Scottish Mild Ale before WW II

More WW II-related stuff today. And more Mild-related stuff, too. Call that a double win. For me, if not for you.

After WW I, genuine Mild Ales were pretty much dead in Scotland. Most breweries produced nothing but different-strength Pale Ales. The weakest of these filled the slot usually occupied by Mild in England.

The situation was made more complicated by some of the peculiarities of Scottish brewing. Pale Ales brewed north of the border tended to be more lightly hopped, with rates often lower than those for London Mild Ales. Then there was the practice of colouring up beers with caramel at racking time. In combination, these two factors meant that lower-gravity Scottish Pale Ales, could be very similar in colour and character to English Dark Mild.

One exception was William Younger, which continued to brew genuine Mild Ales through WW II and beyond. I’m not sure that they ever sold their Mild in Scotland, though. As Younger had many outlets in England, a Mild would have been an essential part of their range in the 1930s.

All three of the examples in the table were sold at 6d per pint, but are considerably weaker than, for example London Milds which cost the same. A 6d London Mild would weigh in at over 1040º. The Younger’s beer, at just over 1030º, would probably have retailed for 4d, had it been brewed in London.

The explanation: beer was generally more expensive in Scotland. The same phenomenon can be observed with draught Scottish Pale Ales, which were usually 1d per pint more expensive than beers of a similar strength sold in London.

Scottish Mild Ale before WW II
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price per pint (d)	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour
1939	Murray	Light Ale	6	1035.8	1008.7	3.52	75.70%	42
1939	Younger, Geo.	Light Ale	6	1033.6	1005.8	3.61	82.74%	44
1939	Younger, Wm.	Light Ale	6	1030.6	1004.5	3.39	85.29%	155
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.

William Murray's beers in the 1930's

Time for part two of my series on William Murray's beers. Now we've moved on to the 1930's. Hard times for many British breweries.

Let's dive straight into the analysis pool. The first entry in the table is good news for my hammering points not just in but right out the other side tactic. It's a great example of a typical interwar bottled IPA. Remember these points: low-gravity IPAs have been around for a long time; this type of IPA was the norm in the 20th century, Bass and Worthington aside, stronger IPAs just didn't exist; 1036º is about the correct gravity, or maybe even a bit too high (X Ale had fallen from 1070º to 1036º between the 1830's and the 1930's, you'd expect IPA, which started at 1060-1065º to be about 1034º).

There's just one lonely Mild again. Looking much like an English Mild or even a modern one. That colour is about 60-70 EBC.

It looks to me as if there are two basic Pale Ales there. One around 1034º, the other 1040º. This is where I'm glad that I got to the Scottish Brewing Archive again. And that I for once shed my lazy arse and went through all the Maclays records I snapped. Because I have the details of their range of Pale Ales in the 1930's. Their range of IPA's I should say, because that's what their brewhouse names were in 1938. IPA 5d, IPA 6d and IPA 7d. Not for much longer, mind. They magically changed into Pale Ales the next year. Brilliant. There's another of those nails right through the floorboard points: the random way brewers used the terms Pale Ale and IPA.

Here they are:

Maclay's IPAs in 1938
Beer	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl
IPA 7d	1042	1015	3.57	64.29%	5.00	0.95
IPA 6d	1038	1015	3.04	60.53%	5.00	0.86
IPA 5d	1032	1014	2.38	56.25%	5.00	0.70
Source:
Maclay brewing record document M/6/1/1/3 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

Murray's Pale Ales look to me like IPA 5d and IPA 6d.

I'm happy to see the Milk Stouts. As I said in the last part, Murray was famous for its Milk Stout. That's why I've so many label images for it. One of the other points I like to frantically beat with a hammer, is that Milk Stout wasn't necessarily weak. Some were, like Murray's. I've seen pre-war ones with gravities in the 1055-1060º range. Murray's do at least have the low attenuation I would expect.

Hang on. I've had a look at those Pale Ales more closely. One thing you need to know about interwar British beer is the great gravity shift of 1931. When the tax went up and brewers dropped the gravity of the beers so that their retail price stayed the same. It's what drove Mild down under 1040º. Bearing that in mind, my guess is that the first five Pale Ales in the table are the same beer. 1038º before 1931, 1034º after.

