|
History "Mild" was originally used to designate any beer which was young or unaged and did not refer to a specific style of beer. Thus there was Mild Ale but also Mild Porter and even Mild Bitter Beer. These young beers were often blended with aged "stale" beer to improve their flavour. As the 19th century progressed and public taste moved away from the aged taste, unblended young beer, mostly in the form of Mild Ale or Light Bitter Beer, began to dominate the market. In the 19th century a typical brewery produced three or four Mild Ales, usually designated by a number of X´s, the weakest being X, the strongest XXXX. They were considerably stronger than the Milds of today, with the gravity ranging from around 1055° to 1072° (about 5.5% to 7% ABV). Gravities dropped throughout the late 1800´s and by 1914 the weakest Milds were down to about 1045°, still considerably stronger than modern versions. The draconian measures applied to the brewing industry during WWI had a particularly dramatic effect upon Mild. As the biggest-selling beer, it suffered the largest cut in gravity when breweries had to limit the average OG of their beer to 1030°. In order to be able to produce some stronger beer - which was exempt from price controls and thus more profitable - Mild was reduced to 1025° or lower. At that strength, it could scarcely be considered an intoxicating drink. Though restrictions on brewing were removed in 1921, Mild never fully recovered its pre-war strength. It settled at around 1032°-1035° - much the same as it is today. The range of Milds brewed also narrowed, down from three or four in 1914 to one or two in the 1920´s. Stronger Milds, above 1040°, all but disappeared. Modern dark Mild varies from dark amber to near-black in colour and is very light-bodied. Its flavour is dominated by malt, sometimes with roasty notes derived from the use of black malt, with a subdued hop character, though there are some quite bitter examples. Most are in the range 1030°-1036° (3-3.6% ABV). Light Mild is generally similar, but paler in colour. Some dark Milds are created by the addition of caramel to a pale beer. Until the 1950s, Mild was the largest selling ale. It retains some populariity in the West Midlands, Wales and Northwest England, but has been totally ousted by bitter and lager in the South of England. Mild's popularity in Wales, in particular, persisted as a relatively low-alcohol, sweet drink for coal miners. Outside the United Kingdom, Mild is virtually unknown, with the exception of Old in New South Wales and some microbrewery recreations in North America and Scandinavia. Brewing Mild ales are generally based on mild malt or pale malt. Light milds contain, in addition, a quantity of crystal malt; dark milds, meanwhile, make use of chocolate malt, black malt or dark brewing sugars. Milds tend to be lightly-hopped compared to pale ale and are usually in low alcohol; strong mild ales used to reach six or seven per cent ABV, but very few such beers are still brewed. Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild, brewed to a pre-WWI recipe, is a rare example of a strong Mild. Common mild ales See also Beer styles | ||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||
 |
|
| |