Attempted Till Robbery

It wasn't Mild that was being stolen this time. Buying Mild was part of a ploy to get alone with a till.

See what you think about the evidence and the sentence handed down:

"TAMWORTH BOROUGH POLICE.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23.
Before the Mayor (Mr. H. C. Goostry) and Alderman T. W. Woodcock.
ATTEMPTED TILL ROBBERY.
Albert Stanton, labourer, of no fixed abode, was charged on remand with attempting to steal money from a till at the Carpenters' Arms inn, Upper Gungate, the property of Albert Edward Beaumont, on January 15. - William Jones, labourer, 4 Upper Gungate, stated that about 12-30 p.m. he went to the outdoor department of the inn. He looked through the window and saw that the till was open, and a man's hand was in it. There was no one else in the room but accused. He afterwards spoke to the landlady, and pointed to the till. The landlady accused Stanton of opening the till, and he denied it. - Hilda Beaumont (14), daughter of the landlord of the inn, stated that accused asked for a pint of mild ale, and she served him. Accused then asked her for a safety pin, and she left to go into the kitchen, leaving accused alone in the taproom. When she left the room the accused was standing against the fireplace, about four yards from the till, which was closed. Four or five minutes later she came back to the bar, and opened the till to get some change. Accused was still standing by the fireplace alone in the room. Having taken the change, she closed the till, and left the room. - Nellie Clara Beaumont, wife of the licensee, stated that when she asked accused what he was doing with his hand in the till, accused said Jones was a liar. He continued to deny tho charge. - P.s. Batkin said when charged, accused replied. "Let them prove it." - Accused pleaded not guilty, and said when Jones came in he was standing by the fire, and could not have reached the till if he had tried. He denied that he put his hand in the till.-Inspector Jeffery produced a long list of previous convictions against the accused, who, he said, was a cunning thief. - Accused was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour."
Tamworth Herald - Saturday 31 January 1925, page 2.

It sounds as if the main reason the poor bloke got sent downm was his past record. Which seems a bit unfair. As does the 3 months' hard labour, considering he didn't actually nick anything. Hard but unfair the courts were in the old days.

Robert Younger's beers in 1957

Another year, another set of details from a defunct Scottish brewery.

Sadly, the Scottish Brewing Archive only has three of Robert Younger's brewing books. They cover the 7 or 8 years before the brewery's closure in 1961. But they've still been useful in helping me get my head around Scottish brewing after WW II. In conjunction with Maclay's records. It's quite different from what I've seen in England.

My first impression was: what a lot of Pale Ales they brewed. Five in all, with a spread of just 17 gravity points. To be honest, they didn't brew a great deal of most of them. Over 50% of what they brewed was 60/-. Here's a table to demonstrate

Beer	barrels brewed	% of total
54/-	155.8	4.76%
60/-	1754.5	53.60%
70/-	279.8	8.55%
80/-	237.5	7.26%
Export	564.3	17.24%
OEA	31.0	0.95%
Sweet Stout	250.8	7.66%
Total	3273.5	100.00%

It's not totally scientific, the way I've assembled that table. It's just what was on the half dozen or so pages of the brewing log I went through. But I think it gives a reasonable rough idea of how much of each beer they brewed.

Notice something odd about the Pale Ales? The FG is the same for most of them. English brewers usually aimed for about 75% attenuation in most of their beers. Robert Younger seems to have been aiming for a specific FG number, rather than a degree of attenuation. Which means that their lower-gravity Pale Ales have higher FG's than equivalent English beers.

You may be asking yourselves "What the hell is the difference between 80/- and Export?". Why have two beers of such similar gravity? And isn't 80/- Export, anyway? They weren't the only brewery to do this. In the 1950's, Drybrough had XXP at 1043º and Export at 1045º. Weird, isn't it?

Old Edinburgh Ale was a dark beer. As was the Strong Ale. How they brewed them and the Sweet Stout is, er, interesting. I'm sure there are some that would call them fake beers. I prefer the adjective ingenious. We'll be going into that in more detail next time.

