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15-04-2014, 07:07
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Here's a nother random brewery. Except this time it was quite big and around until quite recently.
First, a potted history. Founded in 1778, it was run by Thomas Strong after 1858, first under a lease then full ownership. Became Strong & Co. Ltd. in 1894. Bought along with 940 pubs by Whitbread in 1969. Closed 1981*.
I could have drunk their beer, but didn't. Never made it to that bit of the South coast. Another lost opportunity I look back on with regret. I should be more poitive. Think of the odd beers I did get to try. Like Ma Pardoe's Bitter and Yorkshire Clubs Mild.
Here's a newspaper article about them building a brand new brewery:
"ROMSEY.
The New Brewery.— Messrs. Strong and Co. having, during recent years, purchased and amalgamated several breweries, notably, The Horse Fair, Hundred, Bell-street, Weyhill, Redbridge, Chilbolton, Hythe, and several others, now find the demand for their ales and stout increasing beyond the limits of their productive power, consequently they have decided to erect a complete new fifty-quarter brewery adjoining the well-known Horse Fair Brewery. The building will be on the semi- gravitation system, constructed of red brick of local manufacture, with string courses, and cornice of similar materials, the windows and doors being relieved by crowned arches. The roofs being of best Welsh slate, with wrought iron terminals, and the chimney being circular with improved interior arrangements, and of similar materials to the building. The building will be equipped with the most modern well-tried improvements for the production of high-class ales and stout for public and private trade, for which the firm have long enjoyed high repute. The contractor for the building is Mr. George Wheeler, jun., Romsey, the plant will be manufactured and erected by engineers of high repute, but, in the face of the coming winter, the proprietors intend, as far as possible, to employ local labour. The designs have been prepared by Mr. Charles Johnson, maltsters' and brewers consulting engineer, London and Bristol, and the work will be executed under his personal supervision."
Hampshire Advertiser - Saturday 08 November 1890, page 7.There was plenty of confidence in the brewing industry in the 1890's. Trade was increasing, profits were good and a flood of new capital had washed in through restructuring into limited companies.
A 50-quarter plant is good for about 200 barrels per batch of standard-strength beer. So avout 70,000 barrels per year capacity. Which was a decent sized brewery in the 1890's.
Here are some for their bottled beers, courtesy of, ironically, Whitbread:
Strong bottled beers 1931 - 1955
Year
Beer
Style
Price
size
Acidity
FG
OG
colour
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1931
Treble Brown
Brown Ale
6d
half
0.05
1014.9
1057.2
5.50
73.95%
1934
Dinner Ale
Pale Ale
7d
pint
0.05
1011.3
1038
3.46
70.26%
1934
Golden Ale
Pale Ale
8d
pint
0.05
1014
1044
3.88
68.18%
1938
Dinner Ale
Pale Ale
4d
half
0.07
1009.2
1039.9
21
3.99
76.94%
1952
Black Bess Stout
Stout
9.5d
half
0.05
1007.3
1036
1R + 9B
3.73
79.72%
1955
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
1/-
half
0.05
1011.5
1044.3
19
4.26
74.04%
1959
Strong 'un
Strong Ale
half
0.02
1010.2
1040.3
100
3.91
74.69%
1959
Black Bess Stout
Stout
11d
half
1012.2
1034.1
300
2.83
64.22%
1959
Golden Ale
Pale Ale
11d
half
0.04
1006.3
1032
18
3.34
80.31%
1960
Black Bess Stout
Stout
10d
half
0.04
1014
1034.2
250
2.53
59.06%
1960
Golden Ale
Pale Ale
11d
half
0.02
1006.3
1031.8
16
3.19
80.19%
1960
Special Pale Ale
Pale Ale
half
0.02
1009.7
1041.3
23
3.95
76.51%
1960
Black Bess Stout
Stout
11d
half
0.04
1015.1
1034.9
300
2.48
56.73%
1961
Romsey Brown
Brown Ale
10.5d
half
0.04
1010
1032.3
140
2.79
69.04%
1962
Royal Old English Ale
Strong Ale
20d
half
0.06
1013.9
1058.2
45
5.54
76.12%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Treble Brown. There's one for the style guide writers. Strong 'un, ironically, qualifies as a bona fide sesion beer. A Stout below 1035º. It's enough to make a man cry. And who thought Golden Ale was only invented in the 1980's?
