15% off print versions of Mild! Plus for the rest of May

I think the title says it all, doesn't it. No? OK, Ill repeat it for the hard of reading.

For the rest of Mild Month I'm slashing 15% off the price of the hardback and paperback editions of Mild! Plus. It's easily the best book ever written about Mild. Mind you, there is only one other.

With over 500 pages of Mild-themed fun, it's the perfect gift for the enlightened beer drinker. Tables, facts, more tables and a few dozen recipes, it's much more than any normal person could ver need to know about Britain's least-favourite style.

Cheapskates can opt for the paperback edition:

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While the true connoisseur can indulge in the luxury hardback:

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Lexie needs new shoes. Don't make him go to school barefoot. Buy the book.

Watney, Combe Reid (part three)

Still not quite done with Watney.

It’s interesting to see just how the brewery saw themselves. I don’t think “progressive” is an adjective anyone would have used to describe Watney in the 1970’s.

“In many Other respects "Watney's" conforms to the pattern of the most progressive undertakings. Its ramifications are so wide as to surprise even those who know the industry well. Few brewers may know, for instance, that at the firm's Bungay Maltings willows are specially cultivated for sale to manufacturers  of cricket bats! It has kept abreast of the modern methods of scientific investigation; there  is close co-operation between brewing room and laboratory (the brewery claims to be the first in London to have a chemist on the staff). The firm's publicity is marked by freshness and vivacity even in an industry whose advertising is second to none in brilliance and originality. Welfare work takes many forms: there is a Ladies' Visiting Committee dealing with family welfare, a convalescent home, a rest home, a housing estate, to mention only a few. The firm has had its own sports ground at Mortlake for 30 years past.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 43.

Watney were eager embracers of advertising. During the 1940’s and 1950’s, they had the slogan “What we want is Watneys” and used the Watney’s wall on posters. Slogans were scrawled over a red brick background like graffiti. And who could forget their Red Revolution campaign for Watney’s Red? It was so ubiquitous it was difficult to ignore.

Am I reading that right? Does it say that Watney had their own convalescent home, rest home nd housing estate? Wonder what happened to those?

Most would have disagreed with this in the 1970’s:

“But it would be difficult to find outside the industry, together with this high degree of organisation and efficiency, the same thriving family spirit. For all that it has expanded and developed so rapidly in the past 50 years it has never become a mere giant machine. It is a "family business" still, imbued throughout with a strong sense of personal responsibility, and preserving what was best in the old firms while absorbing all that is best in the new.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 43.

Watney was definitely considered a “giant machine” in my young days. But I suppose the family links had been cut by then.

Here’s more stuff about the family nature of the business:

“In welcoming the guests, Major A. C. Bonsor, the chairman, said he would like particularly to emphasise the family side of the business, because many of the present directors of the firm were members of the old original families. Moreover, many of their staff and employees had long family association with the House of Watney. That, too, was in keeping with tradition, because they would rather engage the sons of the older people they had known than introduce new people into their business. He could give instances of people working for the House of Watney to-day who represented the fifth or sixth generation, some of whom, indeed, had been for 50 or more years in their service. That was a fact of which they were extremely proud.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 44.

I believe it was relatively common amongst long-established breweries to recruit from the offspring of existing employees. Isn’t that a form of nepotism?

But Watney wasn’t just about brewing. There was a whole raft of supporting trades:

“That was all the more noteworthy when he mentioned that a business such as theirs had many other connections. Their job was not simply the brewing of beer. They had subsidiary breweries, bottling stores and maltings, apart from vast motor works, laboratories and all sorts of other avenues giving employment to a large number of technical people. Apart, too, from possessing many freeholds in the London area, they employed lawyers, architects and scientific chemists  — the chemist who examined everything used in the process of brewing to ensure that all the commodities used in the brewing were of the highest standard of quality. So far as the architects were concerned they tried to bring all their houses up to date according to the most modern standards.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 44.

For my recollection of Watney’s pubs, the architects had tried to strip out any character or original features. They were generally pretty grim, unless you found one they hadn’t got around to ruining yet. Not all the big brewers were as bad. Tetley were pretty good at retaining Victorian and Edwardian interiors.

