPA's of BAss and Allsopp. But this is getting close to the end of the good times for Burton brewers. They were particularly hard hit by the changes to the licensing rules in the 1890's, which saw local authorities actively trying to close pubs. The result was a scramble for tied houses. Burton brewers like Bass and Allsopp, who had previously had no trouble finding outlets for their beer began to be squeezed out as breweries insisted on their pubs only selling their products. Allsopps paniced in the 1890's and, using the cash raised when the company was floated, made a series of rash pub purchases. By the early 20th century the compant ws limping towards insolvency.

Somehow Guinness managed to avoid the fate of Bass and Allsopp. They, too, owned no pubs but weer increasingly making the bottled Stout market in the pub trade their own. Still not quite sure how they pulled that one off.

Bottled beers in the 1880's
Brewery	Place	year	beer	style	price per dozen	size	source
Barrett	??	1880	Ale	Ale	2s 3d	pint	The British Library
John Bird	Westerfield, Suff.	1883	Bottled Ale	Ale	2s 3d	pint
Bass	Burton	1883	Ale	Ale	3s 9d	pint	The British Library
Wright Brothers	Shoreditch	1888	Amber Ale	Amber Ale	2s 6d	pint	Shoreditch Observer 10th March 1888
Wright Brothers	Shoreditch	1888	Amber Ale	Amber Ale	1s 6d	half pint	Shoreditch Observer 10th March 1888
Anglo-Bavarian	Shepton Mallet	1889	Amber Ale	Amber Ale	3s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Simonds	Reading	1882	Reading Cooper	Cooper	3s	imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Whitbread & Co.	London	1883	Cooper	Cooper	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Whitbread & Co.	London	1883	Cooper	Cooper	2s 4d	pint	The British Library
Whitbread & Co.	London	1888	London Cooper	Cooper	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
A. Gordon & Co.	Islington	1889	Cooper	Cooper	2s 9d	pint
Simonds	Reading	1882	SB Fine Sparkling Dinner Ale	Dinner Ale	3s	imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Simonds	Reading	1882	SB Fine Sparkling Dinner Ale	Dinner Ale	2s 6d	half bottle	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Allsopp	Burton	1883	Dinner Ale	Dinner Ale	3s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Allsopp	Burton	1883	Light Dinner Ale	Dinner Ale	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Whitbread & Co.	London	1888	Family Ale	Dinner Ale	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Foster	London	1889	Light Dinner Ale	Dinner Ale	2s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Foster	London	1889	Family Ale	Dinner Ale	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
W & S Lucas	Hitchin, Herts	1882	India Pale Ale	IPA	3s	pint	Kelly's Directory of Essex, 1882
Simonds	Reading	1882	India Pale Ale	IPA	5s	bottle	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Simonds	Reading	1882	India Pale Ale	IPA	4s	imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Simonds	Reading	1882	India Pale Ale	IPA	3s	half bottle	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Bass	Burton	1882	Bass's Pale Ale	IPA	6s	imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Bass	Burton	1882	Bass's Pale Ale	IPA	4s 6d	half bottle	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Bass	Burton	1882	Bass's Pale Ale	IPA	3s 6d	imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Allsopp	Burton	1883	India Pale Ale	IPA	3s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Bass	Burton	1883	Pale Ale	IPA	4s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Bass	Burton	1888	India Pale Ale	IPA	4s 6d	imperial pint	Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 30 June 1888, page 3
Bass	Burton	1888	India Pale Ale	IPA	2s 6d	half pint	Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 30 June 1888, page 3
A. Gordon & Co.	Islington	1889	India Pale Ale	IPA	3s 9d	pint
Bass	Burton	1889	India Pale Ale	IPA	3s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Foster	London	1889	India Pale Ale	IPA	3s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Allsopp	Burton	1883	English Lager	Lager	2s 10d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Austro-Bavarian Lager Beer Brewery	London	1884	Tottenham Lager	Lager	3s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Austro-Bavarian Lager Beer Brewery	London	1884	Tottenham Munich	Lager	3s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Austro-Bavarian Lager Beer Brewery	London	1884	Tottenham Bock	Lager	3s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Austro-Bavarian Lager Beer Brewery	London	1884	Tottenham Pilsen	Lager	3s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Austro-Bavarian Lager Beer Brewery	London	1884	Tottenham Lager	Lager	3s	reputed pint	The British Library
Austro-Bavarian Lager Beer Brewery	London	1884	Tottenham Munich	Lager	3s	reputed pint	The British Library
