Heineken, the war and the Republic of Ireland

I've just renewed my annual subscription to the British Newspaper Archives. Best start making sure that I get my moneys worth out of  it.

It's a slightly odd item about a patent on a type of crate.

"DUTCH FIRM'S APPLICATION GRANTED
Expressing the view that it was a reasonable application Mr. Justice Kingsmill Moore granted an application in the High Court on behalf of Messrs. Heinekens Bierbrouwerij Mattschappij. N.V. of Amsterdam, to extend the time for the filing of a petition for the extension of the period of a patent. He granted the extension to April 30. 

Mr. Kenny, S.C., who, with Mr. Y. Danaher (instructed by Messrs. Bennett and Walsh) appeared for the firm moved on the affidavit of Mr. Thomas E. P. Bennett. solicitor, in which it had been stated that Messrs. Heinekens were the registered proprietors of the patent which related to an invention of a type of wooden box, or packing case for holding bottles and a method of placing bottles in it. 

The patent, the affidavit stated, was first granted on June 19, 1935, to Mr. John Patrick Fitzgerald. No. 12A Mountpelier Hill, Dublin. The company were first registered as proprietors of it on October 16, 1935, under an assignment of September 2, 1935, from Mr Fitzgerald. It was due to expire on January 31. 

GERMAN OCCUPATION
As a result the occupation of the Netherlands by the German armed forces during the recent war and the consequent destruction of property and disruption of business and communications, the company's business had been seriously disorganised for a long time, most of their documents and records had been lost or destroyed, especially at their offices in Rotterdam, and communication with their agents and representatives in other countries, particularly in Ireland, was impossible. Their normal routine business relations with Ireland were only recently restored. 

It was not until last August that they had become aware that the patent would expire on January 31. That information had been conveyed to them by Messrs. Legg Brothers, Dublin, the who were the licensees of patent in the Republic of Ireland, it was stated in the affidavit."
Irish Independent - Tuesday 19 December 1950, page 7. 

Not so sure Heineken were being totally honest. There are plenty of pre-war and wartime documents from Heineken's Rotterdam brewery in the archives. I think they're playing on the bombing of Rotterdam. Which didn't affect Heineken's brewery there.

 

Becoming a modern person

Yesterday's Drinkalongathon was a turning point. Where I threw away the shackles of the past and embraced the present. A really big moment for me. 

What was new? I used my phone to take the photos. Other than for the first post. Which was taken by my fairly crappy camera.

I even managed to accomplish this feat with no, well, only minimal help from family members. I feel so proud. My ambition for 2022 is to learn how to get onto the internet with my phone. I may even start taking my phone with me when I leave the house. Then I can walk around like a zombie just like everyone else. Can't wait.

Drinkalongathon 2021 - St. Emilion and duck

17:03

Lots of work, this cooking Christmas dinner shit. Luckily, I've had the strings and eggs to help out.

Be ready for my next post. That's when everything will come together: string, eggs, light bulbs, heavy bulbs. Everything. Just wait a few minutes while I have a quick Bowmore and we can get started on the serious business.

 

Drinkalongathon 2021 - white wine from Alsace and cheese thingies

 

16:05

How posh are we? Not very, really. Goat's cheese and white wine. The cheesiness contrasting with the wineniness. Great thingy. Combination that's the word.

You'll be happy to hear that I rescues my string just in time from the oven Crispy golden black but not quite charcoal.Just how I like my bacon. I hope none of you over-baked your string. That would be a tragedy, given what;s coming up.

Drinkalongathon 2021 - quick whisky

 

15:30

While Dolores prepares the oranges, a quick whisky dash from the Islay pool. Its smokiness matching that coming from the oven. Best check nothing bad has happened to my string.

Drinkalongathon 2021 - St Bernardus Abt and a long phone call with my brother

13:30 

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without some Abt. My brother is on his own this year. Wisely not risking travelling to London to see his family. Chatting with him right slowed my drinking down.