This last bit would have caused a good laugh in CAMRA circles in the 1970’s:

“The speaker went on to express the conviction that in most of the company's houses, the public could get not only good drink, but good food, coupled with a general feeling of cheeriness which should be the hallmark of every good public house.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", pages 44 - 45.

You wouldn’t have found any of those in the Watney pubs I recall. Crap beer, crap food, rubbish atmosphere.

Here are the crap beers you might have been drinking at the end of the decade:

Watney's bottled beers at the end of the 1950's
Year	Beer	Style	Price per pint d	Acidity	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour
1959	Best Pale Ale	Pale Ale	32	0.05	1048.3	1013.9	4.46	71.22%	17
1959	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	20	0.04	1033.2	1010.1	2.99	69.58%	23
1959	Dairy Maid Stout	Stout	24		1033.3	1012.6	2.67	62.16%	250
1957	Dairymaid Sweet Stout	Stout	24	0.06	1033.1	1012.7	2.63	61.63%	250
1957	Special Stout	Stout	26	0.05	1042.3	1009.4	4.28	77.78%	200
1957	Reids Special Stout	Stout	36	0.06	1045.2	1011.8	4.33	73.89%	225
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

Two bob a pint for Dairymaid Stout? A beer that could be up to 25% returned beer and other junk? That’s just 2d less a pint than the much stronger Special Stout. They must have earned hand over fist with that beer.

Watney's draught beers at the end of the 1950's
Year	Beer	Style	Price per pint d	Acidity	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour
1957	Mild Ale	Mild	15	0.05	1032	1007.6	3.16	76.25%	100
1957	Best PA	Pale Ale	21	0.06	1044	1014.2	3.86	67.73%	20
1957	Keg Bitter	Pale Ale	24	0.06	1039.4	1007.6	4.14	80.71%	23
1957	PA	Pale Ale	17	0.06	1036.8	1006.9	3.89	81.25%	26
1959	Red Barrel	Pale Ale	22	0.04	1038.5	1010	3.70	74.03%	24
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

Lots of lovely Red Barrel. The beer called Keg Bitter looks like it’s Red Barrel. Great how it costs 3d more a pint than the stronger Best PA. What is it I always say? Keg beer – crap value yesterday, crap value today

That’s Watney done. Where to go next?

Asheville day two (part two)

This is what I feared. Not finished writing up one trip and I'm already back from another.

I missed some of the breweries yesterday. So I don’t linger too long in Wicked Weed. My next stop is over the other side of the hill that forms the centre of town.

Lexington Avenue Brewing is less industrial than most of the other breweries I’ve visited in town, with the exception of Wicked Weed. I take a seat at the bar, as usual. What to drink? Think I’ll try

Three Threads Porter
Beer myths seem a recurring theme today. Very dark brown, but not black. “English-style Brown Porter” it’s called. Strange, as that’s a non-existent style. Not roasty enough. And no brown malt in the grist, so not really an English Porter.

As I mentioned, it’s slicker than most of the other breweries. The brewing kit is behind glass at the rear rather than being up close and personal

At least the beer is cheap: $3.75 for a US pint of 5.1% Porter.

I get chatting to a young couple sitting next to me at the bar. They’re from New Hampshire but are looking to move to the South. Asheville, Nashville or Charlotte. Interesting choices. Asheville is a charming place set amongst wooded hills. But it would be too small for me. And too far from anywhere else. A hippy island in southern sea. As Mike told me yesterday: “You can’t swing a brewer without hitting a yoga teacher.”

Time for another beer

Hop Burst IPA
Quite nice. Bitter, orange-peely. You can tell I’m getting tired. The beer descriptions are getting curter.

Time for one final brewery before returning to Green Man for my talk. I have a bit of trouble finding One World Brewing, despite having  map of the town’s breweries. It’s down a short alley, through an unmarked door. Bit like a speakeasy.

Dolores wouldn’t be keen. She doesn’t like subterranean places. It does seem an odd spot for a brewery. I’m glad the fermenters are in a sealed room. Wouldn’t want to be killed by CO2.

Inner Thigh IPA 6.5% ABV
Pretty damn murky. Quite malty – I’ve have suspected malt extract if I couldn’t see a mash tun over against the wall. A small one, admittedly. I’ve seen home brew systems that were as large. Looks about 1 US barrel.

Some people come in that I recognise from earlier. I’m clearly not the only one on a brewery crawl.

