History of Brewing
Ale was the first beer to be brewed in Great Britain. Ale was very sweet and in the 1400s the hop was universally adopted to produce a less sweet drink now known as bitter.A black, hoppy beer was developed in London in the early 18th century, which soon became known as ‘porter’, being named after the porters in London markets with whom the beer was popular. Porter was for many years the main beer sold in London, Bristol and Ireland. In the 1750s the Irish produced a rich, creamy version known as ‘stout-porter’, later abbreviated to ‘stout’. Irish stout is traditionally very bitter whilst British stout, like Wells & Young's Double Chocolate Stout, has a smoother, more luxurious, softer flavour.
There are clear contrasts between traditional real ales, many of which are brewed to original age-old recipes, and the more modern keg beers. Real ale is a living fresh beer that undergoes a natural second fermentation in the cask. This natural process ensures an attractive product without needing to filter and remove flavour.
Like any natural product, the beer will age and go off, and therefore must be drunk within a strict timescale. It requires care in handling on its way to the pub, and care within the pub to bring it to perfection. Real ales, such as Wells Bombardier, Young's Bitter, Young's Special and John Bull Finest Bitter can reach their full flavour potential, without filtration, pasteurization or the need for added gas.
The most famous British beer appeared in the 1930's and was known as 'India Pale Ale' or 'IPA'. It was developed for British expatriates based in India and had a high hop content, which acted as a good preservative on long hot journeys.
Originally IPA was not sold in Britain, but when a ship bound for India sank en route and its cargo of beer was salvaged and brought back to shore it was an instant hit. IPA was lighter, clearer and 'hoppier' than other beers and it soon matched porter in popularity.
Wells and Young's continues to brew Wells Eagle IPA, which was recently voted 'CAMRA Best Cask Beer of Bedfordshire', a sessionable 3.6% ale that offers a unique hoppy taste profile usually associated with premium bitters of a much higher ABV.
A more recent development was the advent of keg or brewery conditioned beers, which are often referred to as smooth ales. These beers have been developed to offer a product with a long shelf life, which is ready to drink as soon as it leaves the brewery.
Once the conditioning in the brewery is complete, the beer is chilled and filtered to remove all the yeast. It is then pasteurised to make a sterile product and dispensed into a sealed metal keg. On delivery, keg beers are served chilled via mixed gas delivery systems, which result in a cool, smooth and creamy texture.
Lager production requires very low temperatures. It was originally produced in Germany and Czechoslovakia in the 1840s where large quantities of ice were available. It was first brewed in Britain in the 1880s with the advent of the refrigerator. Today, lager sales account for over half of all beer sales in Britain.
No other nation offers this unique range of beers or indeed such diversity of bitters, stouts and lagers. British beer is still made using recipes which date back hundreds of years and is now not only enjoyed in Great Britain but increasingly due to the export activities of brewers like Wells and Young's, throughout the world too.
