Beer Guide to the 1970s (part twenty-two)

Well, we've got about half-way through the alphabet. And as far as brewery number 66. Still quite a way to go. Especially as, so far, I haven't included either home brew pubs or national brewers. I reckon that I'm only about a third of the way through.

Three closed breweries this time. All of which ceased brewing at around the same time. And all of which I rather miss. Mitchells I only drank occasionally and beer festivals. On the other hand, I drank in multiple Morland and Morrell houses.


Mitchells
Lancaster,
Lancashire.

Founded:    1871
Closed:            1999
Tied houses:    47

The relatively small town of Lancaster was lucky enough to have two local breweries, both making pretty good beers. Mittchell’s pubs were mostly in and around Lancaster, with a couple just over the border in Yorkshire. Brewing transferred to the former Yates & Jackson brewery in 1984. Company acquired by York Brewery in 2008.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037	malty
Extra Special Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1045	more hopped and much stronger
Mild	Mild	draught	1034	Dark Mild
Keg Bitter	Pale Ale	keg	1045	kegged Extra Special Bitter
Premium Keg Mild	Mild	keg
City Pale Ale	Pale Ale	bottled
City Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled		medium sweet
City Shield Stout	Stout	bottled	1045	high gravity

Morland
Abingdon,
Berkshire.

Founded:    1761
Closed:            1999
Tied houses:    240

There were several good breweries in and around the Thames valley, including Morland. Their estate covered Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Surrey. They brewed a decent range of draught beers. Which I had the pleasure of drinking when I attended the Reading Festival. Bought by Greene King in 1999 and closed.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1035	well hopped
Best Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1042	full-flavoured and stronger
Mild	Mild	draught	1032	medium Dark Mild with an agreeable dry flavour
Morland Light Ale	Pale Ale	bottled
Viking Pale Ale	Pale Ale	bottled
Monarch	Barley Wine	bottled
Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled		medium sweet
Stout	Stout	bottled		medium sweet

Morrell
Oxford,
Oxfordshire.

Founded:    1797
Closed:            1998
Tied houses:    140

Another good Thames Valley brewery. With an estate mostly in Oxfordshire, but stretching as far as Swindon to the West. Which is how I came to love their Dark Mild when I lived in Swindon. Brewing ceased in 1998, basically because they wanted to redevelop the brewery’s valuable riverside site. But they continued as a pub company until 2002, when they were bought by Greene King.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1036	well balanced
Varsity	Pale Ale	draught	1040.6	malty and rare
Light Mild	Mild	draught	1031.6	lighter version of the Bitter
Dark Mild	Mild	draught	1032.6	pleasant and rare
College Ale	Pale Ale	draught	1073	winter only
Varsity Keg	Pale Ale	keg		medium gravity, chilled and filtered but not pasteurised
Pale Ale Keg	Pale Ale	keg		lighter gravity
Light Oxford Ale	Pale Ale	bottled
Castle Ale	Pale Ale	bottled		medium gravity
College Ale	Barley Wine	bottled
Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled
Malt Stout	Stout	bottled