Austro-Bavarian Lager Beer Brewery	London	1884	Tottenham Bock	Lager	3s	reputed pint	The British Library
Austro-Bavarian Lager Beer Brewery	London	1884	Tottenham Pilsen	Lager	3s	reputed pint	The British Library
??	??	1889	Pilsener Lager Beer (imported)	Lager	4s 9d	Imperial pint	The British Library
A. Gordon & Co.	Islington	1889	Rich Mild Ale	Mild	2s 9d	pint
A. Gordon & Co.	Islington	1889	Strong Mild Ale	Mild	4s 6d	pint
Ind Coope	Romford	1882	Romford Ale	Pale Ale	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Ind Coope	Romford	1883	Romford Ale	Pale Ale	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Globe	??	1883	Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	3s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Allsopp	Burton	1883	Ale	Pale Ale	2s 9d	pint	The British Library
Ind Coope	Romford	1883	Ale	Pale Ale	2s 3d	pint	The British Library
Allsopp	Burton	1883	Light Bitter	Pale Ale	2s 10d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Ind Coope	Romford	1883	Pale Romford Ale	Pale Ale	2s 3d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Wright Brothers	Shoreditch	1888	Mild Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	2s	pint	Shoreditch Observer 10th March 1888
Wright Brothers	Shoreditch	1888	Mild Bitter Ale	Pale Ale	1s 3d	half pint	Shoreditch Observer 10th March 1888
Whitbread & Co.	London	1888	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	3s	Imperial pint	The British Library
A. Gordon & Co.	Islington	1889	Fine Tonic Ale, Bitter	Pale Ale	2s 9d	pint
A. Gordon & Co.	Islington	1889	Pale Ale, Bitter	Pale Ale	3s 3d	pint
Anglo-Bavarian	Shepton Mallet	1889	Light Bitter	Pale Ale	3s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Henry Lovibond, Cannon Brewery	Fulham	1889	VPA	Pale Ale	2s 6d	Imperial pint
Henry Lovibond, Cannon Brewery	Fulham	1889	XVPA	Pale Ale	3s	Imperial pint
Henry Lovibond, Cannon Brewery	Fulham	1889	XXB	Pale Ale	4s	Imperial pint
Barrett	??	1880	Stout	Stout	2s 4d	pint	The British Library
Mann & Crossmann	London	1880	Stout	Stout	2s 4d	pint	The British Library
Raggett	London	1880	Nourishing Stout	Stout	3s 6d	pint	Hampshire Telegraph - Saturday 18 December 1880, page 7
Raggett	London	1880	Nourishing Stout	Stout	4s 6d	pint	Hampshire Telegraph - Saturday 18 December 1880, page 7
W & S Lucas	Hitchin, Herts	1882	Double Stout	Stout	3s	pint	Kelly's Directory of Essex, 1882
Simonds	Reading	1882	Reading Double Stout	Stout	5s	bottle	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Simonds	Reading	1882	Reading Double Stout	Stout	4s	imperial pint	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
Simonds	Reading	1882	Reading Double Stout	Stout	3s	half bottle	Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 25 November 1882, page 1
John Bird	Westerfield, Suff.	1883	Bottled Stout	Stout	3s 9d	pint
Combe	London	1883	London Stout	Stout	3s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Guinness	Dublin	1883	Extra Stout	Stout	4s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Guinness	Dublin	1883	Extra Stout	Stout	3s 6d	pint	The British Library
Guinness	Dublin	1883	Dublin Extra Stout	Stout	3s 3d	Imperial pint	The British Library
South London Brewery	Southwark	1886	Generous Stout	Stout	3s	pint
Wright Brothers	Shoreditch	1888	London Stout	Stout	3s	pint	Shoreditch Observer 10th March 1888
Wright Brothers	Shoreditch	1888	London Stout	Stout	1s 8d	half pint	Shoreditch Observer 10th March 1888
Whitbread & Co.	London	1888	London Stout	Stout	3s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Whitbread & Co.	London	1888	Extra Stout	Stout	3s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Watney	London	1888	London Stout	Stout	4s 6d	imperial pint	Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 30 June 1888, page 3
Watney	London	1888	London Stout	Stout	2s 6d	half pint	Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 30 June 1888, page 3
A. Gordon & Co.	Islington	1889	Stout	Stout	3s 3d	pint
A. Gordon & Co.	Islington	1889	Double Stout	Stout	3s 9d	pint
A. Gordon & Co.	Islington	1889	Imperial Stout	Stout	4s 6d	pint
Allsopp	Burton	1889	Luncheon Stout	Stout	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Bass	Burton	1889	Special Bottling Stout	Stout	3s 3d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Foster	London	1889	Family Stout	Stout	2s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Foster	London	1889	Luncheon Stout	Stout	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library
Foster	London	1889	Nourishing Stout	Stout	3s	Imperial pint	The British Library
Henry Lovibond, Cannon Brewery	Fulham	1889	Stout	Stout	3s	Imperial pint
W & S Lucas	Hitchin, Herts	1882	Strong Ale	Strong Ale	3s	pint	Kelly's Directory of Essex, 1882
Bass	Burton	1889	Light Table Ale	Table Ale	2s 6d	Imperial pint	The British Library