Robert Younger's beers in 1957
Beer	Style	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	hops lb/brl
54/-	Pale Ale	1028	1008	2.65	71.43%	0.50
60/-	Pale Ale	1030	1012	2.38	60.00%	0.60
70/-	Pale Ale	1035	1011	3.18	68.57%	0.67
80/-	Pale Ale	1043	1012	4.10	72.09%	0.83
Export	Pale Ale	1045	1012	4.37	73.33%	0.86
Old Edinburgh Ale	Old Ale	1044	1012	4.23	72.73%	0.71
Sweet Stout	Stout	1030	1014.5	2.05	51.67%	0.57
Strong Ale	Strong Ale	1070	1024	6.09	65.71%	1.22
Source:
Robert Younger brewing record held at the Scottish Brewing Archive document number RY/6/1/2.

Stealing Mild

Just look at that. One day I tell you that Mild wasn't usually sold in bottles, at least not under the name Mild, and here's proof that it sometimes was. I blame the Hull Brewery for bottling their Mild and making me look a liar.

"STOLE BEER
Hull Men's Prank Was Not Funny
"This is a very unfortunate case. It is put down as a bit of fun; but it is not funny, you know; and I should have thought you could have afforded to buy your beer. You will all pay a fine of £1, and refund the cost of the beer and the broken bottles. And for God's sake think before you do such a thing again: it is not worth risking your characters."

The chairman of the Bench at the Hull Police Court, Mr J. F. Haller, said this when three men, Cyril Short, of George's-ave., Springburn-st., Lawrence Palmer, of Steynburg-st.. and William Castleton, of Brunswick-ave., Franklin-st., were charged with stealing a case containing 18 pint bottles of mild ale. All three men pleaded guilty.

Inspector J. E. Huxley, prosecuting, said that the beer was being delivered to the Cleveland club, and the lorry driver left several cases, to be delivered, on the pavement. When he checked them, one was missing. Seen by the police the men admitted to the theft, saying that they had been drinking most of the afternoon, and took it as a joke, drank the beer, and were afraid to return the case. The total value of the property was £2 0s 6d.

The three men told the court yesterday that they were willing to repay the money for the broken bottles, and the beer, and were sorry for what seemed at the time to be a foolish prank."
Hull Daily Mail - Friday 17 September 1943, page 3.

If I read this correctly, they just left a stack of crates on the pavement by the club. I suspect if anyone did this today, it wouldn't be a single crate that walked. The whole lot would have been gone in a flash.

Breaking bottlesd was a pretty irresponsible act during the war when there was a shortage of glass. I'm surprised that wasn't mentioned in court.

Reminder

A little reminder that the extra super-special, onetime only hardback edition of "Scotland!" is currently available.

But not for long. You've only another 29 days to buy because at the end of January it will disappear forever. Obviously not the copies already printed. There just won't be any new ones.

Buy "Scotland!" now! While it's still hard.

Headington and Sons beers in 1903

More Mild Ale. Sort of. In an odd oblique way. We'll be looking at a price list from 1903 to see what it tells us about changes happening in British brewing.

Here's the price list:

Reading Mercury - Saturday 21 March 1903, page 10.

I'm going to take the beers that cost 36s per barrel as my base line. They should have been around 1050º at this time. And you know what's dead interesting? That there are two beers cheaper than 36s per barrel: Harvest Beer and X Light Dinner Ale.

The Harvest beer can't have been over 1040º at that price. The X Light Dinner Ale can't have been much over 1040º. But what sort of beer was it? A very Light Bitter, would be my guess. Though it could also have been a weak Mild.

Mild is where this price list fascinates. Because there's only one (perhaps two if X Light Dinner Ale is one as well). Yet yesterday we learned that Mild was about two-thirds of all beer brewed in Britain. It seems hugely under-represented in the price list. Especially if you know what a price list from the 1860's or 1870's looked like. You don't? Well here's one:

Bucks Herald, Saturday 6th July 1867, page 8.

Look at all those Mild Ales. Six in total. The Pale Ales and Stouts look very similar. Just the Porter is missing.