I need to pick up the pace. Another Bowmore next, I think. The stuffing needs to be made, too.

Best get those eggs boiling, too.

Drinkalongathon 2021 - the first whisky

13:07

Time too pick up the pace. With a traditional Islay whisky - Bowmore Legend, the cheapest I could find -  and James Martin. The smoky depths combine perfectly with the salty shallowness of the TV programme.

Just as well I took time to check my string. One was over regulation length and needed to be trimmed. Now where are my eggs and light bulbs? I'll be needing them soon. I hope Alexei didn't use one in his full English.

Drinkalongathon 2021 - bacon sarnie and fino sherry

12:30

 It's a late start this year. I was too busy enjoying my kip. No point getting up early as we got our presents according to German tradition - yesterday evening.

I still kick off with a traditional bacon sandwich and some sherry. A vert dry one, obviously. Sweet sherry just wouldn't go with bacon. The salty yumminess of the bacon combines brilliantly with the grapey dryness of the sherry. Always a good way to start the day.

Now is a good time to check that you have the correct number of pieces of string and that all are regulation length.

Get ready now for Drinkalongathon 2021

Sorry I'm a bit late with the list this year. I would come up with some lame excuse about being busy. But I haven't. 

Mostly doing stuff like discussing with Alexei how long it would take to walk to Gibraltar. And the best route to take. I'd go for one along the coast rather than the more direct route over the Pyrenees. Far too much climbing in the latter one. Up to 500 hours. That's how long it would take according to Google maps. The exact number depending on the route.

But I digress. Time for the list of items required for tomorrow's Drinkalongathon. You've still got a couple of hours to get them

1 bottle of Islay whisky
1 crate of St. Bernardus Abt
1 bottle Fino sherry
2 bottles of port
2 bottles of some sort of red wine
2 bottles of some sort of fizzy wine
6 hard boiled eggs
another crate of St. Bernardus Abt
3 soft boiled eggs
1 box of matches (extra long)
3 candles (not scented or coloured or any shit like that, just plain fucking white one.)
1 bottle of reserve Islay whisky (Lagavullin, if you can afford it. Bowmore is the only one I can afford. And not even a full litre, just a measly 70 cl.)
9 pieces of string
2 crates of alcohol-free beer*
1 bag of mixed nuts (with all the peanuts taken out and destroyed by fire.)
7 under-boiled runny eggs
1 protractor
2 light bulbs
4 raw eggs
3 heavy bulbs
1 bottle of gin.(I prefer the cheapo litre bottles Lidl in Germany sells for 8 euros a pop.)
1 crate alcoholic tonic water (If such a thing exists.)
1 final bottle of Islay whisky (just to be on the safe side)

A shirt list this year to reflect our plague-ridden times. I would have included 1 bottle of bourbon but Andrew polished off my value German Lidl bourbon. The twat.

* This is obviously a joke. Of course no drink substitutes are required,

Let's Brew - 1881 Whitbread Porter

Though in the wane elsewhere in the country, Porter was still a big deal in London. Though no longer Whitbread’s biggest seller – that honour had passed to X Ale – it was still number two. In 1881, they brewed 75,423 barrels of Porter.

Called simply “P” in the brewing records, it had originally been the Running Porter, i.e. the unaged version. By this time, “K”, the Keeping Porter, had been discontinued for around a decade and the giant vats used to mature it had been ripped out.

Ever since the invention of black malt in 1817, London Porter almost always had a grist of pale, brown and black malt. Though over time the proportion of the three varied. Most brewers outside the capital had switched to a simpler grist of just pale and black malt. Interestingly, Whitbread’s Porter was all malt, while their Stouts contained sugar.

Two types of hops were employed, both from the 1880 harvest. One was English and the other “Bavarian”, which probably means Hallertau.

