This month's Ale Together Now program focused on the wonderfully malty beer styles of English bitters, mild ales, and old/stock ales. We learned about the history of these pub ales, the typical brewing process and flavor qualities of each style, and the way they are enjoyed in pubs and breweries today.
The London pub is responsible for many of the wonderful beer styles we enjoy today, and houses much of the history of brewing. The "pub" refers to a Public House, a casual community meeting place featuring hearty food, music, beer, and cider-- and of course, lots of good chat with local folks. They served as a working class alternative to the higher-end Gentlemen's Clubs and Ladies Clubs of the time. Some of the oldest pubs that we know of include George Inn (established 1583), The Grapes (established 1583), and The Spaniards Inn (established 1585).
Public house brews are thought to have been an Iron Age staple. We have evidence of beer drinking, from carbon residue left on drinking vessels, going back as far as the Roman occupation. Celtic beer was likely a wheat or barley-based brew, and Anglo-Saxon beer was a grist brew-- both were brown in color, and likely a bit chunky. Because hops weren't used to counteract the sweetness of grain until the fifteenth century, herbs were used instead. Mugwort, bog myrtle, nettle, pine resin, and other aromatic plants were used to balance the flavor of beer at this time.
After hops were used in beer but before we categorized beer the way that we do today, beer was categorized with the following two names: Ale, to indicate an unhopped, sweeter, and cheaper brew; and Beer, a hopped and more bitter brew. Beers were also referred to as either a stock (a beer aged for more complexity, featuring bolder flavors and aromas) or a mild (a beer served fresh). Today, we tend to categorize beers as either an ale (brewed with the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or a lager (brewed with the yeast species Saccharomyces pastorianus). The serving of beer has also changed over time: beer was historically kept in a cask, but today a beer engine (a pull system that uses force to pull out the beer) is typically used for serving at pubs and breweries.
Let's look specifically at mild ales, an unaged beer style that is consumed directly after the secondary fermentation process. Mild ales tend to be brewed with secondary gyles, which means that the same malt is used to brew a few different beers. The second beer brewed with the same malt would come out lighter in flavor, mouthfeel, and alcohol by volume (ABV) than the first, and would be served as a mild ale. In seventeenth century London, the mild ale was marketed to the working class as a fresh and cheap beer, and was brewed with lighter roasted or used malts. This style has been popular throughout history as a cheap and easy-drinking beer that could be enjoyed despite economic factors, like heavy malt taxes or supply shortages resulting from war.
We sampled a mild from River's Edge Brewing Company called The Crowd Goes Mild. This mild ale is a little sweet, a little malty, and has great flavor despite a light ABV of 3.9%.
Stock ales are another beloved pub beer style. Also known as stale, strong, or old ales, stock ales are a direct juxtaposition to mild ales: they are bold in flavor, high in ABV, and are meant to be aged for flavor. In seventeenth century London, stock ales were the higher class drinking choice, and lead in later years to the development of other strong ales like barleywine, Scotch ale, and bourbon barrel-aged wine. Modern versions of this style feature a rich, malty flavor, a high ABV, and the presence of hops but not lactic acid.
We sampled Old Stock Ale, brewed in 2012 by North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California. This beer is sweet, alcoholic, and richly flavorful, at 11.7% ABV.
The English bitter, also known as an ESB or Extra Special Bitter, is not a particularly bitter style to our modern palates-- instead, those who drink an English bitter beer can enjoy roasty, toasty, malty flavors, along with a lovely amber color. This style grew in popularity after the second World War, and was viewed as the "premium" beer style over the more traditional mild ale. Varieties of the English bitter include ordinary, best, and extra special/strong styles.
We sampled the Bluebird Bitter from Coniston Brewing Company in Coniston, UK. This beer is just 3.4% ABV, and is light in color with a nice, biscuity malt flavor.
Our last sample was an American take on the English bitter style-- the Milford Pub Ale from Rivers Edge Brewing Company is earthy, floral, and toasty, at 5.3% ABV.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for another wonderful evening of laughs and learning in the Community Room for Ale Together Now. We are so grateful for you, each and every time! Registration for next month's Ale Together Now program is open now, and don't forget that registration for 2025 programs is opening approximately one week earlier in the month than it did in 2024. See the online calendar for details, and we hope to see you at a Library program soon!
Cheers!