It highlights a strange paradox. Usually when a style becomes popular, more varieties of it appear. The opposite happened to Mild at the end of the 19th century. The number of Milds a a brewery's range declined, even though the style was gaining poularity.

I've already written about this phenomenon amongst London brewers, who went from brewing four - X, XX, XXX and XXXX - to just one Mild Ale  between 1840 and 1890. Stronger Milds disappeared and only the weakest X Ale remained, reigniong supreme in the public bar. Though you could argue that Burton took the place of stronger Mild.

Another point is the disconnect between bottled and draught beer names. Cooper, Nourishing Stout and Double Brown Stout are obviously the same beers as Porter, Single Stout and Double Stout. Why the change in names? Cooper is especially interesting. That's really the name for mixed draught Porter and draught Stout.

That leads me on to another point. Why popular beers like Porter and Mild were rare in bottled form. Either they weren't bottled at all, or like the Cooper above, were given different names when bottled.

Finally the Pale Ales. As you've probably already noticed, the IPA is the strongest of the bunch. My guess would be that Family Pale Ale was about 1050º, Pale Ale 1055º and IPA 1060º.

Plea for Preservatives

Let's start the year as I ended the last: with loads of random stuff about Mild Ale.

I must admit to never having heard of the 1909 Hops Bill. I wonder if it ever became law?

It's odd that brewers should suddenly be pleading to be allowed to use preservatives in Mild. Surely it would have been sold so quickly that it wasn't necessary to add preservatives?

"BREWERS AND HOPS BILL.
PLEA FOR PRESERVATIVES.
The Brewers' Society, in circular issued to the trade on the subject of the 1909 Hops Bill, raises no objection to the prohibition of hop substitutes but gives a number of reasons why preservative substances should be included. is pointed out that the preservative is used in minute quantities and assists the brewer to combat the organisms invading the beer from the air, plant, and casks, without any disturbance whatever to the general character and class of beer. It is an established fact that hops, even in excessive quantities, are not a preservative against certain forms of deterioration to which beer is subject, and other preservatives are necessary if beer is to remain sound and palatable under trying conditions. The society says it must be borne in mind that the staple beer of the country is mild ale, which probably constitutes two-thirds of the beer produced. The requirements of this beer are fulness and sweetness of flavour, and these attributes are inconsistent with high hop rate. One objection stated to an increased rate of hopping in bitter beer is that if the proportion of hops were greatly increased the beer would become heavier and soporific and would not meet the popular taste. The society further points out that the preservatives which are barred are quite harmless."
Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Wednesday 31 March 1909, page 10.

The main reason I reason I've drawn your attention to this artiicle is a throw-away comment. The one that says two-thirds of the beer brewed in Britain was Mild. That sounds about right to me. But I've never seenn any actual figures to that effect.

Special announcement

That special thing. Book announcement for the New Year. There are two, really. But this one doesn't need to wait. Because it won't be around for long. Just one month.

Here, a few hours early/late, depending on which time zone you're in, is book announcement number one.

A limited . . .

Before I bullshit you further, I'll explain my main reason for creating this exquisite book. It's a simple, if selfish one. I wanted a copy myself.

Once I'd put it together, I thought about sharing. Or financing my copy. It was one of the two. I can't quite remember which. The Abt was visiting at the time.

Whatever the reaon, here it is . . . the ha . ...

Preservation was another motive. Preserving the last single-volume edition of everyone's favourite putative country:

Scotland!

Just for January. Then it's gone.

Why not have the very best for the New Year?

Why not ideed?

Hull Daily MailFriday 18 January 1924,page 4.

I'll have a crate of the Mild Ale, please. Do you think Dirk van den Broek stocks it?

More Mild Beer is Promised

Phew. That's a relief. I could do with some more Mild because, well, can you believe this, nowhere in Amsterdam stocks Mild.

"MORE MILD BEER IS PROMISED
HULL brewers will be represented at a meeting of the Brewers' Society in London tomorrow, and of the Yorkshire Brewers' Association in Leeds on Friday, when they will discuss the Ministry of Food statement that the average strength of beer is to be reduced by 10 per cent.

No comment can be offered on this decision until after these meetings, the Hull Daily Mail was told today.