1881 Whitbread Porter
pale malt	11.50 lb	86.79%
brown malt	1.00 lb	7.55%
black malt	0.75 lb	5.66%
Hallertau 90 mins	2.75 oz
Goldings 30 mins	3.00 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.50 oz
OG	1055
FG	1010
ABV	5.95
Apparent attenuation	81.82%
IBU	65
SRM	27
Mash at	149º F
Sparge at	160º F
Boil time	90 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

 

Dutch beer imports by source 1946 - 1954

Yet more boring old numbers for you. Perhaps there's one person out there, other than me, who's interested in this stuff.

Little beer was imported in the immediate post-war years and, initially, from different sources. It wasn’t until the 1950s that Germany regained its position of major supplier of imports. Though not back to the same volume as pre-war.

Belgium was establishing itself at the same time as a strong number two, increasing volumes to ten times of what they’d been before the war. While Czech imports dried up after the communist takeover in 1949. UK imports didn’t dry up, they just hadn’t restarted.

The percentage of imports in bottled form greatly increased after the war, rising from 14.5% in to 58.5% in 1952.  Though a majority imports from Germany remained draught beer. 

Dutch beer imports by source 1946 - 1954 (hl)
	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954
Total	280	3,360	520	1,030	970	5,215	9,138	11,957	25,045
Germany			-	620	830	3,529	5,096	8,017	15,811
Belgium & Luxemb.			300		-	1,637	3,863	3,455	8,249
Czechoslovakia	280	1,000	210	290
Denmark							-	30	501
USA		2,360
Source:
De Nederlandse Brouwindustrie in Cijfers, by Dr. H. Hoelen, Centraal Brouwerij Kantoor, 1955, held at the Amsterdam City Archives, pages 32 - 33.

Dutch beer imports by source 1946 - 1954 (%)
	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954
Germany				60.19%	85.57%	67.67%	55.77%	67.05%	63.13%
Belgium & Luxemb.			57.69%			31.39%	42.27%	28.90%	32.94%
Czechoslovakia	100.00%	29.76%	40.38%	28.16%
Denmark								0.25%	2.00%
USA		70.24%
Source:
De Nederlandse Brouwindustrie in Cijfers, by Dr. H. Hoelen, Centraal Brouwerij Kantoor, 1955, held at the Amsterdam City Archives, pages 32 - 33.

They're changing the pastel into the present

 

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1909 Whitbread FA

Not much of a recipe today. I spent several hours messing around getting my booster jab. I don't feel inclined to write much. Which is handy, as I've bugger all to say about this particular beer.

Completing the set of Whitbread Pale Ales is Family Ale. A beer which had been around since the 1870s. Though it had lost a few degrees in gravity. And also remarkably similar to something else.

Namely IPA. The ingredients, OG and hopping rate of FA are just about identical with those of IPA. It makes you wonder why they bothered brewing two identical products. FA would be another victim if WW I, last being brewed in 1918.

All fresh East Kent hops, again, three types all from the 1908 season.

1909 Whitbread FA
pale malt	8.00 lb	80.00%
no. 1 sugar	2.00 lb	20.00%
Goldings 105 mins	1.75 oz
Goldings 60 mins	1.75 oz
Goldings 30 mins	1.75 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.50 oz
OG	1049.3
FG	1014
ABV	4.67
Apparent attenuation	71.60%
IBU	69
SRM	6.5
Mash at	151º F
Sparge at	165º F
Boil time	105 minutes
pitching temp	59º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1099 Whitbread ale

 

McMullen images

Here we go again

Every Saturday me and Andrew walk down to Butcher's Tears for a few beers. Meeting up with my mates Will and Lucas.

We used to get down there between 15:30 and 16:00. But since they started closing pubs at 17:00 a few weeks ago we've started going earlier. What's the point in going to a pub for just an hour?

The plan was different this week. As Lucas had to work on Saturday, we arranged to meet on Sunday instead. Which was also the last time they were going to be open until the New Year. I'd have to reschedule our Sunday Dinner to be a bit earlier to get to the pub on time.

When 14:00 rolled around on Saturday, I weirdly fancied a pint.

"Do you want to go sown the pub, Andrew?"

"Sure."

