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

This is easily the longest series of posts I've ever done. We've go to the last independent brewery. But there's still a way to go. Starting with homebrew pubs.

The two we have today were amongst the handful that had managed to survive until the 1970s. A hundred years earlier, there had been literally thousands. In 1870, there were 26,506 brewers producing fewer than 1,000 barrels a year. The vast majority of those would have been homebrew pubs.

Westcrown
Newark,
Nottinghamshire.
Founded:    1977
Closed:            1980
Tied houses:    0

Here’s a new brewery whose beers I definitely did drink. As it was based in my hometown of Newark. Regal Bitter was a pretty decent drink. The brewery’s big problem was that most of the pubs in the area were tied, limiting possible outlets. And the few free pubs in town didn’t stock their beer.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Regal Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037.5	hoppy and bitter
Regal Conqueror	Strong Ale	draught	1072.5

All Nations
Madeley,
Shropshire.
Founded:    1789
Closed:            still open
Tied houses:    1

A homebrew pub which briefly stopped brewing between 2001 and 2003. It was one of the handful of homebrew pubs left in 1970.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Light Mild	Mild	draught	1032	more  like a Bitter

Blue Anchor
Helston,
Cornwall.
Founded:    1400
Closed:            still open
Tied houses:    1

It supposedly started life as some sort of monastic building, becoming a pub after the dissolution of the monasteries. Not sure how true that is. But the place is fucking ancient.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Medium Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1050	distinctive and fruity
Best Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1053	heavy
Special Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1060	magnificent and heavy