The Brewers' Society state that they will co-operate loyally in giving effect to the Food Minister's decision.

UP TO LIMIT

An official statement from the society reads: "This reduction will, in most cases, be carried out by brewing more mild beer at present strength and less bitter pale ale or stout. But in some, cases this may not be possible, and the strength of particular beers may have to be reduced to some extent."

The present change will restore probably less than half of the quantity of beer lost when the last cut in output was imposed on May 1.

"The shortage will continue, but different parts of the country will be differently affected. Breweries will continue to produce as much beer as they are permitted to brew, and distribute it as evenly and fairly as possible."
Hull Daily Mail - Wednesday 24 July 1946, page 1.

The shortages and restrictions the brewing industry had to suffer didn't end with the surrender of Japan in 1945. The situation actually deteriorated for another couple of years. It must have been incredibly depressing. The war's been over for a year but they're cutting the strength of a pint again. Still, things were much worse in Germany. In much of the country they hardly brewed at all in 1946.

Total bullshit

This is just such total bullshit.

The author seems to unaware that England and Scotland were part of the same country with identical taxes.

"Hops, however, has never thrived in Scotland.   The soil and conditions are poor for hop production, so hops had to be imported often from England at high expense.  As a result a variety of hop alternatives were traditionally used including spices, herbs and quassia.  Later when hops were used, they were added only sparingly resulting in a distinctly malty character.  In contrast to the South in England malt was heavily taxed and hops plentiful resulting in more highly hopped styles such as IPA."
http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/09/06/scotch-ale-recipes-beer-styles/

Will I ever be able to stop people repeating this shit? I fear not.

Café Marie, Amsterdam

It was a sad day when De Beiaard on Marie Heinekenplein (the square hacked from the old Heineken brewery site) closed.That blow has been softeened to some extent by half of its former premises opening as a German pub, Café Marie.

Or German café. With its kitsch lightshades and homely wallpaper, it comes obver moreas a café than a pub. Despite the long pine tables and benches. Who exactly is their target market? I contemplated this as I sat nursing a glass of Salvator whiile Mike got money from a cash machine.

The strüdels and Sachertorte definitely say café to me. But what about the beer? Amstel and Paulaner Hefeweizen on draught, plus one guest tap. Which when I was there was dispensing Salvator. I asked for Dunkles, but was given a glass of Salvator. The lass serving didn't know the difference, which was slightly worrying. As she was pleasant and pretty, I let it pass.

Bottled they've got Paulaner Dunkel, Salavator and another wheat beer. Edelweiss, as German stuff. Plus a handful of  't Ij beers and La Chouffe.

Getting back to Salvator. It looks paler every time I drink it. Which is one reason it was surprising that the waitress confused it with Dunkles. It's now barely darker enough to count as an Amber Bock, let alone a Doppelbock. Look at the colour in the photo. Would you call that dark.

Salvator has turned into a bit of a syrupy mess, sadly. I wish someone would brew a 19th-century version. Not so alcoholic and full of foody goodness. And much darker. I should make it a project. What to call it, though, as Salvator is trademarked? What about Zacherl Doppelbock? There would be a nice irony in that.

Café Marie Amsterdam
Marie Heinekenplein 5,
1072 MH Amsterdam.
Tel: 020 – 22 32 096
http://www.cafemarie.nl/

Evolution and Ale

It isn't about what you think, the evolution of Ale. It's much more literal than that.

"EVOLUTION AND ALE.
TUESDAY, APRIL 11th, 1922.
"The Kentucky Legislature has now before it a Bill to prohibit the teaching of Evolution in any State aided school, college, or university."— The Nation."

This, coming from the land of progress and freedom, is side-splitting. Some fifty — or is it sixty? —years ago a troublesome follow called Darwin published a book on Evolution. It caused a mighty fluttering amongst our grandfathers, but long, long ago the "pernicious doctrines" voiced by that great brain have passed into everyday life, and now opposers of the theory are classed with other small bodies of cranks, among whom may be included the gentlemen who sternly hold that the world is flat. All the investigations of modern science have only gone to prove how amazingly correct Charles Darwin was in his main facts.

