Britain’s best Brown Ale

Brown Ale was extremely popular – and gaining popularity – in the 1950’s.

Which explains why it was advertised so much. There was a growing market and brewers wanted their share of it. Especially at a time when overall beer sales were falling. The claims in rival adverts are remarkably similar: everyone is claiming to brew the best Brown Ale.

First Mann. Who at least can claim to be the first (modern) Brown Ale.

“Now! You can drink Britain's best brown ale!
Brown Ale is becoming more and more popular with Britain’s beer drinkers. With good reason. No other beer is so rich, so mellow, so smooth-—and at the same time, so kind to the constitution. There is no better Brown Ale than Mann’s, the first ever brewed. No finer methods or malt are used in England. Till now Mann’s Brown Ale has been confined to the Home Counties. Now you can drink it — and taste for yourself. Ask for it at your local suppliers.

Mann's brown ale
BREWED BY MANN, CROSSMAN AND PAULIN LIMITED, LONDON BOTTLED BY HUNTER AND OLIVER LIMITED, BURY ST. EDMUNDS

Drink a Manns Beer
Bury Free Press - Friday 08 February 1952, page 9.

Smooth is a word that crops up often in the description of Brown Ale. And they liked to emphasise how benign it was for “the constitution”, whatever that might mean.

“Have you tried the best brown ale in Britain?
More and more people are drinking Brown Ale. It's full, rich, malty beer, but kindness itself to the constitution. The first Brown Ale ever brewed was Mann's and it is the best there is. Get some from your local supplier, or enjoy it at any Mann's house.
MANN'S brown ale
BREWED BY MANN, CROSSMAN AND PAULIN LIMITED, LONDON.
Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 18 April 1953, page 17.

Also claiming to have the best Brown Ale were London rivals Watney. Who bought Mann in 1958 to form Watney Mann.

"This tastes good!"

"It is - it's Watneys!"

 We can appreciate how he feels. To drink deep of that delicious, nut-sweet brew the moment we see it is natural, right and proper. But our thirsts temporarily slaked, it’s worth remembering that Watney’s Brown Ale will keep as bright as a bead. Take home a few bottles today. And when you drink them, you’ll find the last bottle as good as the first.

WATNEY’S THE BEST BROWN ALE
Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 19 April 1952, page 6.

Note the emphasis here on the beer being crystal bright and stable. This is probably taking a swipe at beers that were still bottle conditioned.

This Watney second ad uses the words “smooth” and “nutty”:

“What value for money
And what a wholesome drink

You won’t find a more nourishing, sustaining drink anywhere than this smooth, foam-crowned ale with the nutty tang. Take a few bottles home with you and enjoy a glass tonight!

WATNEY’S THE BEST BROWN ALE

WATNEY'S ALES and REID'S STOUT are now available in most off-licences and other bottled beer merchants in your area.
Portsmouth Evening News - Wednesday 28 January 1953, page 12.

It sounds as if Watney were trying to make their Brown Ale a national brand. You’ll note that the adverts mostly talk about buying Brown Ale to drink at home.

If you’re like me you’re probably wondering what these Brown Ales were like. Here’s Mann’s:

Mann's Brown Ale 1946 - 1957
Year	Beer	Price per pint	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour
1946	Brown Ale	14d	1035.4	1011.7	3.06	66.95%	12 + 40
1946	Brown Ale	14d	1034.4	1008.8	3.32	74.42%	10.5 + 40
1947	Brown Ale	14d	1033.6	1008.4	3.27	75.00%	11 + 40
1947	Brown Ale	13.5d	1035.4	1010.9	3.17	69.21%	10 + 40
1947	Brown Ale	14d	1035	1007.8	3.53	77.71%	10 + 40
1947	Brown Ale	14d	1035.3	1011.4	3.09	67.71%	11 + 40
1948	Brown Ale	16d	1035.2	1004.6	3.99	86.93%	14 + 40
1948	Brown Ale	17d	1033	1012.4	2.66	62.42%	12 + 40
1949	Brown Ale	17d	1032.9	1010.2	2.94	69.00%	20 + 40
1950	Brown Ale	16d	1033	1011.7	2.75	64.55%	15 + 40
1950	Brown Ale	18d	1035.8	1013.3	2.91	62.85%	15 + 40
1956	Brown Ale	22d	1035.5	1013.2	2.88	62.82%	115
1957	Brown Ale	33d	1037.5	1014.9	2.92	60.27%	105
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

And here’s Watney’s:

Watney's Brown Ale 1946 - 1956
Year	Beer	Price per pint	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour
1946	Brown Ale	13d	1031.2	1011.4	2.56	63.46%	17 + 40
1946	Brown Ale	12d	1029.6	1008.5	2.73	71.28%	12 + 40
1947	Brown Ale	12d	1028.3	1010.3	2.33	63.60%	13 + 40
1947	Brown Ale	12d	1028.7	1005.5	3.01	80.84%	10 + 40
1947	Brown Ale	13d	1029.8	1009.7	2.60	67.45%	11 + 40
1947	Brown Ale	13d	1029.3	1007.4	2.84	74.74%	17 + 40
1948	Brown Ale	15d	1030.6	1009.3	2.76	69.61%	14 + 40
1948	Brown Ale	16d	1031	1005.7	3.29	81.61%	18 + 40
1949	Brown Ale	16d	1030.3	1009.7	2.66	67.99%	16 + 40
1949	Brown Ale	15d	1030	1007.8	2.88	74.00%	16 + 40
1950	Brown Ale	15d	1029.4	1007.8	2.80	73.47%	10 + 40
1950	Brown Ale	15d	1030.4	1007.9	2.92	74.01%	15 + 40
1950	Brown Ale	17d	1032.6	1010.8	2.82	66.87%	16 + 40
1951	Brown Ale	17d	1031.1	1010.3	2.69	66.88%	40 + 17
1952	Brown Ale	18d	1031.1	1009.3	2.82	70.10%	16 + 40
1953	Brown Ale	19d	1032.1	1009.9	2.87	69.16%	17 + 40
1953	Brown Ale	19d	1032.8	1009.8	2.98	70.12%	16 + 40
1954	Brown Ale	19d	1031.9	1010	2.83	68.65%	18 + 40
1955	Brown Ale	21d	1032.3	1010.9	2.77	66.25%	125
1956	Brown Ale	20d	1032.2	1011.1	2.73	65.53%	120
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

Mann’s had a slightly higher than Watney’s. Though both are pretty weak in terms of ABV. You’d have struggled to get pissed on them. It’s interesting to see how the rate of attenuation fell as the 1950’s progressed. Which implies both were getting sweeter.

Mann’s is one of the few surviving Brown Ales. Not sure what else is left, other than Newcastle Brown, Double Maxim and Harvey’s Brown Ale.