Now I think about it, the last three could be the same beer, too. They're after the tax dropped back down to the same level. Might not be, though. When the tax fell again, some brewers, rather than putting the beer back up to its old gravity, they knocked a penny a pint off the price.

Another hammer point: the Scottish love of currency units in beer names and their inconsistent and confusing use of them. So that 60/- isn't the same thing as a modern 60/-. And random, because there's no way a 54-gallon hogshead of those beers cost 60/- in 1938. Whitbread LA, a low-gravity Mild of 1028.5º, cost 76/- for a 36-gallon barrel*.

Moving on to the Strong Ale, called No. 3 like one of William Younger's. Which just happens to have the same gravity as Younger's version, 1055º**. The colour is dark, just like the No. 3 I remember well. I assume Murray's No. 3 must have been its direct competitor.

Wow. I can't believe I could write so much about a dozen beer analyses. Don't worry. I'm not worded out yet. There's one more instalment to follow.

William Murray beers in the 1930's
Year	Beer	Style	Price	size	package	FG	OG	colour	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1933	India Pale Ale	IPA		pint	bottled	1010	1036		3.37	72.22%
1939	Light Ale	Mild	6d	pint	draught	1008.7	1035.8	40 + 0.5	3.52	75.70%
1930	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	draught	1011	1038	37	3.50	71.05%
1930	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009	1038	39	3.76	76.32%
1932	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009	1034		3.24	73.53%
1933	4d Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009.5	1032.5		2.98	70.77%
1933	Queen Brand	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1010.5	1034		3.04	69.12%
1934	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	draught	1012	1040		3.63	70.00%
1937	60/- Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008.8	1039.8	11 – 12	4.03	77.89%
1939	60/- Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1011	1039	12 – 13	3.63	71.79%
1933	Milk Stout	Stout		pint	bottled	1018	1036		2.31	50.00%
1937	Milk Stout	Stout	6d	pint	bottled	1019.2	1044.8		3.30	57.14%
1939	Strong Ale No.3	Strong Ale	10d	pint	draught	1009	1054.9	40 + 10	6.00	83.61%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Younger, Wm. & Co Gravity Book document WY/6/1/1/19 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

* Whitbread price list pasted into a brewing book held at the London Metropolitan Archives document number LMA/4453/D/09/124.

** William Younger brewing record held at the Scottish Brewing Archive document number WY/6/1/2/70.

William Murray's beers in the 1920's

It's funny, fun, fun time. As I tell my kids when I'm about to make them do something really boring. Yes, I'm back on the tables. Even better, a table of Scottish beers.

My gob was well and truly smacked when I noticed just how many analyses I had of William Murray beers. So many, that I'll have to spread them over multiple posts. I'm not sure why I have quite so many. They weren't the largest of Scottish breweries. Or of Edinburgh brewers. But therein probably lies the key. They were located in Edinburgh and so feature heavily in the William Younger and Thomas Usher Gravity Books.

I'm coming to the conclusion that in the 1920's and 1930's Scottish brewers had moved almost totally away from Mild to Pale Ale. Like Irish brewing, Scottish brewing was out of phase with England in terms of styles. But, while Ireland was 50 years or so behind, Scotland was 30 or 40 ahead. It's a phenomenon that was repeated with Lager. Maybe we should keep our eyes on Scotland to get a preview of the next dominant style.

The gravities are typically Scottish, with most of the Pale Ales in the 1035º to 1040º band. Then with a couple of really strong ones of 1055º plus. The middle ground of the 1040º's, where most English Pale Ales hung around shuffling the change in their pockets, is unoccupied. Most of them look like post-WW II ordinary Bitters.

It wouldn't surprise me, having seen Maclay's brewing records, if that solitary Mild was just a coloured-up Pale Ale. It looks very similar to the 4d Pale Ale.

