Branded Old Ale and Strong Ale in 1953

It’s been a while. And, yes, I had forgotten. At least, temporarily. Not to worry, I’ve remembered now.

Though I can’t recall what the point of the series was, other than conjuring up multiple posts from table. Then again, doesn’t that pretty much sum up my blog?

This is quite a long set. I can think of a couple of good reasons why. Strong beers were more likely to be named because they were higher profile beers. And they were very often bottled. At a time when pump clips weren’t universal and keg still rare, the branding opportunities at point of sale were much smaller for draught beers. Amongst draught beers I think it’s no coincidence that many of the first ones to be heavily branded were in keg form. You had those brightly-lit bartop boxes to splash a name across.

Unsurprisingly, the adjective “Old” features heavily in names. Though, ironically enough, not in any described as Old Ale. How odd.

How many of these beers survive? I think only Robinson’s Old Tom. Though a revival of Colne Spring Ale is on the cards. And Tally Ho! Is still around, but brewed by someone else, Adnams. Mind you, Adnams have been using the name since the 1880’s.

I love some of the names. Oh be Joyful in particular. Also the echo of Arctic Ale. And Lees enigmatic “C”. Though to be fair that wasn’t a their own brand, C Ales be9ing brewed by several breweries around Manchester. Before you ask, I’ve no idea of where the name came from. Unlike October Brew which is doubtless a reference to the old practice of brewing strong keeping beers in either March or October. Though for conjouring up the cosy image of a strong beer on a cold, dark winter’s evening, it’s hard to beat Fireside.

Branded Old Ale and Strong Ale in 1953
Brewery	Beer	Type
Benskin's	Colne Spring Ale	Old
Broadway Brewery	Broadway	Old
Brickwood	Little Bricky	Old Ale, bottled
Samuel Webster	Coronation	Old Brown, very strong
Flowers Breweries	Dragon's Blood	Old English Ale
East Anglian Breweries	Old Nell	Strong
Samuel Webster	Old Tom	Strong
Wm. Younger	King of Ales	Strong
Barclay, Perkins	Winter Brew	Strong Ale
Brampton Brewery	Golden Bud	Strong Ale
Dutton's	Oh Be Joyful	Strong Ale
Campbell Praed	Pride	Strong Ale
Courage	Double Courage	Strong Ale
Drybrough	Burns	Strong Ale
Frederick Robinson	Old Tom	Strong Ale
Fredk. Robinson	Young Tom	Strong Ale
Gardner	Kentish Fire	Strong Ale
Guernsey Brewery	Double Pony	Strong Ale
H. & G. Simonds	Old Berkshire	Strong Ale
Ind Coope & Allsopp	Arctic	Strong Ale
J. & J. Morison	J & J	Strong Ale
J. C. & H. R. Palmer	Tally-Ho!	Strong Ale
J. W. Lees	C	Strong Ale
John Rowell	John Barleycorn	Strong Ale
Massey's	King's Ale	Strong Ale
Morrell's Brewery	College Ale	Strong Ale
Richard Whitaker	Bantam	Strong Ale
Timothy Taylor	Blue Label	Strong Ale
Ushers Wiltshire Brewery	Triple Crown	Strong Ale
Wenlock Brewery	Fireside	Strong Ale
Norman & Pring	Imperial	Strong Ale, bottle and draught
Cornbrook Brewery	Cornbrook Old Tom	Strong Ale, bottled
Daniel Thwaites	Big Ben	Strong Ale, bottled
Greene King	Stingo	Strong Ale, bottled
Truswell's Brewery	October Brew	Strong Ale, bottled
Daniel Thwaites	Old Ben	Strong Ale, draught
Truswelt's Brewery	Imperial	Strong Ale, draught
Hope & Anchor	Old English	Strong Beer
Lamb Brewery	Stingo	Strong beer
Higson's Brewery	Stingo	Strong beer, bottled
Lamb Brewery	Rouser	Strong Bitter
Ridley	Stock	Strong Brown Ale
Ridley	Xmas	Strong Brown Ale
Source:
Brewery Manual 1953-1954, pages 382 - 394.

Stouts next. Maybe.