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22-10-2012, 07:11
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It would be easy to see WW I as marking the end of the glory days of British brewing. Many aspects of Britain's brewing industry were irrevocably changed by the war. Exports and gravities would never be as high again. Even worse, much of the fight was knocked out of brewers. Rather than the aggressive expansion of the 19th century, simple survival dominated their thinking.
Let's start off with some figures because, if a picture paints a thousand words, numbers are at least good for a few hundred.
The effect of WW I on British brewing
Year
Production (bulk barrels)
Production (standard barrels)
Exports (standard barrels)
Imports (standard barrels)
Average OG
1913
34,805,291
33,286,515
651,768
1052.60
1914
37,558,767
36,056,416
74,205
1052.80
1915
34,765,780
32,964,280
481,183
49,790
1052.15
1916
32,110,608
30,289,061
19,700
1051.88
1917
30,163,988
26,621,091
1048.54
1918
19,085,043
13,814,101
16
1039.81
1919
23,264,533
12,922,391
1030.55
1920
35,047,947
25,113,447
317,167
590
1039.41
1921
34,504,570
26,731,631
1042.61
1922
30,178,731
23,528,436
260,914
4,033
1042.88
1923
23,948,651
18,601,570
257,454
7,017
1042.72
1924
25,425,017
19,896,231
262,668
1,392,576
1043.04
1925
26,734,825
20,960,103
266,933
1,545,953
1043.12
1926
26,765,610
21,037,769
295,488
1,576,381
1043.23
1927
25,100,461
19,751,781
276,758
1,349,515
1043.28
1928
25,435,145
19,964,277
328,029
1,427,174
1043.17
1929
24,608,000
19,283,724
352,942
1043.10
1930
25,061,956
19,548,326
328,524
1,522,906
1042.90
1931
23,900,000
18,468,182
289,516
1042.50
1932
20,790,812
15,513,726
244,525
1,373,450
1041.04
1933
17,950,303
12,898,109
217,981
1,203,063
1039.52
1934
20,182,308
15,041,324
213,813
1,276,270
1040.99
1935
20,864,814
15,576,532
224,087
1,332,277
1041.06
1936
21,969,763
16,385,449
311,663
1,392,457
1041.02
1937
22,724,450
16,981,362
329,498
1,385,833
1041.10
1938
24,205,631
18,053,000
271,114
1,163,046
1041.02
1939
24,674,992
18,362,680
274,272
838,269
1040.93
Sources:
Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 110, 115
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 50, 51, 57
Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Friday 17 April 1914, page 12.
Statistical Handbook of the British Beer & Pub Association 2005, p. 7
I've included the standard barrel* figure because that highlight more accurately the decline in beer production as it takes into account the fall in gravity as well as the fall in volume. You can see that in 1932 in terms of standard barrels beer output was only around a third of what it had been in 1914.
The effect on beer gravity is very obvious. Average OG remained 10 points or more lower than it had been in 1914. On the eve of WW II in 1939, average gravity was 22% lower than on the eve of WW I.
The fall in exports was equally dramatic, falling to about a third of the 1913 level before levelling off about 50% down. Though this fall wasn't evenly spread around the UK. Scottish brewers were much more successful in hanging onto their export markets than their English colleagues. As can be seen from this table:
Beer Exported on Drawback and Free of Duty
England and Wales
Scotland
Ireland
United Kingdom
UK exports
1916
581,947
174,595
46,371
802,913
1917
314,333
73,896
30,095
418,324
1918
174,408
30,379
16,185
220,972
1919
470,794
195,995
33,821
700,610
1920
312,868
146,726
16,698
485,292
390,248
1921
215,719
92,193
12,648
320,560
1922
207,882
117,978
10,239
336,099
260,914
1923
176,913
108,544
2,270
287,727
257,454
1924
158,373
132,889
753
292,015
264,003
1925
180,731
145,603
415
326,749
290,824
1926
178,155
168,609
305
347,069
283,033
1927
156,258
179,242
232
338,732
287,445
1928
170,728
193,255
363,983
328,029
1929
176,381
223,638
400,019
352,942
1930
173,988
204,345
378,333
328,524
1931
159,278
147,527
306,805
289,516
1932
136,231
133,240
269,471
244,525
1933
117,363
126,254
243,617
217,981
Sources:
Brewers' Journal 1919, page 65,
Brewers' Journal 1922, page 71.
Brewers' Journal 1925, page 83.
Brewers' Journal 1928, page 87.
Brewers' Journal 1928, page 87.
Brewers' Journal 1934, page 162.
Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 115
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 57
The net result being that by the 1930's Scottish brewers were exporting more beer than English brewers. Quite an achievement given the relative sizes of the English and Scottish brewing industries.
The war indirectly also affected beer imports. If you consider the move to Irish independence to have been set in motion during the war. Those million plus barrels suddenly being imported to Britain are, of course, virtually all Guinness. It had been the largest brewery in the UK in 1914. Ultimately Irish independence led to Guinness building a brewery in London in the 1930's.
