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

The end of this series is finally coming into view. The longest series of posts, by far, that I've ever written. Four of the Big Six finished now. Just three more to go.

The last two Courage breweries today. Both originally part of John Smiths. In the 1970s, Tadcaster phased out cask beer. And I'm pretty sure I didn't drink any beer from there. Though I did drink plenty of it in Newwark in the 1980s, after Holes had closed and cask was produced in Tadcaster again.

I drank plenty of Barnsley Bitter in the 1970s. While it was still available. Pretty much all of it in the Wing Tavern. The last pub in Newark to sell it. And the only Courage pub in town that sold cask.

Guinness? Well I drank plenty of bottled Guinness. Usually in pubs that sold no cask. Or, mixed with cask Bitter, when it was a bit dodgy. For example, in the Tenterden where the Trumans Tap Bitter wasn't the greatest beer. A bottle of Guinness livened it up a treat.


John Smith
Tadcaster,
North Yorkshire.
Founded:    1847
Closed:            still open
Tied houses:    1,800

Bought by Courage in 1970.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Magnet Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1034.8
Best Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1036
Magnet Pale Ale	Pale Ale	draught	1043.5
Mild Ale	Mild	draught	1030.9
Golden Keg	Pale Ale	keg	1039.1
Magnet Pale Ale	Pale Ale	bottled	1043.5
Magnet Old Ale	Old Ale	bottled		strong and dark
Light Ale	Light Ale	bottled	1031.9
Milk Maid Stout	Stout	bottled	1042.2

Barnsley
Barnsley,
South Yorkshire.
Founded:    
Closed:            1976
Tied houses:    250

Bought by John Smith in 1961. Their Bitter was wonderful The first great beer I ever drank.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Barnsley Bitter	Pale Ale	draught
Mild	Mild	draught

Guinness (Park Royal)
Park Royal,
London.
Founded:    
Closed:    
Tied houses:    2

When the newly- independent Ireland was having trade problems with the UK, Guinness decided to build a new brewery in London. Though it never served the whole of the UK. The North and Scotland were supplied from Dublin. Despite not really having a tied estate, bottled Guinness Extra Stout was the most widely-available beer in the UK. And wonderful stuff.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Draught Guinness	Stout	keg		nitrokeg
Extra Stout	Stout	bottled	1044	Winter
Extra Stout	Stout	bottled	1042	Summer

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