The average man knows little Kentucky. He believes it is one of the Western States, somewhere near Tennessee, where rag-time comes from, but it is, incidently, even further from light than was popularly imagined.

If the Americans did not speak a language so closely resembling English, it might be more easy for us to understand them — at least we might make greater efforts. Is it, for instance, a general thing in America to have this fear of the awful doctrine of Evolution? It was generally understood that Professor Einstein suffered no great boycott when he explained his Theory on the other side of the Atlantic last summer. Kentucky must have been sleeping then. As an example of democracy, the United States seem singularly conservative. Although we have no authority for doing so, we say without much fear of contradiction that even Sir Frederick Banbury in this country would raise no fierce objection to Evolution being taught in English schools.

If Mark Twain were alive what a subject it would be for his pen! The best advice for Kentucky is to reintroduce a reliable brand of mild ale, and with it would probably go little breadth of outlook, and just a smack of toleration.
Hull Daily Mail - Tuesday 11 April 1922, page 4.

I loved this line "If the Americans did not speak a language so closely resembling English".

Once again, the smart advice is: Drink Mild!

A new Light Ale

What a confusing tem Light Ale can be. It hasn't always been what you might expect.

Whitbread's Light Ale, brewed in the interwar years, was a low-gravity Dark Mild of about 1028º. Watered-down X Ale, really. Not the low-gravity bottled Pale Ale that a modern drinker would expect. Possibly. If they know what a Light Ale is. The stuff's so rare nowadays I suspect few under 30 have heard of it.

Then there's the Light Ale from Flowers. A type of bottled Light Mild. I suppose at least the colour was right.

"A NEW LIGHT ALE
Palex is an extra light mild ale introduced Flower and Sons, Ltd., of Stratford-on- Avon. It comes as a boon to all those who have been searching for the ideal drink—a drink which has just the right soft, creamy flavour that is good for the health, gloriously satisfying and thirst-quenching and, at the same time, as light as a feather. The appeal of Palex is as varied as it is assured. After work, after play for luncheon, in the evening at home or during the day there is no better, cheaper, or more satisfying drink. It has been brewed with special care to suit athletes, sportsmen and sportswomen. You can buy Palex in all Flower's houses or from licensed grocers. Bottles only (not on draught) at 3s. per dozen small, or 5s. 6d. per dozen large."
Cheltenham Chronicle - Saturday 27 May 1933, page 1.

"It has been brewed with special care to suit athletes, sportsmen and sportswomen." You wouldn't be allowed to say that in an advert today. How do you brew a beer to suit athletes? Is that more or less alcoholic? Heavily hopped? Lightly hopped? Just made up and stuck in an advert? The answer to one of those questions is "yes".

There's an impressive amount of bullshit in that advert. Or rather advertorial, because it isn't identified as an advert. How can a soft, creamy flavour be good for the health? I've never heard of the health-giving propertiews of a flavour before. You can see theat the label expands on the sporting theme.

Sadly, I don't have an analyses for the beer. I do have one for Light Bitter Ale from 1936. That was a slightly more expensive bottled beer, that cost 6s 6d per dozen large bottles.  According to the Whitbread Gravity Book, that had an OG of 1041. So I'd guess that Palex was around 1037º. Or about normal Mild Ale strength for the period.

Mild by air

If only someone would fly in some Mild for me.

"Special 'Plane Flew Beer In
THREE BARRELS
Isles of Scilly Hotel "Saved"
Island Air Services flew a "beer special" from the mainland to the Isles of Scilly yesterday afternoon when Holgate's Hotel ran out of supplies and rather than break their rule of "beer for all every night" a chartered special 'plane to bring it over.

Mr. Howard Pender, manager of Holgate's. told "The Western Morning News" last night:-

"Our policy has been to try to get a drink for working men and visitors every night.

"We usually get our supplies by steamer on Wednesday, but for some reason they missed the boat this week and realizing that there would be a gap unless something was done, Mr. Hilgrove Hill, proprietor of Island Air Services volunteered to bring over a supply in his monoplane.

