PDA

View Full Version : Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Light Ale in 1960



Blog Tracker
03-10-2015, 08:12
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2015/10/light-ale-in-1960.html)


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQ5_qRqEeXc/VgqfLQYiRaI/AAAAAAAAYYE/nQ7k4YCElHg/s400/Tomson_%2526_Wotton_Pale_Ale_Double_Allbright.JPG (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQ5_qRqEeXc/VgqfLQYiRaI/AAAAAAAAYYE/nQ7k4YCElHg/s1600/Tomson_%2526_Wotton_Pale_Ale_Double_Allbright.JPG)
One of the up and comers, style-wise, of the post-war period was Light Ale. Benefitting from the surge in popularity of bottled beer, it became one of the most popular types of beer.

Its origins go back to the early Running Pale Ales of the late 19th century. The first Pale Ales were all Stock Ales, matured for months before sale. But after 1850 a new lighter, style emerged that was drunk fresh. Cheaper and more accessible, these beers soon picked up a following. Initially draught beers, soon bottled version began to appear under a variety of different names: Luncheon Ale, Light Dinner Ale, Dinner Ale, Light Bitter.

By the middle of the 20th century, Light Ale began to consolidate its position as the standard name for this type, though other terms did continue to be used. Including simply Pale Ale, which makes things confusing. Where does Light Ale stop and Pale Ale begin? It’s almost as impossible to define as the difference between IPA and Pale Ale. Ultimately, I usually go with the brewer’s designation.

That’s not what Which? did, as the table below will make clear. They’ve included beers with gravities almost up to 1040º, which seems too high to me. I’d have placed the cut off at around 1034-1035º. Note that none of the examples over 1035º are actually called Light Ale.

I’m surprised that the bitterness level isn’t that much lower than for bottled strong Pale Ales. They averaged 32.8 as compared to 26.33 for Light Ales. But the average gravity of the Pale Ales was much higher, 1048º. And Hammonds Prize Medal at 38 was just one point behind the most bitter bottled Pale Ale.

The two tables have many similarities. Like the price per % ABV: 6.56d and 6.58d. Remove the expensive Export Golden Mead Ale and the average price per pint is pretty similar, too: 20.0d and 20.8d. It’s odd that, despite both tables having rates of attenuation all over the shop, the average for both isn’t far from the gold-standard 75%.

I saw an American tourist drinking a bottle of Light Ale in a UK airport 20-odd years ago. He looked rather confused. I assume he’d asked for a Light Beer.

Table time.



Light Ale in 1960


Brewer
Beer
Price per pint d
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
Index of Hop Bitter
price per % ABV


Georges
Bitter Ale
18
1031.5
1006.1
3.30
80.63%
24
5.46


Ushers
India Pale Ale
18
1031.6
1008.5
3.00
73.26%
25
6.00


Friary Meux
Friary Ale
20
1030.6
1009.7
2.70
68.30%
27
7.40


Strong
Golden Ale
20
1030.7
1006.1
3.20
80.29%
22
6.25


Simonds
SB. Light Ale
20
1034.2
1009.5
3.20
72.22%
32
6.25


Fremlins
Elephant Light Ale
21
1031.0
1006.4
3.20
79.52%
32
6.56


Younger, Wm.
Younger's Pale Ale
22
1032.3
1006.2
3.40
80.96%
16
6.48


Hammond
Prize Medal
22
1036.3
1005.6
4.00
84.57%
38
5.51


Wilson
Wembley Ale
22
1036.9
1007.7
3.80
79.27%
28
5.79


Greenall Whitley
Champion Pale Ale
22
1038.9
1012.6
3.40
67.61%
32
6.47


Tolly Cobblold
Tolly Extra Quality Light Ale
24
1035.3
1010.6
3.20
69.97%
23
7.51


Hope & Anchor
Export Golden Mead Ale
30
1037.4
1011.9
3.30
68.18%
17
9.09


Average

21.6
1033.9
1008.4
3.31
75.40%
26.33
6.56


Source:


Which Beer Report, 1960, pages 171 - 173.






Light Ale in 1960


Brewer
Beer
Price per pint d
Acidity
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
colour
price per % ABV


Brickwoods
Light Bitter Ale
20
0.02
1031.2
1008.8
2.80
71.79%
22
7.14


Cheltenham & Hereford Brewery
Cheltenham Ale
18
0.02
1032.1
1007.6
3.06
76.32%
25
5.88


Norman & Pring
Pale Ale
20
0.02
1031
1003.8
3.40
87.74%
15
5.88


Starkey, Knight & Ford
Tivvy Pale Ale
20
0.02
1030.5
1005.1
3.18
83.28%
28
6.30


Strong
Golden Ale
22
0.02
1031.8
1006.3
3.19
80.19%
16
6.90


Stroud Brewery
Allbright Ale
18
0.02
1030.9
1008
2.86
74.11%
25
6.29


Tennent
Pale Ale
20
0.02
1029.9
1011.8
2.26
60.54%
26
8.84


Tomson & Wotton
Allbright Pale Ale
20
0.02
1029.9
1005.8
3.01
80.60%
18
6.64


Ansell
Triple Gold Light Ale
22
0.02
1039.1
1008.1
3.87
79.28%
24
5.68


Fremlin
Elephant Light Ale
21
0.02
1031.5
1005.8
3.21
81.59%
23
6.54


Morland
Light Ale
19
0.04
1033.6
1009.5
3.01
71.73%
27
6.31


Average

20.0
0.02
1032.0
1007.3
3.08
77.02%
22.6
6.58


Source:


Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.




Draught Mild next.

More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2015/10/light-ale-in-1960.html)