Thursday, 27 February 2025

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

Still going through the Courage breweries.Though it won't take too long as they had far fewer breweries than Bass Charrington or Courage. All of today's trio have closed.

Not sure if I ever tried the beer from the Reading brewery. I think not. I definitely never drank anything from Worton Grange. As they brewed no cask beer. And I was going to waste my time drinking any keg shit.

Plymouth Heavy I remember well from serving at the Great British Beer Festival. I rated it as one of the best Milds in the country. Lovely stuff. Obviosly, closed the brewery and the beer disappeared.


Courage (Plymouth)
Plymouth,
Devon.
Founded:         1852
Closed:            1984
Tied houses:    

Bought by Courage in 1970. I disagree about Heavy. I thought it was a cracking pint.

beer style format OG description
Best Bitter Pale Ale draught 1039 smooth and hoppy
Heavy Mild draught 1032 bland
Superkeg Mild Mild keg   dark



Courage (Reading)
Reading,
Berkshire.
Founded:         1768
Closed:            1979
Tied houses:    

The former Simonds brewery. 

beer style format OG description
Best Bitter Pale Ale draught 1039 well hopped
Mild Mild draught 1032 well balanced



Courage (Worton Grange)
Reading,
Berkshire.
Founded:         1980
Closed:            2010
Tied houses:    

A massive new brewery designed to replace the former Simonds brewery in Reading. It brewed no cask beer.
 

 

I'm still plugging my latest book, "Keg!". From which the above is an extract.

Get your copy of "Keg!" now!

 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

These posts are great. Interesting to know what balanced means for a mild ale.
Oscar

Chris said...

I drank the old Courage Reading bitter on a few occasions in the late 70s. I thought it was a lovely beer, fully the equal of anything produced in Marlow or Henley.

Anonymous said...

So like Phoenix Pale Ale here in Ireland brewed in a formerly independent brewery but quite nice.
Oscar