* A standard barrel is 36 gallons of beer with an OG of 1055ยบ.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-8041495334704572658?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-effect-of-ww-i-on-british-brewing.html)
It would be easy to see WW I as marking the end of the glory days of British brewing. Many aspects of Britain's brewing industry were irrevocably changed by the war. Exports and gravities would never be as high again. Even worse, much of the fight was knocked out of brewers. Rather than the aggressive expansion of the 19th century, simple survival dominated their thinking.
Let's start off with some figures because, if a picture paints a thousand words, numbers are at least good for a few hundred.
The effect of WW I on British brewing
Year
Production (bulk barrels)
Production (standard barrels)
Exports (standard barrels)
Imports (standard barrels)
Average OG
1913
34,805,291
33,286,515
651,768
1052.60
1914
37,558,767
36,056,416
74,205
1052.80
1915
34,765,780
32,964,280
481,183
49,790
1052.15
1916
32,110,608
30,289,061
19,700
1051.88
1917
30,163,988
26,621,091
1048.54
1918
19,085,043
13,814,101
16
1039.81
1919
23,264,533
12,922,391
1030.55
1920
35,047,947
25,113,447
317,167
590
1039.41
1921
34,504,570
26,731,631
1042.61
1922
30,178,731
23,528,436
260,914
4,033
1042.88
1923
23,948,651
18,601,570
257,454
7,017
1042.72
1924
25,425,017
19,896,231
262,668
1,392,576
1043.04
1925
26,734,825
20,960,103
266,933
1,545,953
1043.12
1926
26,765,610
21,037,769
295,488
1,576,381
1043.23
1927
25,100,461
19,751,781
276,758
1,349,515
1043.28
1928
25,435,145
19,964,277
328,029
1,427,174
1043.17
1929
24,608,000
19,283,724
352,942
1043.10
1930
25,061,956
19,548,326
328,524
1,522,906
1042.90
1931
23,900,000
18,468,182
289,516
1042.50
1932
20,790,812
15,513,726
244,525
1,373,450
1041.04
1933
17,950,303
12,898,109
217,981
1,203,063
1039.52
1934
20,182,308
15,041,324
213,813
1,276,270
1040.99
1935
20,864,814
15,576,532
224,087
1,332,277
1041.06
1936
21,969,763
16,385,449
311,663
1,392,457
1041.02
1937
22,724,450
16,981,362
329,498
1,385,833
1041.10
1938
24,205,631
18,053,000
271,114
1,163,046
1041.02
1939
24,674,992
18,362,680
274,272
838,269
1040.93
Sources:
Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 110, 115
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 50, 51, 57
Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Friday 17 April 1914, page 12.
Statistical Handbook of the British Beer & Pub Association 2005, p. 7
I've included the standard barrel* figure because that highlight more accurately the decline in beer production as it takes into account the fall in gravity as well as the fall in volume. You can see that in 1932 in terms of standard barrels beer output was only around a third of what it had been in 1914.
The effect on beer gravity is very obvious. Average OG remained 10 points or more lower than it had been in 1914. On the eve of WW II in 1939, average gravity was 22% lower than on the eve of WW I.
The fall in exports was equally dramatic, falling to about a third of the 1913 level before levelling off about 50% down. Though this fall wasn't evenly spread around the UK. Scottish brewers were much more successful in hanging onto their export markets than their English colleagues. As can be seen from this table:
Beer Exported on Drawback and Free of Duty
England and Wales
Scotland
Ireland
United Kingdom
UK exports
1916
581,947
174,595
46,371
802,913
1917
314,333
73,896
30,095
418,324
1918
174,408
30,379
16,185
220,972
1919
470,794
195,995
33,821
700,610
1920
312,868
146,726
16,698
485,292
390,248
1921
215,719
92,193
12,648
320,560
1922
207,882
117,978
10,239
336,099
260,914
1923
176,913
108,544
2,270
287,727
257,454
1924
158,373
132,889
753
292,015
264,003
1925
180,731
145,603
415
326,749
290,824
1926
178,155
168,609
305
347,069
283,033
1927
156,258
179,242
232
338,732
287,445
1928
170,728
193,255
363,983
328,029
1929
176,381
223,638
400,019
352,942
1930
173,988
204,345
378,333
328,524
1931
159,278
147,527
306,805
289,516
1932
136,231
133,240
269,471
244,525
1933
117,363
126,254
243,617
217,981
Sources:
Brewers' Journal 1919, page 65,
Brewers' Journal 1922, page 71.
Brewers' Journal 1925, page 83.
Brewers' Journal 1928, page 87.
Brewers' Journal 1928, page 87.
Brewers' Journal 1934, page 162.
Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 115
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 57
The net result being that by the 1930's Scottish brewers were exporting more beer than English brewers. Quite an achievement given the relative sizes of the English and Scottish brewing industries.
The war indirectly also affected beer imports. If you consider the move to Irish independence to have been set in motion during the war. Those million plus barrels suddenly being imported to Britain are, of course, virtually all Guinness. It had been the largest brewery in the UK in 1914. Ultimately Irish independence led to Guinness building a brewery in London in the 1930's.
* A standard barrel is 36 gallons of beer with an OG of 1055ยบ.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-8041495334704572658?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-effect-of-ww-i-on-british-brewing.html)