Random brewery price list - Crowley of Alton

This one isn't an obscure, unimportant brewery. Because this was the brewery founded by James Baverstock in 1763*.

In the 1760's, James Baverstock Jnr. carried out some of the first serious experiments with the thermometer and the hydrometer in the brewery**. It was the beginning of scientific brewing. Which makes the brewery incredibly important in the history of brewing.

The brewery was bought by the Crowley family in 1821 and it operated as Crowly and Co. until it was taken over by Watney in 1947. It must have been a decent size, because it had 248 pubs. It closed in 1970***.

Here are the brewery's beers from 1870:

Salisbury and Winchester Journal - Saturday 19 February 1870, page 4.

Looks like they specialised in Pale Ales, which isn't surprising seeing as they were located in Alton. Which, if you remember from a couple of days back, had similar water to Burton. It's the B that I find interesting. At only 32 shillings a barrel, it can't have been more than about 1045º. Pretty damn weak, even for a Light Bitter, at that time.

What else? A nice use of theterm Imperial Mild. That really is a ting range of Mild Ales. Just a weak and a very strong one. And just one Stout. Like I said, clearly a Pale Ale specialist.

Here's my guess at the gravities:

Crowley beers in 1870
	price per barrel	guess OG
BBB Bitter Ale	54	1065
BB Bitter Ale	44	1055
B Bitter Ale	32	1045
Imperial (Old or Mild)	60	1095
X	36	1055
Stout	54	1085
Porter	36	1055
Source:
Salisbury and Winchester Journal - Saturday 19 February 1870, page 4.

I must do this again. It's so much fun.




* "A Century of British Brewers Plus" by Norman Barber, 205, page 46.
** "A History of Beer and Brewing" by Ian Hornsey, 2003, pages 424 and 426.
*** "A Century of British Brewers Plus" by Norman Barber, 205, page 46.