Time to be getting to Green Man. But when I get outside it’s pissing it down with rain. And I’ve no coat with me. I have another beer, but it’s still pissing it down. No choice but to bite the bullet. I can’t miss my own talk. I try to take what cover I can, but still get pretty wet.

My shirt is pretty wet, so I’m given a Green Man hoody to wear.

There’s a decent crowd. I do my just saying what comes into my head thing for an hour or so. It’s a knowledgeable  audience and I get some decent questions. Always nice to wander off into uncharted territory. Stops me getting bored with telling the same stories over and again.

I don’t stay out late. I’ve an early start tomorrow. A very early start. I’m catching the shuttle bus to Charlotte at 6 AM.






Lexington Avenue Brewery
39 N Lexington Ave,
Asheville, NC 28801.
Tel: +1 828-252-0212
http://www.lexavebrew.com/


One World Brewing
10 Patton Ave,
Asheville, NC 28801.
Tel: +1 828-785-5580
http://www.oneworldbrewing.com/




Please buy my book. Once I've sold enough, I may stop mentioning at every possible opportunity.





The Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Brewers-Guide-Vintage-Beer/dp/1592538827

Let’s Brew Wednesday – 1890 Adnams XX

This is becoming a regular Wednesday event again. Hope it lasts. Though if Kristen gets too busy again I’ll try to keep things ticking over.

Today’s recipe comes from the second oldest brewing book Adnams have retained. It’s wonderfully minimalist, with just the barest details of ingredients and mashing temperatures.

Which means, as they couldn’t be arsed to fill in the fermentation section, that there’s no FG recorded. Kristen has just had to guess. I’d usually say that I’d expect the degree of attenuation to be less than 80%, but this beer has a really high percentage of sugar. Even a not totally refined sugar like Demerera is going to be pretty damn fermentable.

Being used to London beers, the gravity looks very low. But I was aware that London beers were generally stronger that those brewed elsewhere, especially the countryside. And Southwold is quite a way from any major urban centre.

Here are a few entry-level London Milds for comparison purposes:

London Mild Ales 1887 - 1890
Year	Brewer	Beer	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	hops lb/brl
1890	Barclay Perkins	X	1059.0	1016.6	5.61	71.83%	1.32
1890	Whitbread	X	1060.9	1015.0	6.08	75.39%	2.18
1887	Fuller	X	1054.6	1020.5	4.51	62.44%	1.63
1890	Truman	X Ale	1058.2				1.62
Sources:
Brewing records held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numbers ACC/2305/1/586, LMA/4453/D/01/056 and B/THB/C/171.
Brewing record held at Fullers brewery.

Though, surprisingly, given its lower strength, Adnams XX was more heavily hopped than most of those London Milds. It had 1.8 lbs per barrel.

While we’re on the subject of hops, in the brewing record they’re given as Altmark and Sussex. The former are North German, Altmark once being part of Brandenburg (though it’s currently in Sachsen-Anhalt). No idea what variety they grew there. As for Sussex, they could be Goldings, but my guess would be Fuggles.

I don’t have that much to say today. Except to say maybe we should try to fit in a Carlsberg Mild before the end of May.




Over to Kristen . . . .

Kristen’s Version:

Notes: Pretty much the same thing I said last week. Not dark malts. Not really ‘dark’, just a bit of colorant! Not a whole lot to say about this beer other than the most simple, are always the hardest to make great.

Malt: A single malt and sugar. Nothing is listed other than the amounts so I would use something nice like a mild malt if you can. Haven’t used it in a while so lets do that. If not, any pale will do as long as its great. The sugar is of the unrefined variety so get something close and make sure it tastes good as it’s pretty damn high percentage.

Hops: Opposite of last week, this one is pretty hop centric. Choose something that is very bright and fresh. Feel free to change the finishing hops if you want to move them more toward the end, I think that would work just fine. Same for dry hop, you want to add a little bit, do so.

Yeast: I have some of the loverly Southwold yeast in storage so I’m going to use that. You, however, can choose any yeast you’d like. Pick your favorite or pick something you haven’t used before. Preferably something Englishy.

