I won't bore you with the history of Mackeson Stout except to say that the beer was originally brewed in Hythe, Kent by Mackeson's Brewery in 1907 and was taken over by Whitbread in the 1920's, many moons ago. The brand is presumably owned by InBev now, though I don't know who brews it, but until the demise of the Ram Brewery, it was made by Youngs. Maybe it is now made by Wells and Youngs. I simply don't know, but maybe someone out there can tell me?
Anyway the landlady has been unwell recently and being the impressionable type, thought a milk stout would pick her up a bit. A phone call to Lees revealed that they stock Mackeson and a crate of this beer, once available in nearly every pub was duly ordered. She has managed to persuade a few of the regulars to try it too, usually mixed with the bitter. I had a swig of it yesterday and it isn't bad at all. A stout like roastiness and a creamy sweetness defining it. I must say it's interesting that this has taken off in the pub, though I suspect it may be a passing fad.
It contrasted greatly with the other stout I was given in the pub. The long awaited Brew Dog Tokyo. 18.2% or 3%? We'll see.
The photo shows the bottle and a pint of the Mackeson/Bitter mix.
Milk Stout? It's brewed in Ohio here, why I dunno. Never liked sweet stouts. I think she'd be better off with a hot toddy.
ReplyDeleteTandleman has tried Tokyo*? It's going to be interesting to read about this showdown. Stay tuned folks!
ReplyDeleteI associate Mackeson, or "Mackies" as it was usually called in Liverpool, with my grandmother who liked to have the occasional bottle or two.
ReplyDeleteAnother beer survival from a previous era is Mann's Brown Ale, which cheapskates used to drink mixed with bitter, as bar staff often gave a generous half of bitter when pulling it into a pint glass. It was called "brown bitter" & seemed to lose popularity in the 1980s.
"A bottle of Manns with a half of Bitter goes together like Flo and 'er curlers."
ReplyDeleteHydes now brew Mackeson!
ReplyDeleteI love these old relics of brewing history. Pity you can only get cans of Mackeson in the off-trade. It destroys all the retro charm the beer might otherwise have in bottles.
ReplyDeleteDave - I have a bottle, but haven't tried it yet.
ReplyDeleteJohn
Thanks for the info.
Tried Bristol Beer Factory's Milk Stout at GBBF. Wasn't at all bad from what I remember!
ReplyDeleteI'm just too young to remember Mackeson's Brewery in Hythe. It was closed by Whitbread in 1968. We lived about 15 miles or so away at the time, and I do recall seeing Whitbread drays operating out of what must have been the brewery. As I was only 13 at the time I was not really that interested in beer!
Our village local, the Honest Miller at Brook, had an old woodem stillage behind the bar, with the legend "Mackeson" branded into the woodwork. It was originally a Mackeson pub.
...Family lore has it that my mother had 'mackies' as a craving when pregnant with me - and only me - and this explains my love of beer. my brothers don't really drink, so i think this theory is well supported!!
ReplyDeleteOn a brewery trip to Camerons in Hartlepool sometime in the not to distant past, we passed several pallets of sacks of Lactose, on enquiering what it was used for, the answer was the contract brewing of Mackeson. Camerons now seem to do contract brewing for everyone, which makes for some interesting yeasts whan obtained for home brewing. The other interesting thing we were told, despite having their own well with excellent water for brewing, they neutralise the water by "reverse osmosis" and then add whatever the recipe demands for whatever they are brewing, for example John Smaiths at that time.
ReplyDeleteWell, Hydes are certainly brewing it as I was told this by Chris Hopkins, the chief exec.
ReplyDelete