Mild ale is a style which has come to be associated with low ABV beers, however mild ales were simply less heavily hopped beers than their more bitter relatives, and as such became a hugely popular style in the 19th century as the workforce driving the industrial revolution took to the malty brews as a means of restoring themselves after a long day of manual labour at the coalface. Many milds in common with most beers of old were brewed to a far higher O.G. than those of today, and some milds of today still follow this recipe -I encourage the dear reader with a curious pallette to seek out the wonderful Dark Ruby Mild, ABV 6%, brewed by the Sarah Hughes Brewery of Sedgley, West Midlands.
Our own interpretation is packed full of Maris Otter pale and crystal malts, with a little chocolate malt and roasted barley...a real dark mild full of flavour with the English hop, Challenger in the copper and a good dose of whole flower hops added late, in the hopback. A fine beer to restore oneself after a long day at the grindstone, or on the fells! Enjoy!
3 comments:
I have long felt that having May as the mild month is somewhat misplaced. March would be so much better!
It's nice to see mild being brewed so much again, and I don't mind what time of year it's brewed, I'll always drink it!
I had fun brewing one with Sharp's that had gorse & star anise in it as a bit of a different angle - seemed to go down well, sold out anyway!
Mild should be named "weak but could be tasty"
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