London Mild Ale after WW I

Stronger Milds were brewed and in London an X Ale had a gravity of 1040º-1043º in the early 1920s. Milds of over 1050º were a thing of the past. Though some Southern breweries did produce a seasonal draught Old Ale which was essentially a strong Mild. Harvey’s Old Ale is an example of such a type of beer that still exists today.

Oddly, London brewers that had brewed just one Mild Ale in the run-up to WW I, began to brew multiple versions in the 1920s.

The Milds around 1030º are the successors to wartime Government Ale. The watery wartime stuff seems to have created a market for cheap and not very cheersome Mild that brewers were happy to cater to. It wasn’t a huge volume market, but by parti-gyling with the stronger Milds it was one that was easy to satisfy.

London Mild Ale after WW I
Year	Brewer	Beer	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl
1922	Whitbread	MA	1027.8	1005.0	3.01	81.99%	8.61	3.72
1922	Whitbread	X	1042.0	1006.0	4.76	85.71%	8.30	1.40
1923	Courage	X	1032.7	1005.0	3.66	84.75%	6.61	1.00
1925	Fuller	X	1034.8	1009.1	3.39	73.71%	7.16837	1.05
1925	Fuller	XX	1045.5	1014.4	4.11	68.31%	7.16837	1.37
1922	Barclay Perkins	Ale	1028.4	1006.5	2.90	77.11%	7.50	0.92
1922	Barclay Perkins	X	1040.3	1010.0	4.01	75.19%	7.50	1.27
Sources:
Whitbread brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/01/087.
Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/1/609.
Fullers brewing record held at the brewery.
Courage brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/08/253.

What did a pint of Mild cost? Well, that depended on the strength.

There were three classes of draught Mild in London: 5d., 6d. and 7d. With gravities of approximately 1032º, 1037º and 1042º. That’s quite a change from before the start of the war, when a standard London X Ale had a gravity in the low 1050’s. Even the strongest Milds were 20% or so lower in gravity.

Draught London Mild Ale after WW I
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1923	Barclay Perkins	X	6d	1041.1	1011	3.96	74.21%
1923	Barclay Perkins	X	7d	1044.7	1013	4.08	70.47%
1923	Cannon	X	6d	1034.8	1008	3.50	77.59%
1923	Charrington	X	7d	1042.6	1010	4.29	77.46%
1923	City of London	X	5d	1031	1007	3.11	77.42%
1923	City of London	X	6d	1035.2	1006	3.77	82.39%
1923	Courage	X	6d	1034.3	1007	3.57	80.17%
1923	Hoare	X	6d	1034.3	1012	2.91	65.60%
1923	Huggins	X	5d	1035.5	1008	3.57	77.46%
1923	Huggins	X	6d	1037.6	1008	3.90	79.79%
1923	Lion	X	7d	1042.1	1008	4.49	81.95%
1923	Mann	X	7d	1042.5	1010	4.22	76.47%
1923	Meux	MA	5d	1028	1005	2.99	82.14%
1923	Meux	X	7d	1042	1009	4.36	79.76%
1923	Truman	MA	5d	1030.8	1008	2.98	74.68%
1923	Truman	X	7d	1041.7	1010	4.09	75.54%
1923	Watney	X	6d	1041.1	1008	4.36	81.51%
1923	Watney	X	7d	1045	1009	4.68	80.00%
1923	Wenlock	X	5d	1033.7	1006	3.64	83.09%
1923	Wenlock	X	6d	1037.3	1007	3.97	81.77%
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.

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