Cask: 
Standard procedure:
1) let the beer ferment until finished and then give it another day or so. For me right around 5-7 days.
2) Rack the beer to your vessel of choice (firkin, polypin, cornie, whatever).
3) Add primings at ~3.5g/L
4) Add prepared isinglass at 1ml/L
5) ONLY add dry hops at 0.25g/l – 1g/L.
6) Bung it up and roll it around to mix. Condition at 55F or so for 4-5 days and its ready to go. Spile/vent. Tap. Settle. Serve at 55F.

Guinness at the start of the 1950’s

Annual general meetings of public companies can be great resources. They often tell you a lot about what was going on in a brewery.

This is a report of the speech given by Guinness chairman, the Earl of Iveagh. The year seemed to mark a changing of the guard within the Guinness family.

“My first task is to welcome here on the board the two representatives of the sixth generation of the Guinness family, in regard to whose appointment a formal resolution will be put to you shortly. Since our last annual general meeting we have suffered a very grievous loss in the death of my brother, your vice-chairman, who had for over 50 years been so closely connected with the brewery. The issue of "Guinness Time" with which you have, each been supplied contains an article that gives some idea of the contribution that over that period he made to the brewery's development and expansion. This loss has followed on the tragic death in Cairo in 1944 of my youngest brother, Lord Moyne, and in the following year that of my only son who was killed in Holland shortly before the end of the war. Now they have gone, and I am getting old. So that it is time that the next generation begin to take up their burden. My nephew, the present Lord Moyne, will become vice-chairman in the place of Mr. Ernest Guinness.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", pages 87 - 88.

It’s clear that, despite being a public company, Guinness was still very much controlled by family members. I wish it still were. When corporate suits took over the company, that’s when everything turned to shit. Ernest Saunders was in charge when the grist was cheapened in the 1980’s by the inclusion of 20% flaked barley.

It sounds as if the war had been kind to Guinness, with increasing sales:

“As you will see, your directors have proposed that the distribution should be maintained at the same rate as for last year and for some years past. We have maintained, but only just maintained, our position because, though our sales have increased as compared with the previous 12 months, during which rationing in Great Britain had restricted us, yet costs have mounted still faster. The chief problem that faces us now is that while there seems still to be no end in sight to the rise in costs, we cannot hope any longer to mask the effect by increased sales.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 88.

Guinness was in a weird position in WW II. It had two breweries, one in Dublin in neutral Ireland, the other in London. While a majority of its sales were in the UK. The German U boat campaign against British shipping also had an effect on Ireland, which was dependent on Britain for the supply of many goods and whose own international trade was disrupted.

This is an overview of Guinness sales during and immediately following the war:

Guinness sales 1939 - 1950
	UK		Ireland		Export
	barrels	%	barrels	%	barrels	%	total
1939	1,159,136	59.82%	754,655	38.94%		0.00%	1,937,844
1940	1,101,831	59.34%	729,300	39.28%		0.00%	1,856,781
1941	1,516,327	63.36%	852,760	35.63%		0.00%	2,393,128
1942	1,397,052	60.84%	885,680	38.57%		0.00%	2,296,160
1943	1,445,492	58.84%	992,394	40.39%		0.00%	2,456,792
1944	1,503,145	57.17%	1,095,294	41.66%		0.00%	2,629,342
1945	1,723,134	58.04%	1,218,594	41.05%	27,189	0.92%	2,968,917
1946	1,685,573	56.50%	1,276,563	42.79%	20,916	0.70%	2,983,052
1947	1,648,447	58.26%	1,140,257	40.30%	40,874	1.44%	2,829,578
1948	1,575,117	54.04%	1,282,597	44.00%	57,124	1.96%	2,914,835
1949	1,731,329	54.87%	1,364,903	43.26%	59,209	1.88%	3,155,441
1950	1,760,079	54.98%	1,373,050	42.89%	68,393	2.14%	3,201,522
Source:
"A Bottle of Guinness please" by David Hughes, pages 278-279

You can see that there was a big jump in sales in 1941 in both the UK and Ireland. After 1945, sales in the UK fell, but started to rise again in 1949. In Ireland, other than a blip in 1947, sales rose every year after 1940. Between 1939 and 1950, total Guinness sales rose by 65%. Which is pretty damn impressive.