He's never one to turn down a beer. Especially when I'm paying. Which is always when we go out together.

 

There were only a few other punters when we got there. It filled up a bit, later, but wasn't packed.

Since the hours have been restricted they've had a more limited range of draught beers. Just three or four instead of seven of eight. There was a new one, though. Something simply called Blond. Barman Hubert explained what it was.

"It was supposed to be a Pilsener. But something went wrong in Belgium [where some of their beers are brewed]. I think they used the wrong yeast."

That's what it tasted like. It had the spicy flavours associated with some Belgian yeasts.

"It tastes a bit like Leffe Blond." I told Andrew when he let me take a sip. "But better."

Andrew seemed pretty pleased with it. At least, he ordered a second pint.

"See you tomorrow, Hubert." I said after settling our bill.

"I don't think so."

"Why? Won't you be working?"

"They're closing the pubs again from tomorrow."

Damn.

"Just as well we came down today, Andrew."

Who knows when the pubs will be open again. What will I do on Saturday afternoons?

Dutch beer imports by source 1936 - 1938

Annoyingly, the export figures aren't broken down by destination.  Yet the imports are by source. Still, better than nothing.

Not a great deal of beer was imported into Holland before the war. The vast majority came from just two sources: Germany and Czechoslovakia. With the former definitely the senior partner. Only small quantities came from Belgium, a country which would eventually become the source of most imports.

Some rather unexpected countries appear in the table: Indonesia, Egypt and Curacao. It’s hard to understand the logic behind shipping beer such long distances from places not renowned for brewing.

It’s surprising what a large proportion of imports were in draught form – around 98%. I suppose it reflects the fact that the vast majority of beer was consumed in that format in Holland.

Looking at imports in percentage terms, the dominance of Germany is even more obvious. Over 85% were sourced there. Czechoslovakia us the only other country to hit double figures. 

Dutch beer imports by source 1936 - 1938 (hl)
	1936			1937			1938
	draught	bottled	total	draught	bottled	total	draught	bottled	total
Total	24,092	559	24,651	24,690	405	25,095	25,436	324	25,760
Germany	20,565	354	20,919	21,155	195	21,550	22,125	192	22,517
Belgium & Luxemb.	851	-	851	800	-	800	528	-	528
UK	117	52	149	107	26	155	108	27	135
France	2	-	2	-	-	-	5	1	6
Czechoslovakia	2,521	-	2,521	2,549	-	2,549	2,611	-	2,611
Ireland	26		26	2	—	2	-	-	-
Denmark	-	69	69	-	45	45	-	50	50
Egypt	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
South Africa	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
India	-	9	9	-	-	-	-	-	-
Indonesia	9	4	15	14	2	16	27	26	53
Surinam	4	-	4	4	-	4	-	-	-
Curacao	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-	3
USA	-	-	-	60	92	152	28	1	29
New Zealand	-	-	-	-	5	5	-	-	-
Source:
De Nederlandse Brouwindustrie in Cijfers, by Dr. H. Hoelen, Centraal Brouwerij Kantoor, 1955, held at the Amsterdam City Archives, page 32.

Dutch beer imports by source 1936 - 1938 (%)
Country	1936	1937	1938
Germany	84.86%	85.87%	87.41%
Belgium & Luxemb.	3.45%	3.19%	2.05%
UK	0.60%	0.62%	0.52%
France	0.01%		0.02%
Czechoslovakia	10.23%	10.16%	10.14%
Ireland	0.11%	0.01%
Denmark	0.28%	0.18%	0.19%
Egypt	0.004%
South Africa	0.004%
India	0.04%
Indonesia	0.06%	0.06%	0.21%
Surinam	0.02%	0.02%
Curacao			0.01%
USA		0.61%	0.11%
New Zealand		0.02%
Source:
De Nederlandse Brouwindustrie in Cijfers, by Dr. H. Hoelen, Centraal Brouwerij Kantoor, 1955, held at the Amsterdam City Archives, page 32.