Mild Ale

The mild ale is one of the oldest styles of ales (beers) in England. Although originally the term referred to a "young" or not ripe, today it refers rather to having less hops and that slightly malted barley is used.

History

Due to the increase in population in the 18th century, some brewers began selling beer before it was ready, at a lower cost than fully matured ales that may require cellaring in the bottle for up to a year. This young beer was called mild. It was quite bitter and was sometimes mixed with aged or "añeja" to make the product drinkable. The standard 9 to 1 ratio was known as porter's ale, due to its popularity and because it was affordable for the working class.

During the 19th century the porter evolved into its own style, while brewers They developed recipes for mild ales that did not require mixing with aged beers to taste good. Chocolate malt, oat flour, roasted wheat, and unmalted barley became standard ingredients for this style. New, less bitter hop varieties and new yeasts made the flavors less bitter.

Today mild ale is less bitter, lighter in body, but darker than brown ale. Some traditionalists such as Camra consider Mild to be just a simple version of brown ale. Traditionally, mild ale had a higher alcohol content than today, which has decreased over the years to avoid the taxes of higher-proof beers. Mild is still popular in Wales and the northwest of England, but is less popular than bitter in the rest of the world.

Mild ales

• Banks's Original
• Greene King XX Mild
• Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild
• Theakston's Mild
• Timothy Taylor's Golden Best (a light mild)
• Timothy Taylor's Dark Mild
• Tolly Mild
• Hercules Proper Chinwag (Mild)