This bit about wholesale prices is interesting:

“I think it is worth considering for a few minutes the results of the exceptional decade out of which we are now passing. After a period of disturbance and difficulty we passed into a sellers' market, in which our sales increased considerably. So far as such increased volume enabled reductions in cost of manufacture to be secured, we have passed on the benefit to our customers. Whereas overall wholesale prices in both the United Kingdom and in Ireland are now about 125% above the 1938 figure, the wholesale price of Guinness, exclusive of duty in both countries is less than 50% above the 1938 figure.

Even allowing for some reduction in strength, it is a remarkable achievement —  all the more seeing that the cost of the malt used is now more than double, and of the hops treble the pre-war price— and our fuel costs are also nearly trebled. I believe that the benefit of this has largely reached the consumer himself. ”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 88.

Note that he says “exclusive of duty”. The large increase in beer duty during the war would make the figures inclusive of duty look much less rosy. In general, the war was responsible for a great deal of inflation.

What were Guinness doing with all the money flowing in?

“The increase in volume naturally produced increased profits; a large part, of which has quite properly gone to the Government in the form of E.P.T. amounting to many millions. We have used the remainder to build up our reserves for two objects which we regard as vitally important for the welfare and prosperity of the company : (a) to be better able to meet the cost of modernisation, extension and replacement of our plant as necessary, at prices vastly higher than had been previously allowed for and, of course, also vastly higher than is admitted in the depreciation allowances for income-tax ; and (b) to initiate for the benefit of our staff, employees and their widows the large pension trust fund which has just been launched and to which a contribution of £2,000,000 has already been transferred.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 88.

Paying it in tax, is the answer. E.P.T. is Excess Profits Tax. The government could basically confiscate any profits it though excessive. I’m surprised the chairmen was so easy going about having their profits stolen.

Notice one big difference with Watney in terms of expenditure? Having no tied houses, Guinness didn’t have to spend anything on their pubs. Their only real capital investment was their brewery and its equipment.

I knew that Guinness operated a brewery in the US for a while, but gave it up when they realised drinkers found Stout imported from Ireland more exotic. This tells us more about what Guinness brewed in the US

“Last year I was able to report some progress in our export trade. I am glad to be able to say that this year again we have made some further progress, and we are taking steps to accentuate our export drive. I visited the Now York brewery myself this autumn. I was very pleased with what I saw, and I found the draught Guinness that we are supplying in a number of the New York bars very reminiscent of the old draught stout that we sold in Ireland before the first World War. But it is, as I warned you, going to be a long and difficult road there; and it. in no use expecting quick and spectacular results.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", pages 88 - 89.

Pre-WW I Extra Stout. So presumably a beer of over 7% ABV. Lucky Americans.

Asheville day two

I forgot to ask yesterday if breakfast is included. I realise my mistake when I trundle up to reception to ask for a cab. “Buffet breakfast included”. Oh well. Good for my waistline.

I hadn’t realised while being ferried around by Gabe (she was dedicated driver while Mike and I indulged) how far Fletcher is from Asheville. It’s a fair old drive on the motorway. Why am I staying all the way out here? Because my hotel is where the shuttle bus to Charlotte airport picks up. I need to get the bus at 6 AM. Staying at the hotel saves me having to get up before I go to bed and a nerve-jangling dash across town.

Now there’s an indication this is a small town. My taxi driver conscientiously fills in all the fields in my receipt. Never had that happen before. They usually just give you a blank form.

I’ve come to Green Man to drop off books for this evening. Hopefully, I won’t have to take many back to my hotel.

My plan? To troll around some more breweries. There are a few I didn’t get to yesterday. The ones at the top of the hill. Time to sort that out.

Food. It’s a recurring theme with my stomach. Can’t stop pestering me about it. To escape from its endless nagging, I ball up with the place most likely to shut it up: Wicked Weed. It’s up the hill. But I’ve no choice.

Considering the early hour – it’s not yet noon – there’s a decent crowd in already. But still a seat at the bar for me. “Give me the food menu, but I’ll order later. I need to work up an appetite first.” And torture my effing gut a bit.

Let’s get some beer.

Lil Heresy Brown Ale 5.2%

Nice Mahogany colour, little head. Quite roasty. Is that brown malt? I shouldn’t guess about ingredients. It only makes you look like a prat. Not a lot of hop character, but I can live with that. Makes for a nice change of pace.

I really like Asheville. Cool. Cool town with friendly people. And, being quite high up, it isn’t too effing hot. Nor humid.