Once again we can observe the use of Heavy as a synonym for "Strong", rather than as a designator of a specific style. I know I've said it lots of times before. But I'm going to keep repeating it until it sinks in. While I'm about different uses of terms some morons think are etched in stone as specific styles, note also the use of 90/- for a moderate-strength bottled Pale Ale.

I'm disappointed that there's no Milk Stout in this set. It was one of Murray's specialities. Instead there's a sweetish-looking Oatmeal Stout. Even that has a decent attenuation of 64%. that's something else worth mentioning: the relatively high degree of attenuation of Murray's beers. Most are over 70% and some over 80%.

I'll leave you with the table itself.

William Murray beers in the 1920's
Year	Beer	Style	Price	size	package	FG	OG	colour	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Flavour
1923	Mild	Mild		pint	draught	1006	1037		4.03	83.78%
1922	PA	Pale Ale		pint	draught	1005	1037		4.17	86.49%
1923	Carbonated Beer	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1011.8	1035.2	27	3.03	66.48%
1924	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1011.1	1036.3	25	3.26	69.42%
1924	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	draught		1037.2
1924	Strong PA	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1013	1057		5.73	77.19%
1925	Strong Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1015	1059.5	25	5.79	74.79%
1925	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1010.5	1039.5	25	3.76	73.42%
1925	Strong PA	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1014	1060		5.99	76.67%
1925	Strong PA	Pale Ale	6d	half pint	bottled	1015	1060		5.86	75.00%
1926	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1010	1035	30	3.24	71.43%
1926	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1008	1034	20	3.37	76.47%
1926	PA	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1010	1035	20	3.24	71.43%
1927	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1007	1039		4.16	82.05%
1927	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1012	1035	25	2.97	65.71%
1928	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1009	1035	25	3.37	74.29%
1929	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009	1038.5		3.83	76.62%
1929	90/-	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1007.25	1040		4.26	81.88%
1929	4d Pale Ale (carbonated)	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1011	1035.5		3.17	69.01%	Mawkish
1929	4d Pale Ale (carbonated)	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1011	1037		3.37	70.27%	Fair but thin. Not sweet.
1929	Export Strong Pale Ale (carbonated)	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1013.5	1056		5.53	75.89%
1929	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1008	1035.5	30
1929	Oatmeal Stout	Stout		pint	bottled	1016	1044		3.62	63.64%
1924	Strong Ale	Strong Ale		pint		1011.5	1060.3	25	6.37	80.93%
1925	Heavy Ale	Strong Ale	6d	half pint	bottled	1015	1079		8.40	81.01%
1928	Strong Ale	Strong Ale		pint	bottled	1027	1085	80	7.55	68.24%
1929	Export Strong Ale (carbonated)	Strong Ale		pint	bottled	1013	1057		5.73	77.19%	Sweet & highly hopped.
1929	Heavy Ale (carbonated)	Strong Ale		pint	bottled	1030	1087		7.40	65.52%	Pleasant. Very sweet.
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Younger, Wm. & Co Gravity Book document WY/6/1/1/19 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

Jubilee of Brewing at Craigmillar

What would I do without annual general meetings and the newspaper reports they generated? Do some proper research, that's what. The burrowing around in archives sort.

This report confirms what I've already said: Murray's was launched on a more sound financial footing than many other breweries. Even in the difficult times of the 1930's they were making a profit and declaring decent dividends. It just shows you that glamourous investments like Allsopp were often a far worse choice than more prosaic ones such as Murray.

