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Sunday 15 September 2024

Beer Guide to the 1970s (part five)

I'll warn you now. There were around 90 independent breweries in the mid-1970s. At the rate of three per post, I'll be busy for more than a month. If I can be arsed to keep it up. Then there are the 40-odd breweries owned by the Big Six.

If you know any bottled or keg beers that I've missed, please get in touch. I know that I haven't found information on every beer brewed in the UK in the 1970s. Especially bottled beers. I'm trying to make this the most complete list ever assembled.


Buckley
Llanelli,
South Wales.
Founded:    1769
Closed:    1997
Tied houses:    180

A medium-sized regional brewery in South Wales. Their tied estate stretched along the Welsh coast from Cardigan in the North and Swansea in the South. They were bought out in 1987 and then merged with the Crown Brewery. In 1994 they became independent again through a management buyout. Before merging with Brains in 1997 and closing.

beer style format OG description
SB Standard Bitter Pale Ale draught 1031 well hopped
BB Best Bitter Pale Ale draught 1036 well hopped
Bulk Beer (tank BB) Pale Ale draught 1036 BB filtered for tanks
Mild Mild draught 1031 medium dark and fruity
Welcome Keg Pale Ale keg 1036 kegged BB
Bitter Ale Pale Ale bottled   bottled SB
Welsh Ale Pale Ale bottled   a stronger Light Ale
Brown Ale Brown Ale bottled   medium sweet
PBA Mild bottled   a sweet Mild Ale



Burt
Ventnor,
Ise of Wight.
Founded:    1840
Closed:    1993
Tied houses:    11

In the 1970s, Burt was the only brewery on the Isle of Wight. Their small tied estate was mostly around Ventnor in the Southeast of the island. Their beers weren’t usually available outside the island. Their demise was quite complicated. They were taken over and closed in 1993, but the Burts name lived on in a brewpub in Sandown. While the Ventnor Brewery was set up in the old Burt’s premises in 1996 and continued to brew until 2009.

beer style format OG description
LB Bitter Pale Ale draught 1030 well hopped
VPA Special Bitter Pale Ale draught 1040 hoppy and distinctive
BMA Mild Mild draught 1030 dry Dark Mild with an unusual flavour.
Ventnor Pale Ale Pale Ale bottled    
Golden IPA Pale Ale bottled   strongish Pale Ale
Nut Brown Ale Brown Ale bottled   medium sweet
Strong Brown Brown Ale bottled   stronger and sweeter


Burtonwood
Burtonwood,
Warrington,
Cheshire.
Founded:    1867
Closed:    2004
Tied houses:    300

Burtonwood was one of the largest regional brewers in the Northwest. They owned pubs throughout Cheshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire and North Wales. Never the trendiest of breweries, they produced decent, solid beers.

beer style format OG description
Bitter Pale Ale draught 1036.3 well-balanced
Mild Mild draught 1031.8 Dark Mild
Light Mild Mild draught 1031.5 thin but well balanced
LXR Pale Ale Pale Ale bottled    
Special Pale Ale Pale Ale bottled    
Top Hat Pale Ale bottled   a strong ale
Export Strong Ale bottled   Lager-type Pale Ale
Buckle Dark Ale Old Ale bottled   strong Dark Ale
Super Brown Ale Brown Ale bottled   medium sweet
Stout Stout bottled   medium sweet


 

6 comments:

  1. Buckley was probably the oldest Welsh brewery until it closed.
    Oscar

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  2. Burtonwood Top Hat was a lovely beer.

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    Replies
    1. I can remember Burton VPA being a very tasty brew. Don't remember visiting the IOW that often in the 80's. So, perhaps it made into the Portsmouth, & S. Hants areas on occasion

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    2. That should have read 'Burt VPA'. Unfortunately, my device thinks it knows better!!

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  3. Brains continued to produce Buckley's bitter after the take over, at least until 2001 when I had some in Cardiff. I can't say it made much of an impression. But after being taken over, they had Buckley's* chance of long term survival.

    Any Aussies will get this.

    When I lived in Manchester in the early eighties, of all the outstanding beers available in the area, Burtonwood Bitter and Pale Mild were among my favourites. Top Hat was only keg in those days.

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  4. I think that you will be doing this for more than a month. Yes, because we lived through these times, it makes it different . . . and I am really enjoying reading every single one, even though I had never heard of and will never drink a Burt. Overall, there is a wistful sadness reading about them as, evidently, very few of these small regional breweries survive today.

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