Beer Guide to the 1970s (part nineteen)

A bit never-ending this series, isn't it? And we've still quite a long way to go.

Three very different breweries today including one of those I miss the most. And a bit of a weirdo new one. Most of the breweries founded in the 1970s were very much inspired by CAMRA. But not all of them. Was that a brave move of foolhardy?

King & Barnes
Horsham,
West Sussex.

Founded:    1850
Closed:    2000
Tied houses:    59

There some really good breweries in the South of England back in the 1970s. With distinctive, full-flavoured beers. King & Barnes was one of the very best. Their small tied estate was mostly in Horsham and the villages around it. In the 1990’s they introduced an excellent selection of bottle-conditioned beers. I was heartbroken when Hall & Woodhouse bought and closed them. One of my all-time favourite breweries.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Pale Ale	Pale Ale	draught	1034.9	well hopped and fully flavoured
XX	Mild	draught	1031.8	medium sweet Dark Mild
XXXX	Old Ale	draught	1047.5	winter only
Pale Ale	Pale Ale	bottled		with some of the Bitter's flavour
Festive	Pale Ale	bottled		strong Pale Ale
Golding Ale	Barley Wine	bottled		with the smack of hops
Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled		medium sweet
Sussex Wealdman	Brown Ale	bottled		strong Brown Ale
J.K. Sweet Stout	Stout	bottled

Lees
Middleton Junction,
Greater Manchester.

Founded:    1828
Closed:    still open
Tied houses:    150

Manchester was lucky in having several independent breweries. Which in addition to offering choice, had the bonus of keeping beer prices low. Lees produced solid cask beers, in the Northwestern style. They were one of the few brewers still making both Mild and Best Mild. As well as a strong, dark cask Ale, Moonraker. I had their beers plenty of times at festivals, but I can’t remember having them in Manchester, as they didn’t seem to have any pubs in the city centre. At least, not any that I could find.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1038	well hopped
Mild	Mild	draught	1031	Light Mild
Best Mild	Mild	draught	1035	medium sweet Dark Mild
Moonraker	Barley Wine	draught	1074	dark and sweet
Bitter	Pale Ale	keg		A strong keg Bitter with some character
Best Mild	Mild	keg		Dark Mild
Gold Medal	Lager	keg	1033.7
Light Ale	Pale Ale	bottled
Export Ale	Pale Ale	bottled		A strong Pale Ale brewed at export gravity and only available in Wales
Strong Ale	Barley Wine	bottled		High gravity
Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled		medium sweet
Archer Stout	Stout	bottled		Sweet Stout
Tulip Lager	Lager	bottled		bottled version of the keg Lager
Edelbrau	Lager	bottled		high-gravity Lager

Litchborough
Litchborough,
Northamptonshire.

Founded:    1974
Closed:    1984
Tied houses:    none

One of the earliest new breweries. But rather out of step, in that they concentrated on keg beer rather than cask. Given that they only lasted ten years, that may not have been the wisest of strategies. I can’t remember ever trying their beer.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Northamptonshire Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037.5	hoppy