"WILLIAM MURRAY & COMPANY, LIMITED
Jubilee of Brewing at Craigmillar
The annual general meeting of Messrs William Murray & Company, Limited, was held yesterday at Craigmillar. Mr C. H. Marshall S.S.C., chairman, said - "As the directors' report and accounts have been in your hands tor some time, I presume 1 may take them as read. We have reached the year when it is appropriate to review the history of the business which is now carried on under the name of William Murray & Company Limited. It is the jubilee year of the company and of the introduction of brewing Craigmillar, Edinburgh. Jubilees have been celebrated from the earliest times as days for rejoicing, and this is no exception. William Murray, the founder, belonged to a family of brewers who had brewed for generations at Ednam, in Roxburghshire. The destruction by fire of this brewery proved ultimately to be the starting-point for the development elsewhere of a brewery business which, in the environment of Ednam, no matter how much ability had been brought to bear upon the business there, could never have attained the same importance as another brewery established in a locality more favourably situated. Mr Murray must have recognised this, for, in place of re-erecting a brewery at Ednam, he decided to look around for a site which would furnish an unlimited supply of the best spring water, and also for industrial advantages which would further the development of a successful brewery business. The site he chose for the erection of his new brewery possessed all these, and in addition combined something more with which industrial conditions are not, as a rule associated, namely, a situation picturesque and romantic; to the north, Arthur's Seat, beneath whose shadows lie Duddingston Church and Loch; to the west the Metropolis, with its ancient Castle and numerous spires rising in the distance; and, towering in the south, Craigmillar Castle, with all its historical interest of bygone gaieties, tragedies, and memories.


The Situation,

"Almost midway between the historic landmarks of Craigmillar Castle and Duddingston Kirk, land which had remained undeveloped for hundreds years, the first brewery was erected, and was appropriately named Craigmillar Brewery. The selection of such a situation with such natural and industrial advantages is, I venture say, a great tribute to the business sagacity of the founder. For seven or eight years Craigmillar Brewery stood alone, but other brewers became attracted to the excellent quality of the brewing water, and seven breweries were ultimately erected within a comparatively small area. The number of buildings both industrial and residential has increased yearly, and we who are the successors of Murray may take pride in the fact that the establishment and development of this important industrial suburb of the Capital of Scotland owes its beginning to the erection, fifty years ago, of Craigmillar Brewery.

"In 1897 Mr Murray converted his business into limited liability company, and since then two brewery businesses have been purchased, and bottling stores have established in Glasgow and in Fife.


Outstanding Business Ability.

"Following Mr Murray, who retired 1922. Mr W. D. Hay became chairman and managing director of the company. I had the pleasure of knowing both Mr Murray and Mr W. D Hay for a long number of years. Long before I became a director of this company I was associated with them frequently in business transactions. Both were men of outstanding business ability and capacity, and what is perhaps more important, both were men of honour and integrity. It is a great pleasure to to testify to the work which they did to establish this company on the solid foundations on which it now stands, and it is a matter of regret that neither Mr Murray nor Mr Hay lived to see the jubilee of the company which they served so eminently and so well.


Improved Premises.

"Of the controversies regarding the liquor trade during the past fifty years I do not intend to speak. I should like, however, to touch upon one subject very briefly: the movement to improve licensed premises. It is a matter of great regret that every effort by the licensed trade to further this object has far received no encouragement — only opposition — from the official temperance societies. Until the licensing laws, as they at present stand on the Statute Book, are amended, it cannot be expected that the licensed trade will embark upon the large expenditure necessary to reconstruct present buildings or to build new premises as improved public-houses. So far however, as present legislation permits, we are helping in the construction of such houses, and our policy in this direction will be continued.


Most Satisfactory Figures.

"I turn now to the balance-sheet and profit and loss account for the past year. The figures, you will be pleased to observe, are the most satisfactory in the history of the company. This is gratifying in view of the present being the jubilee year of the company. It is proposed to place this year to the genera] reserve fund the sum of £5000, raising the general Reserve fund to £24,000. While the consumption of beer in Scotland has not shown the same marked increase during the past year as in England, there has been improvement. In view of this and the fact that your directors are of the opinion that provision has already been made for any ordinary contingency, they have resolved to pay a dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, less income tax, on Preference shares, and a final dividend on Ordinary shares at the rate of 10 per cent., less income tax, making a total dividend for the year at the rate of 15 per cent, per annum, less income tax, and to carry forward £16,921, subject to directors' fees, to next year."

Councillor John Hay, D.L., J.P., in seconding the adoption of the accounts, referred to the chairman's services during the past years, in which the company had made substantial progress. The appointment of Sir James Fraser Cunninghame, O.B.E., J.P., who was elected to the board during the year, was unanimously confirmed."
Evening Telegraph - Wednesday 09 December 1936, page 7.