Strong's brewing records are bound to be out there. That's why I love Whitbread. They never threw any brewing records away. It would be interesting to take a look. Especially to see if anything changed after Whitbread took over.
Here are some of their drsught beers:
Strong draught beers 1961 - 1979
Year
Beer
Style
Price
size
Acidity
FG
OG
colour
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1961
Barley Corn Bitter
Pale Ale
22d to 24d
pint
0.04
1006.3
1037.6
23
3.91
83.24%
1968
Mild
Mild
18d
pint
0.04
1006.4
1029.4
75
2.88
78.23%
1968
Royal Old English Ale
Strong Ale
33d
pint
0.07
1014.3
1058
65
5.46
75.34%
1968
Barley Corn Keg
Pale Ale
27d
pint
0.08
1007.8
1037.4
45
3.70
79.14%
1968
Best Bitter
Pale Ale
21d
pint
0.06
1003.3
1037
30
4.21
91.08%
1977
Trophy
Pale Ale
pint
1037.8
1977
Mild
Mild
pint
1031.5
1979
Trophy
Pale Ale
pint
1037.8
1979
Mild
Mild
pint
1031.5
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Good Beer Guide 1978 and 1980.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that the Trophy and Mild of the 1970's were just the old Strong's beers rebranded.
* "A Century of British Brewers Plus" by Norman Barber, 205, page 49.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/04/random-brewery-strong-of-romsey.html)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTjh04gNuZk/U0JnwdsvuHI/AAAAAAAATVk/W4VNhr8ZLco/s1600/Strongs_Golden_Ale.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTjh04gNuZk/U0JnwdsvuHI/AAAAAAAATVk/W4VNhr8ZLco/s1600/Strongs_Golden_Ale.jpg)
Here's a nother random brewery. Except this time it was quite big and around until quite recently.
First, a potted history. Founded in 1778, it was run by Thomas Strong after 1858, first under a lease then full ownership. Became Strong & Co. Ltd. in 1894. Bought along with 940 pubs by Whitbread in 1969. Closed 1981*.
I could have drunk their beer, but didn't. Never made it to that bit of the South coast. Another lost opportunity I look back on with regret. I should be more poitive. Think of the odd beers I did get to try. Like Ma Pardoe's Bitter and Yorkshire Clubs Mild.
Here's a newspaper article about them building a brand new brewery:
"ROMSEY.
The New Brewery.— Messrs. Strong and Co. having, during recent years, purchased and amalgamated several breweries, notably, The Horse Fair, Hundred, Bell-street, Weyhill, Redbridge, Chilbolton, Hythe, and several others, now find the demand for their ales and stout increasing beyond the limits of their productive power, consequently they have decided to erect a complete new fifty-quarter brewery adjoining the well-known Horse Fair Brewery. The building will be on the semi- gravitation system, constructed of red brick of local manufacture, with string courses, and cornice of similar materials, the windows and doors being relieved by crowned arches. The roofs being of best Welsh slate, with wrought iron terminals, and the chimney being circular with improved interior arrangements, and of similar materials to the building. The building will be equipped with the most modern well-tried improvements for the production of high-class ales and stout for public and private trade, for which the firm have long enjoyed high repute. The contractor for the building is Mr. George Wheeler, jun., Romsey, the plant will be manufactured and erected by engineers of high repute, but, in the face of the coming winter, the proprietors intend, as far as possible, to employ local labour. The designs have been prepared by Mr. Charles Johnson, maltsters' and brewers consulting engineer, London and Bristol, and the work will be executed under his personal supervision."
