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14-07-2023, 07:16
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https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcs6yChvhhvlm9bdwmZYBsFnQQ73wE96hhfLsvho8kl AA6ovSOh2CsW0Myvw4YD9rZOaq5rD3mBYBPc-hvASP0T01UACc9dv54jFKpG9IMZ7-E2RTE6q9R1fv8Gd6O9xVo5d3cvCkVYjzZgQaifnqgJ6w62p95R xvyWeCGPvQaHxcR_6yqTSZk2MTuPE/s320/Courage_Light_Ale_1962.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcs6yChvhhvlm9bdwmZYBsFnQQ73wE96hhfLsvho8kl AA6ovSOh2CsW0Myvw4YD9rZOaq5rD3mBYBPc-hvASP0T01UACc9dv54jFKpG9IMZ7-E2RTE6q9R1fv8Gd6O9xVo5d3cvCkVYjzZgQaifnqgJ6w62p95R xvyWeCGPvQaHxcR_6yqTSZk2MTuPE/s517/Courage_Light_Ale_1962.jpg)
We're continuing with another type of beer which had once been hugely popular but was rapidly going out of fashion. Just like Brown Ale.
It's likely that the emergence of keg beer paid a part in its decline. After WW I, bottled beer was very much on the rise. Mostly in reaction to poor quality draught beer. There was no room for the publican to bugger up beer which had been stabilised in the brewery. Mixing draught and bottled beer became common. Drinkers might well have preferred to drink just bottled beer, but it was too expensive. A half of Bitter topped up with a bottle of Light Ale was the answer.
The keg beers which started popping up after WW II were effectively just bulk versions of bottled beer. Rather than mess around with a mix of bottled and draught, there was now a simple draught alternative. And the practice began dying out.
Note that only six of the seventeen beers was actually called Light Ale. More - seven - are called Pale Ale. Though, I'm sure, that drinkers would have usually ordered all these beers as Light Ale.
Amazingly, the London examples aren't the most expensive. They are the worst value, though. The average price is exactly the same as for Brown Ale. Though the average OG is 1º lower. However, a far greater degree of attenuation, leaves the ABV 0.38% higher. And a bit over 3%.
Most expensive on average are the beers from the Midlands and North. Though the average OG is 1º higher than for the other regions. What strikes me most about the Light Ales is how there's minimal regional variation. The average OG, ABV and rate of attenuation are all very similar.
There are quite a few beers under 3% ABV. But far fewer than Brown Ales. The generally high rate of attenuation is responsible for that.
Much to my surprise, the Southern Light Ales work out as the best value, on average. And includes the two of the individual best value beers: Cook Golden Ale and Adnams Pale Ale. While the best value of all was Vaux Light Brown Ale.
On a personal not, I never drank any of these beers. Why? Because, let's be honest, they weren't either very interesting or very good. And I was a Mild drinker. No way I would have ever drunk Light Ale.
Today, only a handful of Light Ales are still brewed. Courage Light Ale probably being the most widely available.
Light Ale in 1972
Brewer
Beer
Price per half pint (p)
º gravity per p
% ABV per p
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
London
Truman
Light Ale
8.5
3.48
0.32
1029.6
1008.8
2.70
70.44%
Young
Pale Ale
8
3.71
0.41
1029.7
1004.3
3.30
85.52%
Watney
Pale Ale
7.5
4.17
0.39
1031.3
1008.9
2.90
71.57%
Whitbread
Pale Ale
8
4.20
0.41
1033.6
1008.2
3.30
75.74%
Courage
Light Ale
7
4.63
0.46
1032.4
1007.7
3.20
76.23%
Average
7.8
4.04
0.40
1031.3
1007.6
3.08
75.90%
Midlands and North
Worthington
Light Ale
8
3.80
0.34
1030.4
1009.5
2.70
68.75%
Theakson
Pale Ale
8.5
3.71
0.34
1031.5
1009.1
2.90
71.11%
Scottish & Newcastle
Newcastle Amber Ale
7.75
4.31
0.43
1033.4
1008.0
3.30
76.20%
Vaux
Light Brown Ale
6.5
4.92
0.43
1032
1010.4
2.80
67.66%
Greenall Whitley
Champion
8.5
4.09
0.41
1034.8
1007.8
3.50
77.59%
Jennings
Castle Pale Ale
8.5
4.09
0.44
1034.8
1006.3
3.70
81.90%
Average
8.0
4.15
0.40
1032.8
1008.5
3.15
73.87%
South
Greene King
Pale Ale
7.5
4.23
0.44
1031.7
1006.3
3.30
80.13%
Ind Coope
Light Ale
7
4.54
0.40
1031.8
1010.2
2.80
68.08%
Adnams
Pale Ale
6.5
4.82
0.46
1031.3
1008.2
3.00
73.96%
Cook
Golden Ale
7
4.90
0.44
1034.3
1010.4
3.10
69.83%
Devenish
Light Ale
8.25
3.61
0.33
1029.8
1008.9
2.70
70.13%
Hall & Woodhouse
Badger
7
4.36
0.44
1030.5
1006.6
3.10
78.36%
Average
7.2
4.41
0.42
1031.6
1008.4
3.00
73.41%
Overall average
7.6
4.21
0.41
1031.9
1008.2
3.08
74.31%
Source:
Daily Mirror - Tuesday 11 July 1972, page 9
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/07/light-ale-in-1972.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcs6yChvhhvlm9bdwmZYBsFnQQ73wE96hhfLsvho8kl AA6ovSOh2CsW0Myvw4YD9rZOaq5rD3mBYBPc-hvASP0T01UACc9dv54jFKpG9IMZ7-E2RTE6q9R1fv8Gd6O9xVo5d3cvCkVYjzZgQaifnqgJ6w62p95R xvyWeCGPvQaHxcR_6yqTSZk2MTuPE/s320/Courage_Light_Ale_1962.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcs6yChvhhvlm9bdwmZYBsFnQQ73wE96hhfLsvho8kl AA6ovSOh2CsW0Myvw4YD9rZOaq5rD3mBYBPc-hvASP0T01UACc9dv54jFKpG9IMZ7-E2RTE6q9R1fv8Gd6O9xVo5d3cvCkVYjzZgQaifnqgJ6w62p95R xvyWeCGPvQaHxcR_6yqTSZk2MTuPE/s517/Courage_Light_Ale_1962.jpg)
We're continuing with another type of beer which had once been hugely popular but was rapidly going out of fashion. Just like Brown Ale.