Should I tell the barman there’s no evidence Henry VIII ever said the phrase “wicked and pernicious weed”? Maybe I’ll keep that for this evening. After I explain what Ale and Beer meant.

I’m still recovering from the walk up that hill. A wimp, I know.

Time for another beer.

English Bitter 4.8%

Very pale yellow, little head. Nice earthy Goldings aroma (see above the dangers of guessing ingredients). Bit light on malt character.
Not too thrilled by that. Probably would have impressed more on cask.

More beer. Bit light on the casual observations of my fellow boozers today. Sorry. Other things on my mind. Like where’s my next beer.

Don’t Tread on Maize

Crazy name, crazy beer. American Pale Ale with flaked maize. Sounds like an AK. Very pale amber. Oddly, it’s darker than the English Bitter. (Someone need to lay down a framework of precise style definitions to prevent this sort of confusion.) Quite bitter, without being hugely aromatic. There’s some citrus zest bitterness at the back end. A pleasant enough beer. Sidles down my throat supply enough.

Time to up the octanes.

Conquistador 9.1% ABV
[That's enough beer snaps. Instead the scene to my right.]

Mezcal, smoked malt, lime juice and grapefruit zest. Happening disaster to a? I expected something dark. Smells like lime-flavoured antiseptic. Interesting. Surprisingly, in a good way. Though not as nice as the smell of mashing wafting up from the brewery downstairs. Not the car crash you might have expected from the ingredients.

My bison burger has arrived:

Very nice it was. As it’s my first (and possibly only) meal of the day, I eat all the chips. There aren’t that many.

Here's the weed guy at the end of the room:

My stomach is now moaning about the quantity of beer coming its way. Mithering twat. It should see what's coming. I wonder if Henry ever had this sort of trouble?

More Asheville brewery crawling next time.



Green Man
27 Buxton Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.greenmanbrewery.com/


Wicked Weed Brewing
91 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.wickedweedbrewing.com/




You really should buy my book. To halt my mithering.





The Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Brewers-Guide-Vintage-Beer/dp/1592538827

Carlsberg surprise

You never know what you're going to find in archives.

I certainly didn't expect this. Carlsberg Mild Ale.

In a brewing book borrowed from William younger.

I'm still struggling to get my head around it.

Watney, Combe Reid (part two)

We’re continuing our look at the history of Watney, Combe, Reid.

I’ve written about the crisis in British brewing just before WW I before. The Liberal government whacked up the price of licenses for pubs and breweries. In the process making pubs less profitable and therefore less valuable. As most of a brewery’s capital was tied up in their tied houses, the drop in value of pubs left them with way too much share capital.

“The vital question of profit and loss for many years was a matter of urgent as well as vital concern. Brewing firms at about that time were forced to acquire licensed houses at very high prices to assure for themselves an outlet for even the minimum output essential to keep large brewing plants in commission. The return from these tied houses was quite inadequate and the times were lean indeed. The rate of dividend on the new firm's deferred ordinary shares for ten years, 1906-16, ranged from 3 per cent, to nothing. In 1906 the shares were written down by 75 per cent! About the end of the 1914-18 War, however, the tide turned and ran so strongly for the company that by 1925 the whole of the written-down capital had been restored.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", pages 42 - 43.

Many breweries had write down their shares by similar amounts. Oddly, the final years of WW I – when brewing was highly regulated, and gravities slashed – were when the brewing industry got back into shape and started generating reasonable profits and dividends.

This demonstrates how well Watney did in the 1920’s:

"Watney Combe.
It was announced Friday afternoon that the dividend on Watney Combe Reid stock was to be increased from 17 per cent, to 19 per cent, for the year to June 30 last. The report is now available, and shows trading profits of £1,365,483. This compares with £1,340,735 the year before.

Another £400,000 is placed to general reserve, but it is stated that a similar amount placed to reserve last year has been expended improving properties and converting leaseholds into freehold. The general reserve is £759,455.

The financial position is very sound. There are investments in Government securities for £532,879."
Dundee Courier - Monday 30 July 1928, page 2.

If there’s one thing that helps build team spirit, it’s a good piss up. I can’t imagine this was a beer-free event:

“There were minor problems in plenty incidental to the merger. One of them (worth mentioning only because of the original and practical solution found for it) was jealousy among the three staffs. This was dispelled by putting them aboard a river steamer on a fine summer evening, taking them to Greenwich and putting them right with a capital dinner and a capital speech.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 43.