Hampshire Advertiser - Saturday 08 November 1890, page 7.There was plenty of confidence in the brewing industry in the 1890's. Trade was increasing, profits were good and a flood of new capital had washed in through restructuring into limited companies.
A 50-quarter plant is good for about 200 barrels per batch of standard-strength beer. So avout 70,000 barrels per year capacity. Which was a decent sized brewery in the 1890's.
Here are some for their bottled beers, courtesy of, ironically, Whitbread:
Strong bottled beers 1931 - 1955
Year
Beer
Style
Price
size
Acidity
FG
OG
colour
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1931
Treble Brown
Brown Ale
6d
half
0.05
1014.9
1057.2
5.50
73.95%
1934
Dinner Ale
Pale Ale
7d
pint
0.05
1011.3
1038
3.46
70.26%
1934
Golden Ale
Pale Ale
8d
pint
0.05
1014
1044
3.88
68.18%
1938
Dinner Ale
Pale Ale
4d
half
0.07
1009.2
1039.9
21
3.99
76.94%
1952
Black Bess Stout
Stout
9.5d
half
0.05
1007.3
1036
1R + 9B
3.73
79.72%
1955
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
1/-
half
0.05
1011.5
1044.3
19
4.26
74.04%
1959
Strong 'un
Strong Ale
half
0.02
1010.2
1040.3
100
3.91
74.69%
1959
Black Bess Stout
Stout
11d
half
1012.2
1034.1
300
2.83
64.22%
1959
Golden Ale
Pale Ale
11d
half
0.04
1006.3
1032
18
3.34
80.31%
1960
Black Bess Stout
Stout
10d
half
0.04
1014
1034.2
250
2.53
59.06%
1960
Golden Ale
Pale Ale
11d
half
0.02
1006.3
1031.8
16
3.19
80.19%
1960
Special Pale Ale
Pale Ale
half
0.02
1009.7
1041.3
23
3.95
76.51%
1960
Black Bess Stout
Stout
11d
half
0.04
1015.1
1034.9
300
2.48
56.73%
1961
Romsey Brown
Brown Ale
10.5d
half
0.04
1010
1032.3
140
2.79
69.04%
1962
Royal Old English Ale
Strong Ale
20d
half
0.06
1013.9
1058.2
45
5.54
76.12%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Treble Brown. There's one for the style guide writers. Strong 'un, ironically, qualifies as a bona fide sesion beer. A Stout below 1035º. It's enough to make a man cry. And who thought Golden Ale was only invented in the 1980's?
Strong's brewing records are bound to be out there. That's why I love Whitbread. They never threw any brewing records away. It would be interesting to take a look. Especially to see if anything changed after Whitbread took over.
Here are some of their drsught beers:
Strong draught beers 1961 - 1979
Year
Beer
Style
Price
size
Acidity
FG
OG
colour
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1961
Barley Corn Bitter
Pale Ale
22d to 24d
pint
0.04
1006.3
1037.6
23
3.91
83.24%
1968
Mild
Mild
18d
pint
0.04
1006.4
1029.4
75
2.88
78.23%
1968
Royal Old English Ale
Strong Ale
33d
pint
0.07
1014.3
1058
65
5.46
75.34%
1968
Barley Corn Keg
Pale Ale
27d
pint
0.08
1007.8
1037.4
45
3.70
79.14%
1968
Best Bitter
Pale Ale
21d
pint
0.06
1003.3
1037
30
4.21
91.08%
1977
Trophy
Pale Ale
pint
1037.8
1977
Mild
Mild
pint
1031.5
1979
Trophy
Pale Ale
pint
1037.8
1979
Mild
Mild
pint
1031.5
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Good Beer Guide 1978 and 1980.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that the Trophy and Mild of the 1970's were just the old Strong's beers rebranded.
* "A Century of British Brewers Plus" by Norman Barber, 205, page 49.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/04/random-brewery-strong-of-romsey.html)