UqT - Beers of The United Kingdom

"Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me."

Nothing says Great Britain like great beer. Pints, Pubs, Pales, Pissu-ups, and Porters are the way of the Brits; a way of life that has had over five millenia to ferment and condition. As is with other countries with well established brewing industries, different regions of the UK have their own history and style preferences. Wales is known for their own style of ale known as "fine ale" or Welsh ale, traditionally brewed with spices (such as cinnamon, ginger, and clove as well as herbs and honey). Welsh ales are typically stronger than most ales. Pale Malt and hops are the two main ingredients in fine ales. Wales is also home to one of the first known examples of British lager brewing (when it was brought to the UK by none other than the Germans).

Scottish beer has existed for more than five thousand years, and began as a Celtic tradition of brewing bittering herbs and hops imported from around the globe. Both of these were used to preserve and stabilize the brew when the weather was hot. Primitive brewing techniques lasted much longer in Scotland than they did in other parts of the UK and Europe. The Scottish brewing industry has always been the cause of a low Herfindahl index. In the early sixteenth century, Scotland had more than 150 brewers (incidentally, all comprised of women). Malts enjoyed tax-free status in Scotland (whilst they were heavily taxed in the rest of the UK), and beer itself was taxed much lower than the rest of the UK. Much like the rest of the UK, ales are the prefered beer style among the Scots. It is a common misconception that Scottish brewers did not use large quanitites of hops for their ales, but historical records support the opposite, by providing evidence that shows Scottish brewers have always used comparable levels of hops to those from England.

Speaking of the English, brewing began in England as early as the turn of the Anno Domini, when the Romans had dominated much of Europe (if only their faraway decendants took notice). After the Romans had their way with the North, beer was one of the most popular beverages in England, espeically during the Middle Ages, when even the poor peasants could enjoy a pint or three with their mates. Much of this is due to the fact that the UK (or what it was back in the day) was not dominated by the grape industry, so beer was the standard confidence booster for everyone from kings to vagabonds. The use of hops took center stage in the fifteen century. Before then, ales were refered to as any beers that weren't brewed with hops.

The UK went through a temperance movement during the turn of the 20th century, but as we know today, the effort was short lived. Lagers became popular during the 1970s, around the same time that canned beer was introduced to the British market. The term "ale" soon after was redefined to differentiate top-fermented beer from lagers. Microbreweries boomed since then and are now a significant proportion of the market, with many exporting to international markets. There were about 700 breweries in England in 2010, while many of the national breweries from decades earlier have amalgamated into the major multinationals that we know of today. Bitters, ESBs, Goldens, Sessions, Bests, IPAs, Browns, and Milds are all popular beer styles of England. Coincidentally, they are all ales: proof that the UK is still a great safe haven for the ale lover. Lagers have made their way into the mainstream British beer market, but like the Royal Family and every ridiculous thing they are known for, some things are just too entrenched in identity and culture to do away with. So the next time you're strolling down Marylebone, just remember you're in ale country.

Cheers Mate.