COST MORE—BUT WORTH IT

"Arrangements were made at Penzance end to have a portion of our supplies sent from the station to The Land's End Airport and two barrels of mild and one of ale were flown over.

"The pilot could have brought more, but these barrels 6cwt., which was the maximum load for the 'plane.

"The beer will cost a little more but it will be worth it."
Western Morning News - Friday 19 September 1947, page 2.

The fact that two out of the three barrels contained Mild says much about the preferences of drinkers in the 1940's. I guess all three barrels would be Lager now.

Local beer arsenic free

That's what we'd all like to be sure of, surely? That there's no arsenic in our beer. Unfortunately that wasn't always true.

The great arsenic poisoning scare of 1900 must have been pretty scary if you were a dedicated beer drinker. It took a while to pinpoint the source as invert sugar that had been made using no food-grade acid. Many had died in the meantime.

The brewers around Wrexham were keen to demonstrate that tehir beer wasn't poisonous:

"LOCAL BREWERS AND THE BEER POISONING SCARE.
PUBLIC ASSURANCES AS TO PURITY
It will be noted by our advertising columns that Wrexham brewers have taken occasion, consequent upon tbe scare as to the presence of arsenic in beer, to assure the public of the absolute freedom of their beers from all injurious or deleterious ingredients, and a glance at what each firm has to say must convince all that they take great care to put only a pure article on the market.

Mr J. A. Chadwick, of the Burton Brewery, says: "My ales and stout are brewed only from the finest and best materials, and are guaranteed absolutely pure," and this statement is backed up by a certificate from Mr Alfred N. Palmer, F.C.S., who states respecting two samples of the beer he examined, "That neither of them contains the faintest trace of arsenic."

The old-established and well-known firm of Messrs C. Bate and Son "guarantee their ales to be up to the high standard they have hitherto been, and they have been tested proof against any impurities." The firm add "that they have had no occasion to withdraw one single barrel of beer owing to any deleterious matter."

Messrs Beirne, of the Albion Brewery, submitted samples of their "bitter beer," "mild ale," and "best mild ale" to Messrs Norman Tate and Co., the well known analysts, of Liverpool, and the certificate of the firm shows that after having carefully examined the three samples they "find them all to be free from arsenic."

The Wrexham Lager Beer Company also submitted samples of their beer to Mr Granville H. Snarpe, F.C.S., the eminent analyst, and he certifies them to be "perfectly pure in composition and free from objectionable admixture." Mr Sharpe adds that special and searching tests were applied in order to ascertain whether any contamination by arsenic or other poisonous metal was present, but no trace of any such could be detected.

After these specific and verified statements there should surely be no apprehension as to the purity from poison of local beers of all descriptions."
Wrexham Advertiser - Saturday 15 December 1900, page 8.

Good to know the Lager was safe, too.

Beer Boycott

The rise in the price of beer didn't go down too well with the workers. So much so that some decided to stop drinking beer in protest. Sounds a bit like shooting yourself in the foot to me. Though I could understand why that wasn't always such a bad idea during WW I. Plenty did it to escape the trenches.

"BEER BOYCOTT.
DECISION OF RHONDDA VALLEY MINERS

A Rhondda Valley miners' meeting has decided to abstain from drinking beer until the present prices are reduced.

The beer boycott continues in the Liverpool district, and it is reported from various quarters that the price is being reduced. A few houses where the old prices still prevail are besieged.

According to a statement issued by the Brewers' Society, the cause of the rise of the price of beer may be explained as follows: The pre-war price of mild ale and porter was 2d per pint in London and most parts of the country. It is now 7d., and the trade claim that it cannot be supplied for less. For every 3.5 pints purchased by the public before the war and for every 2.5 pints purchased up to last month one pint only can now be supplied, so that, quite apart from all other reasons for raising the price, there is the absolute necessity to reduce consumption to that extent. The other reasons include: The increase since the war of the beer duty from 7s. 9d. to 25s. per barrel; the greatly enhanced cost and scarcity of all materials, labour, horsekeep, transport, coal; and the prohibition of all malting."
Coventry Evening Telegraph - Thursday 12 April 1917, page 2.

