Mild ale is a low-gravity, malty beer that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1600s or earlier. Modern Mild Ales are mainly dark coloured with an ABV of 3% to 3.6%, though there are examples of up to 6% ABV. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Original gravity (OG) usually refers to the density of wort, unfermented beer, usually expressed as a ratio to the density of water (thus for instance 1. ... Alcohol by volume (ABV) is an indication of how much alcohol (expressed as a percentage) is included in an alcoholic beverage. ...

The term mild originally meant young beer or ale as opposed to "stale" aged beer or ale. In more recent times it has been interpreted as denoting "mildly hopped". Hop umbel in a Hallertau hopgarden Hops are a flower used primarily as a flavouring and stability agent in beer, as well as in herbal medicine. ...

Light Mild is generally similar, but pale in colour. There is some overlap between the weakest styles of Bitter and Light Mild, with the term AK being used to refer to both. The designation of such beers as "Bitter" or "Mild" has tended to change with fashion. A good example is McMullen's AK, which was rebadged as Bitter after decades as a Light Mild. AK - a very common beer name in the 1800s - was often referred to as a "mild Bitter Beer" interpreting "mild" as "unaged". Bitter is a British term for a type of beer or pale ale. ...

Once sold in every pub, Mild has experienced a catastrophic fall in popularity since the 1960´s and has completely disappeared from many parts of the United Kingdom.

When bottled, Mild is usually referred to as Brown Ale. North American brown ales trace their heritage to American home brewing adaptations of certain northern English beers. ...

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.^[1]

Though restrictions on brewing were removed in 1921, Mild never fully recovered its pre-war strength. It settled at around 1043°, still considerably higher than today. A dramatic rise in excise duty in 1931, from 80 shillings to 114 shillings per barrel, prompted brewers to cut their Mild gravities back to 1032-1035º. However, some breweries, such as Barclay Perkins, introduced a new Best Mild, at a gravity of 1043°.^[2]

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 popularity in the West Midlands, Wales and North West England, but has been totally ousted by bitter and lager in the South of England. ^[3] In 2002 only 1.3% of beer sold in pubs was Mild^[4]. 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. The West Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England, known as the Midlands. ... This article is about the country. ... North West England is one of the nine regions of England. ... Bitter is a British term for a type of beer or pale ale. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Surface coal mining in Wyoming. ...

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. In brewing, the act of creating and extracting fermentable and non-fermentable sugars and flavor components from grain is called mashing. ... Pale ale is a name given to beers using pale malts which are top fermented. ... Alcohol by volume (ABV) is an indication of how much alcohol (expressed as a percentage) is included in an alcoholic beverage. ...

Notable mild ales

• Banks's Original (very popular in the Midlands and Mid Wales)
• Highgate Mild
• Brain's Dark (very popular in South Wales)
• Greene King XX Mild
• Tetley's Mild
• Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild
• Theakston's Mild
• Timothy Taylor's Golden Best (a light mild)
• Timothy Taylor's Dark Mild
• Thwaites Dark Mild

Approximate extent of South Wales South Wales (Welsh: ) is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. ... Theakston (officially T&R Theakston Ltd. ... The shire horses stabled near the brewery are now used for publicity rather than deliveries Daniel Thwaites is a brewery based in Blackburn, Lancashire. ...

See also

• Beer styles

Michael Jacksons Guide Beer style is a term used to differentiate and categorise beers by various factors such as colour, strength, ingredients, production method or origin. ...

References

1. ^ Duty changes 1914-1918. European Beer Guide. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
2. ^ "Gravity Book" Trumans archive in the London Metropolitan Archive, document number B/THB/C/252
3. ^ Good Beer Guide 2006, ISBN 1-85249-211-2, p28
4. ^ Statistical Handbook 2003, British Beer and Pub Association, ISSN 1475-3545, page 21

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (70th in leap years). ...

External links

• CAMRA description of Mild
• The effect of WWI on the British brewing industry
• British brewing in the 18th and 19th centuries
• CAMRA's special campagning group for mild