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18-02-2022, 07:12
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2022/02/4d-ale-between-wars.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTPa2Q_Rg1o_p3OuLUIsnB94WfzbRuoOW-lyDFPFNU7d2FeMvuh-eDTCBYzw9Tho0qsBExI4bD9vkIg56LO_MeM8zzFHsK72RSv0Zs dRQ2dB1IZNf6R2dJv2BToy8yjm3O1pbvoafStfGZ8R3ZfFzHT3 Iiv7ZQzDY6ET2WNi8FyHEL_SUjSapVlPyk=w400-h269 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTPa2Q_Rg1o_p3OuLUIsnB94WfzbRuoOW-lyDFPFNU7d2FeMvuh-eDTCBYzw9Tho0qsBExI4bD9vkIg56LO_MeM8zzFHsK72RSv0Zs dRQ2dB1IZNf6R2dJv2BToy8yjm3O1pbvoafStfGZ8R3ZfFzHT3 Iiv7ZQzDY6ET2WNi8FyHEL_SUjSapVlPyk=s556)
The restrictions of the latter years of WW I had created a new style of beer: 4d Ale or Ale. This was a cheap, weak version of Mild whose gravity and retail price was dictated by government decree. Surprisingly, it not only survived into the immediate post war period but hung around right into the early years of WW II. It was finally killed off when the gravity of standard Mild, or X Ale, dropped to a similar level.
Selling for just 4d a pint (X Ale was 5d, Bitter 7d or 8d and Stout 8d) it had an OG of 1027 to 1030ยบ and an ABV of 2.5 to 3%. So just about alcoholic. It had the same grist as X Ale, with which it was usually party-gyled.
The survival of 4d Ale all through the interwar period meant that British brewers had a great deal of experience in brewing very low-gravity beers. This must have been very useful when, in WW II, the gravity of standard Mild was driven down to the level of 4d Ale. In many ways, 4d Ale is the direct ancestor of most modern Milds.
Given the small quantities Whitbread brewed of their Ales (MA in the 1920's, LA in the 1930's), it's a surprise that they them going right up until WW II. In 1933 they brewed just 3,225 barrels of LA, less than 1% of their total output. In the same year 150,000 barrels of their standard X Mild were brewed. LA was surely only economically viable because it was party-gyled with X.
Ale in the 1920's
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price
OG
1926
Barclay Perkins
Ale
4d
1029.1
1926
Buddon Bigg
Ale
4d
1030
1926
Cannon
Ale
5d
1031.6
1930
Fremlins
Ale
4d
1035.7
1927
Fullers
Ale
4d
1036.5
1930
Hammerton
Ale
5d
1033.7
1926
Isherwood
Ale
4d
1026.7
1927
Isleworth
Ale
4d
1033.1
1926
Leney & Co.
Ale
4d
1027.2
1926
Mason
Ale
4d
1030.6
1927
Meux
Ale
4d
1028.7
1930
Shepherd Neame
Ale
4d
1028.5
1930
Style & Winch
Ale
4d
1028.2
1926
Truman
Ale
4d
1030.7
1930
Wells Watford
Ale
5d
1033.7
1926
Wenlock
Ale
5d
1027.7
1927
Young & Co
Ale
4d
1029.6
Source:
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252.
This is an excerpt from a book I published a while ago, "Peace!". You can get your copy here (http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/peace/8049600).
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bfBzTKDpZdU/Ts_bm2GX_qI/AAAAAAAAIZo/m3MARW9mloA/s1600/Peace_Andrew_front_words_thumb.jpg (http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/peace/8049600)
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2022/02/4d-ale-between-wars.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTPa2Q_Rg1o_p3OuLUIsnB94WfzbRuoOW-lyDFPFNU7d2FeMvuh-eDTCBYzw9Tho0qsBExI4bD9vkIg56LO_MeM8zzFHsK72RSv0Zs dRQ2dB1IZNf6R2dJv2BToy8yjm3O1pbvoafStfGZ8R3ZfFzHT3 Iiv7ZQzDY6ET2WNi8FyHEL_SUjSapVlPyk=w400-h269 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTPa2Q_Rg1o_p3OuLUIsnB94WfzbRuoOW-lyDFPFNU7d2FeMvuh-eDTCBYzw9Tho0qsBExI4bD9vkIg56LO_MeM8zzFHsK72RSv0Zs dRQ2dB1IZNf6R2dJv2BToy8yjm3O1pbvoafStfGZ8R3ZfFzHT3 Iiv7ZQzDY6ET2WNi8FyHEL_SUjSapVlPyk=s556)
The restrictions of the latter years of WW I had created a new style of beer: 4d Ale or Ale. This was a cheap, weak version of Mild whose gravity and retail price was dictated by government decree. Surprisingly, it not only survived into the immediate post war period but hung around right into the early years of WW II. It was finally killed off when the gravity of standard Mild, or X Ale, dropped to a similar level.
Selling for just 4d a pint (X Ale was 5d, Bitter 7d or 8d and Stout 8d) it had an OG of 1027 to 1030ยบ and an ABV of 2.5 to 3%. So just about alcoholic. It had the same grist as X Ale, with which it was usually party-gyled.
The survival of 4d Ale all through the interwar period meant that British brewers had a great deal of experience in brewing very low-gravity beers. This must have been very useful when, in WW II, the gravity of standard Mild was driven down to the level of 4d Ale. In many ways, 4d Ale is the direct ancestor of most modern Milds.
Given the small quantities Whitbread brewed of their Ales (MA in the 1920's, LA in the 1930's), it's a surprise that they them going right up until WW II. In 1933 they brewed just 3,225 barrels of LA, less than 1% of their total output. In the same year 150,000 barrels of their standard X Mild were brewed. LA was surely only economically viable because it was party-gyled with X.
Ale in the 1920's
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price
OG
1926
Barclay Perkins
Ale
4d
1029.1
1926
Buddon Bigg
Ale
4d
1030
1926
Cannon
Ale
5d
1031.6
1930
Fremlins
Ale
4d
1035.7
1927
Fullers
Ale
4d
1036.5
1930
Hammerton
Ale
5d
1033.7
1926
Isherwood
Ale
4d
1026.7
1927
Isleworth
Ale
4d
1033.1
1926
Leney & Co.
Ale
4d
1027.2
1926
Mason
Ale
4d
1030.6
1927
Meux
Ale
4d
1028.7
1930
Shepherd Neame
Ale
4d
1028.5
1930
Style & Winch
Ale
4d
1028.2
1926
Truman
Ale
4d
1030.7
1930
Wells Watford
Ale
5d
1033.7
1926
Wenlock
Ale
5d
1027.7
1927
Young & Co
Ale
4d
1029.6
Source:
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252.
This is an excerpt from a book I published a while ago, "Peace!". You can get your copy here (http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/peace/8049600).
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bfBzTKDpZdU/Ts_bm2GX_qI/AAAAAAAAIZo/m3MARW9mloA/s1600/Peace_Andrew_front_words_thumb.jpg (http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/peace/8049600)
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2022/02/4d-ale-between-wars.html)