Many of London’s large breweries, situated in the city, by the river or in the East End, were hit by bombs.

“Then came the greater hazards of the 1939-45 War, when the Pimlico brewery, various stores and houses were bombed, the brewery time and again, 12 horses being killed by one high explosive bomb and a fire lasting several days being started by an incendiary. At this stage only does the firm's flair for ingenious solution of difficulties seem to have been slightly out of register. Goats were installed in the stable, because they were said to set the horses an example of imperturbability during bombing. In the result, the goats were found cowering in a corner paralysed with fright while the horses remained placid.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 43.

I was quite surprised by the ownership structure of the company in the 1950’s. Much more splintered than I expected, with a large number of relatively low-value share holdings:

“To-day, the firm ranks with major organisations in other trades which have The character of a great public service, with the need to show a profit acting as an incessant spur to further effort, to unflagging efficiency and initiative. Financially it is a "pyramid," broadly based on more than 10,000 holdings of deferred ordinary shares averaging little over £300 each (the number of holdings in 1907 was 871). The larger concept of the purpose of this great organisation has found its finest expression perhaps in the improved public house: during 1918-40 the firm spent the immense sum of £1,003,577 on modernisations costing over £1,500 and £2,780,956 on rebuilding. The effort is the more remarkable for the fact that it was started when the memory of dividend-less years was still fresh.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 43.

Seems an odd ownership for an aggressively modern firm like Watney. Several London brewers were keen on “the improved public house” between the wars. Barclay Perkins and Whitbread had similar schemes to improve and enlarge pubs, making them acceptable to a larger group of society. Food and facilities like bowling greens were often added.  Though brewers were offered frustrated in their attempts to make their pubs nicer places by teetotallers on licensing committees. They wanted to keep pubs as disreputable as possible to make them easier to close down.

More Watney history to come. Maybe some more recipes, too.

Asheville day one

My Greyhound is quite early, 9:15. After the long wait for a taxi yesterday, I’m not taking any chances and get up in plenty of time.

After a quick breakfast, I check out and ask them to call me a cab. Then the lady on the desk suggests I use the hotel shuttle and cancels my cab.

I’m not going far and would happily have walked to the Greyhound station, were it not for my luggage. But I’m shocked at how short a distance the first person off the bus travels. It’s really just the other side of the street. It can’t be more than 20 metres from the hotel entrance. The second off doesn’t go much further. And Neither is carrying anything. Lazy gits.

The small waiting room at the station is packed and chaotic. It’s not exactly the cream of American society. I feel right at home. A security guard has a flaming argument with a passenger for no apparent reason. This is great. Free entertainment to while away my waiting time.

The bus is late. When it arrives there’s a mad scramble to get on and grab seats. I didn’t realise that you have to check in bags you want to put in the baggage compartment. So I have to squeeze my trolley bag in next to me. Not much room left for my legs. It’s not the most comfortable position. I console myself with the thought that it’s only for three and a half hours.

Once outside the city, the strip malls we pass in smaller towns have most of their signs in Spanish. How odd. Most of the stops are just around the back of a petrol station in one of those dismal malls. Other than Atlanta, this service doesn’t seem to venture into town centres.

As we approach South Carolina, billboards advertising Crazy Joe’s fireworks become more frequent. I guess the laws on fireworks are more relaxed in South Carolina than in Georgia.

My destination is Greenville, where Mike Karnowski is picking me up and driving me to Asheville. I’m relieved to see that he’s there waiting for me. We met last year in Chicago, of all places. Even better, he’s brought a sandwich and some beer for me. A Grodziskie, which is rather nice. Smoky and hoppy, as it should be.

On the way we chat about brewer, but also music. In common with many brewers, he also has a passion for music. I mention my dream of forming a garage punk band with Dann Paquette and Mitch Steel. All we need is a drummer. Sadly, Mike’s another guitarist.

We pick up his other half, Gabe, from their home and head straight to the Green Man, where Mike’s a brewer. Though not for much longer. He tells me he’s just handed in his notice. He’s starting his own brewery in a former fire station. Yet another brewery in Asheville. The place is full of them.