It's likely that the emergence of keg beer paid a part in its decline. After WW I, bottled beer was very much on the rise. Mostly in reaction to poor quality draught beer. There was no room for the publican to bugger up beer which had been stabilised in the brewery. Mixing draught and bottled beer became common. Drinkers might well have preferred to drink just bottled beer, but it was too expensive. A half of Bitter topped up with a bottle of Light Ale was the answer.
The keg beers which started popping up after WW II were effectively just bulk versions of bottled beer. Rather than mess around with a mix of bottled and draught, there was now a simple draught alternative. And the practice began dying out.
Note that only six of the seventeen beers was actually called Light Ale. More - seven - are called Pale Ale. Though, I'm sure, that drinkers would have usually ordered all these beers as Light Ale.
Amazingly, the London examples aren't the most expensive. They are the worst value, though. The average price is exactly the same as for Brown Ale. Though the average OG is 1º lower. However, a far greater degree of attenuation, leaves the ABV 0.38% higher. And a bit over 3%.
Most expensive on average are the beers from the Midlands and North. Though the average OG is 1º higher than for the other regions. What strikes me most about the Light Ales is how there's minimal regional variation. The average OG, ABV and rate of attenuation are all very similar.
There are quite a few beers under 3% ABV. But far fewer than Brown Ales. The generally high rate of attenuation is responsible for that.
Much to my surprise, the Southern Light Ales work out as the best value, on average. And includes the two of the individual best value beers: Cook Golden Ale and Adnams Pale Ale. While the best value of all was Vaux Light Brown Ale.
On a personal not, I never drank any of these beers. Why? Because, let's be honest, they weren't either very interesting or very good. And I was a Mild drinker. No way I would have ever drunk Light Ale.
Today, only a handful of Light Ales are still brewed. Courage Light Ale probably being the most widely available.
Light Ale in 1972
Brewer
Beer
Price per half pint (p)
º gravity per p
% ABV per p
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
London
Truman
Light Ale
8.5
3.48
0.32
1029.6
1008.8
2.70
70.44%
Young
Pale Ale
8
3.71
0.41
1029.7
1004.3
3.30
85.52%
Watney
Pale Ale
7.5
4.17
0.39
1031.3
1008.9
2.90
71.57%
Whitbread
Pale Ale
8
4.20
0.41
1033.6
1008.2
3.30
75.74%
Courage
Light Ale
7
4.63
0.46
1032.4
1007.7
3.20
76.23%
Average
7.8
4.04
0.40
1031.3
1007.6
3.08
75.90%
Midlands and North
Worthington
Light Ale
8
3.80
0.34
1030.4
1009.5
2.70
68.75%
Theakson
Pale Ale
8.5
3.71
0.34
1031.5
1009.1
2.90
71.11%
Scottish & Newcastle
Newcastle Amber Ale
7.75
4.31
0.43
1033.4
1008.0
3.30
76.20%
Vaux
Light Brown Ale
6.5
4.92
0.43
1032
1010.4
2.80
67.66%
Greenall Whitley
Champion
8.5
4.09
0.41
1034.8
1007.8
3.50
77.59%
Jennings
Castle Pale Ale
8.5
4.09
0.44
1034.8
1006.3
3.70
81.90%
Average
8.0
4.15
0.40
1032.8
1008.5
3.15
73.87%
South
Greene King
Pale Ale
7.5
4.23
0.44
1031.7
1006.3
3.30
80.13%
Ind Coope
Light Ale
7
4.54
0.40
1031.8
1010.2
2.80
68.08%
Adnams
Pale Ale
6.5
4.82
0.46
1031.3
1008.2
3.00
73.96%
Cook
Golden Ale
7
4.90
0.44
1034.3
1010.4
3.10
69.83%
Devenish
Light Ale
8.25
3.61
0.33
1029.8
1008.9
2.70
70.13%
Hall & Woodhouse
Badger
7
4.36
0.44
1030.5
1006.6
3.10
78.36%
Average
7.2
4.41
0.42
1031.6
1008.4
3.00
73.41%
Overall average
7.6
4.21
0.41
1031.9
1008.2
3.08
74.31%
Source:
Daily Mirror - Tuesday 11 July 1972, page 9
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023/07/light-ale-in-1972.html)