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Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Beer Guide to the 1970s (part fifteen)

Three very different breweries from the 1970s today.

In the second half of the decade, for the first time in 50 years (since the clubs breweries immediately after WW I), new breweries began to spring up. And, by the end of the decade, the centuries-long decline in brewery numbers was reversed. They were a combination of production breweries and brewpubs. The latter had a habit of using malt extract, something I really couldn’t stand. Reminding me of poor-quality homebrew. 

Those founded by professional brewers tended to produce better beer. Though, generally, the quality was variable. Probably, at least in part, due to cobbled-together brewhouses that were prone to infection.

Many new brewers didn't last long, packing in after just a couple of years. With most of the trade tied up, finding outlets was difficult. Especially as almost all produced only cask beer. Some invested in their own tied houses. Which was a good way of finding outlets. If you had the cash.

Heavitree is an example of a brewer who switched to being a pub company. How long did they last, I wonder?

And Harveys is, well, Harveys. And still going strong.


Harvey
Lewes,
East Sussex.
Founded:    1790
Closed:            still open
Tied houses:    24

A small, much revered brewery located just a little north of Brighton. As time has progressed and other southern brewers have either closed or made their beers more bland, Harvey’s beers have stood out more and more. I’ve always had a lot of time for their beers.

beer style format OG description
Bitter Pale Ale draught 1033 nutty flavoured 
Best Bitter Pale Ale draught 1040 stronger and a little sweeter
Mild Mild draught 1030 A pleasant dry Dark Mild
XXXX Old Ale draught 1041 strong dark Ale
Elizabethan Ale Barley Wine draught 1090 strong and satisfying
Keg Bitter Pale Ale keg   Best Bitter in keg form
IPA IPA bottled    
Blue Label Pale Ale bottled   A stronger Pale Ale
Nut Brown Ale Brown Ale bottled   medium sweet
Exhibition Brown Brown Ale bottled   stronger than Nut Brown
Sweet Stout Stout bottled    
Elizabethan Ale Barley Wine bottled 1090  



Hawthorne
Gloucester,
Gloucestershire.
Founded:    1978
Closed:            1982
Tied houses:    1

An early new brewery, which opened in the Norfolk House Hotel. They didn’t stick around for long. I doubt very much that I ever came across their beer. If I’m honest, I mostly avoided new breweries in the 1970s as the beer was often crap.

beer style format OG description
Extra Bitter Pale Ale draught 1038  
Special Bitter Pale Ale draught 1042  
Hastings Bitter Old Ale draught 1066  



Heavitree
Exeter,
Devon.
Founded:    1790
Closed:            1970
Tied houses:    135

Despite exiting brewing in 1970, Heavitree continued to run their tied estate, being supplied beer by Whitbread.
 

6 comments:

  1. The Heavitree Brewery is still going strong in the Exeter area, as a pub company. See their website https://www.heavitreebrewery.co.uk/about/history/

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  2. The number of Harvey's tied houses at 24 looks pretty low. I'd have thought double that perhaps. Nevertheless, what is certain - is that the beer continues to be - and has been, as long as I can remember, very distinctive, and just plain fabulous. Long may they continue

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  3. I wonder why so many breweries closed in the vicinity of Harveys?

    As for Harveys would be brilliant to see them brew old recipes from time to time.
    Oscar

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  4. Your comment about "new breweries" beers often being crap is interesting. I get the impression that many of the emerging breweries that have widely succeeded such as BrewDog and Meantime have done so by aping American new brews such as their IPAs and the widespread introduction of Cascadia hops in particular. Plus the tendency to go back to keg.

    It's certainly stirred up many of the "old breweries" with their versions of American new ales now in their lineup.

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  5. Until really very recently it used to be accepted among beer drinkers that the first beers from any new brewery would be a bit dodgy. The good ones would improve as time went on.

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    Replies
    1. Some got it right from the start, O’ Hara’s single dry stout is still lovely 20 plus years on. Or St Mel’s brown ale hmmm lovely.
      Oscar

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