What you have to bear in mind was that the price of Mild Ale hadn't been 2d a pint for a few years leading up to 1914. It had been the same for 40 or 50 years. Can you imagine that? If you were my age, you'd have been paying the same for a pint the whole of your life. Of course you'd be pissed off if the price suddenly more than trebled.

The Price of Beer and Stout

Aren't price fixing agreements great? Obviously not for the punters at the time, but for historians like me. They tell you all sorts of handy things. Like what beers were on sale in a pub and how much they cost.

There are a few fascinating things in the article. Like Mild and Porter being chosen as the standard beers. It would be the last time Porter was so mainstream. From what I've seen of WW I brewing records, it was fairly arbitrary whether a brewery called their weakened late-war beer Porter or Stout. By all accounts the same beer was often sold as both Porter and Stout.

"PRICE OF BEER AND STOUT.
PROBABLE FIGURE FOR COVENTRY.
It was stated to-day in reference to the price of beer and stout that, far as London is concerned, the recommendation of the Central Protection Society is that for mild ale and porter the retailer should charge 3.5d half-pint, 7d. a pint, and 1s. 2d. a quart on and off licensed premises, no reduction being made for quantities. Mild ale and porter will be the standard articles brewed. As regards bitter and Burton ales and stouts, it is marked, the prices vary in accordance with the particular speciality of the brewers, and will be fixed by the local societies in the various districts this week. The South-East London district, which comprises Parliamentary Divisions of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, has adopted the recommendation with regard to mild ale and porter, and has fixed the following prices: Bitter and Burton ales and stout: 6d. half-pint, 1s. a pint, and 2s. a quart. Mild and bitter, mild and Burton, and mild and stout: 5d. a half-pint, 10d. pint, and 1s. 8d. a quart.

In an interview with a representative of "The Midland Daily Telegraph" to-day Mr. Wm. Johnson, of Messrs. Johnson and Mason, said: So far as Coventry concerned, I may state that a meeting Birmingham on Monday last of the Brewers' Association and those interested in the trade it was decided sell one quality of beer and stout at 7d. per pint. This, it is believed, will be adopted in this city after a meeting of the trade this week. I have particularly urged in the interests of every "on" and "off" licence, both in the city and the country, continued Mr. Johnson, that the price should be sevenpence per pint for ale and stout, with a second quality of beer only, and of a lower gravity at fivepence per pint. It certainly ought to be understood that the working man engaged upon certain work that is not so remunerative as countless other occupations cannot afford to pay sevenpence for a pint of beer, and I have most strongly represented this fact before interested brewers, that the working man must have consideration in this matter. I yet have hopes that this view will recognised and dealt with as to prevent any discontent."
Coventry Evening Telegraph - Thursday 29 March 1917, page 2.

The different tack of the Coventry district is also worth mentioning. I wonder what type of beer that 7d a pint stuff was? Most likely Mild. The 5d one, too.

Remember that in 1914 a Mild Ale of around 5% ABV cost just 2d a pint. Three years later it da more than trebled in price, and the strength had been cut. Though in early July 1917 Whitbread's X Ale still had a gravity of 1045º, down from 1055º in October 1914. Things would only get worse. X Ale was replaced in late July 1917 with GA (Government Ale) at 1033.5º.

Highgate Mild

I always had a soft spot for Highgate. Not only did they brew a cracking Mild, it was the only beer they brewed. The idea of a Mild-only brewery in the 1980's was just so charming and novel.

So it came as a shock to discover this advert from 1909. Not only was the brewery not Mild-only, they brewed two different Bitters. And a Stout. Part of me is deeply disappointed. The rest realsies expecting Highgate to have been Mild-only forever was a bit naive.

Lichfield Mercury - Friday 01 October 1909, page 1.

The Old Ale wasn't a surprise. They did brew one of those in the 1980's. And it's justy a sort of Mild really, isn't it?

Was Porter adulterated in the 1870's?

I've spent years trying to get to the bottom of beer adulteration. How common was it? Was it really almost impossible to buy beer that hadn't been tampered with in a pub?

