Beer Guide to the 1970s (part thirty-three)

We're getting really close to the end of the independent brewers. Just one more set after this lot.

This trio is mostly made up of Wolverhampton & Dudley breweries. One of which, Banks, is still open. At least for the moment. I doubt it will be around for much longer. Workington is one of those breweries which frustratingly stopped (sort of) just before I had chance to try their beers. They appeared in the 1974 Good Beer Guide where they were listed as brewing cask. I think in error, as in later editions they were specified as being all bright beer.


Wolverhampton & Dudley (Banks)
Wolverhampton,
West Midlands.
Founded:    1890
Closed:            still open
Tied houses:    770

One of the largest independent brewing groups, Wolverhampton & Dudley, operated two breweries. Obe in Wolverhampton and one in Dudley. Pretty close to each other in the Black Country, just outside Birmingham. Their pubs were mostly west of Birmingham extending as far as Wales and Coventry. Their beers were a bit like those of Home Ales: very reliable, if not hugely exciting. Bought Marston in 1999. Changed name to Marston in 2007.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Banks Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037.8	well hopped
Banks Mild	Mild	draught	1035.3	Light Mild, well hopped
Banks Bitter	Pale Ale	bottled	1038.1
Banks Old Ale	Old Ale	bottled	1096	dark and very strong
Banks Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled	1033.3
Banks Mild Ale	Mild	bottled		bottled Mild

Wolverhampton & Dudley (Hansons)
Dudley,
West Midlands.
Founded:    1847
Closed:            1992
Tied houses:    see Banks

Bought by Wolverhampton & Dudley in 1943, Hansons remained open for almost 50 years. Which isn’t bad going. Did I ever try their beers? Probably, a beer festival. Pretty sure I was never in one of their tied pubs. As with Banks, the vast majority of heir pubs sold cask beer. 

beer	style	format	OG	description
Hansons Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1038.5	hoppier than Banks Bitter
Hansons Mild	Mild	draught	1035.5	Light Mild, well hopped
Hansons Special Stout	Stout	bottled	1045.9	medium sweet

Workington
Workington,
Cumbria,    
Founded:    1795
Closed:            1988
Tied houses:    110

This smallish regional brewer was bought by Mount Pleasant Investments in 1970. Then sold on to Matthew Brown in 1975, who renamed I the Lakeland Lager brewery. Presumably, to brew their Lager. Their tied estate was mostly concentrated in Cumbria but spread into North Lancashire. Never tried their beer, as they were converted to a Lager brewery before I had chance.

beer	style	format	OG	description
John Peel XXX Best Bitter	Pale Ale	draught		malty
John Peel Barley Brown Best Mild	Mild	draught		Dark Mild, nutty
John Peel	Pale Ale	keg
John Peel Pale Ale	Pale Ale	bottled
John Peel Export Ale	Pale Ale	bottled		strong
John Peel Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled		nutty
John Peel Stout	Stout	bottled	1040.8	sweet