I hadn't realised until now that the brewery had relocated so far. Ednam is a tiny village just outside Kelso and just two or three miles from the English border. Uprooting the business and moving it 50 miles to Edinburgh was a bold move. But one which obviously paid off. I can't imagine that the company could ever have become very large if it had remained located in the thinly-populated border region.

Checking in my trusty "A Century of British Brewers Plus", I see that the firm hadn't been in Ednam long, only having been founded in 1880, six years before the move to Duddingston. Sadly, the book doesn't say who the two brewery businesses were who Murray took over.

Like so many Scottish breweries, Murray disappeared in the frenzy of takeovers at the end of the 1950's and beginning of the 1960's. It was purchased by Northern Breweries, one of the forerunners of Bass Charrington, in 1960 and closed in 1963.

Just noticed how many analyses I have of Murray beers. I guess that will be next.

William Murray goes public

If you've been paying attention, you should remember that William Murray was the first to build a brewery at Duddingston on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Several others would later follow.

Murray's launch was a modest affair, raising just £75,000. That's nothing compared to other brewery launches of the time.

"William Murray & Company (Limited), has been incorporated with a capital of £75,000 in £10 shares divided into 4000 Five per cent, Cumulative Preference shares and 35,000 Ordinary. The prospectus explains that the company has been formed, for the purpose of acquiring, carrying on, and extending the business of brewers and maltsters of William Murray & Company, Craigmillar Brewery, Edinburgh, and business incidental thereto. The Craigmillar Brewery was erected by the firm of William Murray & Company in 1887-8, and it is thought that its development may be further increased if members of the public and present and prospective customers of the brewery become shareholders in the incorporated company now proposed. The brewery is situated on ground (held in feu) adjoining the Duddingston Railway Station of the City of Edinburgh Suburban Branch of the North British Railway. There are railway sidings leading directly into the brewery. The extent of the ground (2.5 acres or thereby), admits of large extensions of the work. The brewery has an excellent supply of water from a well on the ground, and this water has been found well suited for brewing purposes. The assets to be acquired exclusive of goodwill are valued at £42,154, and the present issue of capital leaves £10,000 for new maltings to be erected by the company. It is certified that since April, 1895, the net profits, after making allowance for repairs, renewals, depreciation, and bad and doubtful debts, have annually averaged £6718, and that the sales up to the last balance on 30th June showed an increase of over 18 per cent. in the sales over the corresponding period of last year. The Ordinary shares are taken by the vendors, and all the Preference shares are offered for subscription. The lists open tomorrow (Wednesday)."
Glasgow Herald - Tuesday 14 December 1897, page 6.

£6718 is a pretty decent return on capital of £75,000, almost 10%. If the level of profit remained the same, there should have been plenty left to pay dividends to the shareholders. Unlike some of the dodgier flotations, that was the case a Murray. As we can see from their first  annual general meeting:

"Wm. Murray & Co., Limited. - The first annual general meeting of the shareholders of William Murray & Co., Ltd., was held at the company's brewery, Craigmillar Park, Edinburgh, today - Mr Wm. Murray presiding. The secretary read the directors' report, and submitted the balance-sheet and profit and loss account as at 30th June. It was recommended, after providing for a dividend on the Preference shares, to pay 10s per share on the Ordinary shares, being at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum; to place £1000 to the reserve fund, and to carry forward the balance amounting to £876 10s 10d. The report was unanimously adopted. The retiring director, Mr Wm. Murray, was unanimously reelected, as were the auditors, Mesrs Robertson & Carson. C.A.
Edinburgh Evening News - Thursday 28 July 1898, page 4.

Let's work out how much profit they needed to pay those dividends. 5% on the 4,000 £10 Preference shares is £2,000. 10s per Ordinary share I reckon should be £1,750. (I'm assuming that 35,000 Ordinary shares is a misprint and that it should really be 3,500. Otherwise the share capital doesn't add up.) Add to those the £1,000 carried over and the £876 balance and you get £5,526. Reasonably close to the average of £6718.

This looks a much better investment that many of the other breweries. At least in the short term.