I'm still not sure. There are plenty of accusations, but few actual analyses. Such as these ones. They're particularly useful because they were taken in pubs in, shall we say, the less posh parts of town. Exactly the sorts of places you'd expect adulteration to be performed.

"ANALYSIS OF LONDON PORTER.
In an article in the Daily Telegraph, on a "Pint of Beer," by "Our Own Commissioner," there is given an analysis of seven pints of porter taken from the very lowest of the beer family - common vulgar fourpenny, The following is the report:-

April 29, 1871.

RESULTS OF ANALYSES OF EVEN SAMPLES OF PORTER,

	Percentage of Real Alcohol by Weight	Coculus Indicus, Picric Acid, or Copperas	Common salt
M. (Bermondsey)	5.25	Neither	Yes
T. (Shadwell)	4.5	Neither	Yes
O. (Spitalfields)	5.5	Neither	Much
H. (New Cut)	4.75	Neither	Very much
Q (Shoreditch)	4	Neither	Yes
F. (Whitechapel)	4.5	Neither	Very much
L. (Kent Street, Boro')	4	Neither	A little

Adulterated porter is commonly three parts or less porter and one part water, the resulting weakness in quality being masked by the addition of colouring matter, brown sugar, and bitter drugs, one of which produces lethargic stupor. I am of opinion that these samples have not been so adulterated. (Signed) JOHN BROAD,
Pharmceutical and Practical Chemist.

It may be as well to mention that the above-named gentleman, to make assurance doubly sure, in a matter of such importance, submitted portions of each sample to Professor Attfield, of the Pharmaceutical College, whose return precisely agrees with Mr. Broad's."
Western Mail - Friday 05 May 1871, page 2.

It looks to me as if the samples haven't even been watered. Whitbread Porter was about 5.25%  in 1871. But remember that's ABV, while the figures in the table are ABW. In ABV, they range from 5% to 6.5%. If anything, they look on the strong side for Porter of that period.

What does this tell me? That, other than salt, there wasn't likely to have been much added to the Porter you bought in a London pub. I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised.

Still more Mild cocktails

I'm still making the festive season extra special with Mild Ale cocktails. The material is piling up so much that I'm considering a new book. something along the lines of "Cocktail!".

These old recipes seem to like using nut-sizes rather than proper measures. This time it's a walnut. The nutmeg this time is a real one.

"To make Buttered Ale. Take a quart of mild Ale, put it into, a sauce-pan, with some cloves, mace, a whole nutmeg, and sugar to your taste; set it over the fire, and let it boil five minutes; then take it off and put in a lump of butter, the size of a walnut, and let it stand to melt; then beat six eggs, leaving out sour whites, in a little cold Ale, and mix it with the warm Ale, and pour it in and out of the sauce-pan, till it is fine and smooth; then set it over the fire and heat it again, till it becomes thick and quite hot.—Send it to table with dry toast.
"The family director; or, Housekeeper's assistant" By Addison Ashburn, 1807, page 79.

Buttered Ale, isn't that a Harry Potter thing.

This next one is very Dickensian:

"Dr. Kitchener's Receipt to make Gruel.—(No. 572.)

Ask those who are to eat it, if they like it thick or thin; if the latter, mix well together by degrees, in a pint basin, one table-spoonful of Oatmeal, with three of cold water;—if the former, use two spoonsful.

Have ready in a Stewpan, a pint of boiling water or milk, —pour this by degrees to the Oatmeal you have mixed,— return it into the Stewpan,—set it on the fire,—and let it boil for five minutes,—stirring it all the time to prevent the Oatmeal from burning at the bottom of the Stewpan,—skins and strain it through a Hair Sieve.

2d. To convert this into Caudle,—add a little Ale,— Wine,—or Brandy,—with Sugar,—and if the Bowels are disordered, a little Nutmeg or Ginger grated.
"The Cook's Oracle" by William Kitchiner, 1827, page 418.

Who would have thought that there was a posh form of gruel? I'll have to serve to the family next year instead of a boring old duck.

"We're having Caudle for christmas dinner this years, kids."

"What's that, dad?"

"A special type of gruel."

"Uugh!"