Burton IPA before WW II

In Burton, IPA continued to mean a beer recognisably related to the classic versions of the previous century. Though the most famous Burton brewer, Bass, never called its version IPA, but simply Pale Ale.

Bass, Worthington and Allsopp all produced IPAs at the top end of the strength bracket. Around 1055º, not coincidentally at the bottom end of the top price control band in 1921. The price control bands cemented beer prices and strengths interwar.

The Bass and Worthington beers look very similar. That shouldn’t be a surprise, seeing as they were competing in the same market. Bass was one of the few draught beers allowed into rival brewers’ pubs, such was its renown.

Note that a very high degree of attenuation remained a feature of Burton IPA.

More common was for Bass and Worthington to be available in bottled form in pubs belonging to other breweries. Just as was the case with Guinness until the 1980s, the beer was delivered to breweries in bulk and then bottled there. Giving the other brewer the bottling profit.

The bottled versions of Bass and Worthington were very similar, in terms of gravity, to the draught ones. Except in some cases the rate of attenuation was even higher, sometimes hitting over 90%.

The gravities are all, with one exception, right around the 1055º mark. Which demonstrates the lasting effect of the last set of WW I price controls.

Draught Burton IPA before WW II
Year	Brewer	Price per pint	country	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1927	Worthington	8	1052.7
1932	Worthington		1054.7	1010.1	5.82	81.54%
1933	Worthington	8	1055	1007.6	6.20	86.18%
1937	Worthington	8	1054.3
1937	Bass	8	1055
Sources:
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.

Bottled Burton IPA before WW II
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price per pint	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1933	Bass	Pale Ale		1055	1007	6.28	87.27%
1933	Bass	Pale Ale	13.5	1055.8	1012.2	5.68	78.14%
1921	Allsopp	IPA	17	1054.4	1004.4	6.56	91.91%
1921	Worthington	IPA	13	1054.9	1007.4	6.22	86.52%
1922	Worthington	IPA (Brussels)		1055	1004.7	6.60	91.45%
1922	Worthington	Pale Ale (Brussels)		1053	1009	5.74	83.02%
1931	Worthington	IPA		1059	1013.1	5.98	77.80%
1931	Worthington	Green Label	10	1055.1	1014.3	5.30	74.05%
1933	Worthington	Pale Ale	14	1055.4	1011.6	5.71	79.06%
Sources:
Thomas Usher Gravity Book held at the Scottish Brewing Archive, document TU/6/11.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.