Bitter in 1971 overview

One final post about Bitter in 1971. Just sucking the last few drops of sweet Ale from the bar towel, Mmm, lovely.

Let's see if we can guess which region had the most expensive pints. Oh look, there's a surprise: it's London. At an average of 15.3p per pint, it's just shy of 3p more than in the cheapest regions of the

Northeast and Northwest. The Southeast wasn't far behind London, just 0.3p cheaper.

Though the Southeast did have the highest gravity: 1039.3º. Or about 2º above the national average. London was a little behind at 1038.1º. With the Midlands and Northeast scoring around or slightly above the national average. Which, in 1971, was 1036.9º.* Scotland, the Northwest and Southwest all come in below the national average. In the case of the Southwest, quite a way below.

Topping the value chart are the Northeast and Northwest. With the former coming out on top in terms of OG and the two tying in terms of ABV. Surprisingly, the worst value region isn't London, but the Southwest. Though there were only two samples, so too little data to start drawing any massive conclusions.

There's not a massive variation in the average rate of attenuation. The lowest being 74.5% and the highest 79%. So all in a fairly normal range of around 75%.



* Statistical Handbook of the British Beer & Pub Association 2005, p. 7. 

Bitter in 1971 overview
region	Price per pint (p)	º gravity per p	% ABV per p	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
Southwest	13	2.49	0.24	1032.2	1008.2	3.12	74.70%
London	15.3	2.5	0.24	1038.1	1009.6	3.7	74.58%
Scotland	14	2.61	0.26	1035.8	1008.1	3.59	77.39%
Southeast	15	2.63	0.26	1039.3	1009.5	3.87	75.53%
Midlands	14.1	2.72	0.28	1037.9	1008.4	3.84	77.73%
Northwest	12.4	2.9	0.3	1035.8	1007.5	3.67	78.95%
Northeast	12.4	3.02	0.3	1037.4	1008.5	3.75	77.31%
Overall average	13.7	2.74	0.27	1037.2	1008.6	3.72	76.88%
Source:
Sunday Mirror - Sunday 21 March 1971, page 25.