Mike gives me a quick tour of the brewery. I’m dead impressed by the number of my books he has in his office. I have a feeling that a large percentage of my self-published books have found a home in brewing rooms around the world.

After a quick beer in Green Man, we head off on a quick brewery crawl of the South Slope. First stop is Burial Brewing, which has a weird gothic vibe. The tap room isn’t open yet, but as the bearded brewers know Mike, they let us in.

It’s a pretty small industrial unit, with the brewing kit at the rear and a small tap room at the front. This seems to be a pretty common layout in the more recent breweries. The tap room isn’t really separated from the brewing part of the premises.

Hi-Wire is next. A little further up the hill. Not really used to hills after so many years living in Holland. Walking them up them isn’t my favourite pastime. They’re just about opening so we get a beer. They’ve six of their own plus 3 guests on tap. Again, the drinking and serving area is wedged between the brewing equipment.

That weird. They’ve got an Newcastle flag next to an Arsenal one. Don’t they realise over here that you’re supposed to hate Arsenal?

We head back down the hill to our next stop, Funkatorium. It’s the wild beer offshoot of one of the city centre’s larger breweries, Wicked Weed. This feels a slicker operation, with a stronger division between brewing and drinking. At the rear, there’s an impressive stack of wooden barrels and even a foeder. Complete with signs telling you not to touch them.

If I had a brewery, I’d keep any bugs well away from my main brewery. Preferably in another state or, better still, on another continent. Too much scope for things going horribly wrong. You’re pretty much buggered once Brettanomyces takes hold. That stuff is almost impossible to kill.

They sell a mix of sour and non-sour beers. I go for one of the former. Only sour of the trip so far.

We cross the road to Twin Leaf, which is directly opposite. Here the brewing kit is separated from the drinking area by a low wall. Everything is still in one room, but there’s a definite division of space going on.

We don’t have far to walk to our next stop. Catawba Brewing is just a few doors away. The company has been around since the 1990’s and this is their third location. Their main brewery is on the southern edge of town.

This time it’s just a rope between the seating and brewing areas. The latter being partly stacked with wooden barrels. When did I last visit a brewery without wooden barrels ageing something? I can’t remember. Everyone is doing it nowadays.

I mention that Lexie had requested sour sweets and they lead me to Mast, an old-fashioned general store on the main drag. I’ve more than enough choice of retro sweets.

Our final port of call is Wicked Weed, by far the slickest operation of the day. Their taproom is large and stylish. It reminds me of a smaller version of Stone’s bar in Escondido. We go downstairs, which is a little rougher around the edges and shares the space with the brewing kit.

All I can say about Asheville is wow. I’ve never been anywhere – not even in Franconia – with so many breweries in such a small area. Everywhere we’ve been is within 500 metres of Green Man. Most within 100 metres.

I’m dropped at my hotel to check in, but they pick me up again later. We’re off to a homebrew club meeting. Bizarrely, it's in a German restaurant, the Black Forest. Mike takes along some of his Grodziskie and I stand up and talk a little about the style. I get a few laughs, which is always a good sign. And I sell a few books, which is always good.

While I’m having a nightcap in the hotel bar, I get talking to a couple sat next to me at the bar. I tell them why I’m in town – pushing my book – and they seem quite interested. I manage to sell them a copy.

It’s been a good day.





Green Man
27 Buxton Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.greenmanbrewery.com/


Burial Beer Co.
40 Collier Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.burialbeer.com/



Hi-Wire Brewing
197 Hilliard Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://hiwirebrewing.com/


Funkatorium
145 Coxe Ave
Asheville, NC 28801


Twin Leaf Brewery
144 Coxe Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.twinleafbrewery.com/


Catawba Brewing Company
32 Banks Ave #105
Asheville, NC 28801
http://catawbabrewingco.com



Wicked Weed Brewing
91 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.wickedweedbrewing.com/



Black Forest Restaurant
2155 Hendersonville Rd
Arden, NC 28704
http://www.blackforestasheville.com




Buy my book:





The Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Brewers-Guide-Vintage-Beer/dp/1592538827 

Carlsberg archive

Cool, cool day at Carlsberg today.

They let me in their archive. And rustle through their brewing records.

There are always surprises in archive records. Carlsberg didn't disappoint. The Scottish connection blew my mind. And Mild. Carlsberg Mild. How weird is that?