After all that heavy lecture stuff, it's time for a commercial break. And it's time for a glass of Mackeson's Milk Stout. You can still find tins of this if you search for it, but Mackeson from a tin somehow seems all wrong. It should be served in a bottle, in a dark Snug Bar, in an old back street pub. In the words of Bernard Miles in the old adverts : "It looks good, it tastes good, and by golly it does you good" I suppose such adverts these days would have to be accompanied by a statutory public health warning.
"Milk Stout" was brewed with the addition of lactose (a sugar derived from milk) which was not converted into alcohol during the fermentation process and thus made the resulting brew both relatively weak and very sweet. It was the brew favoured by elderly ladies and nursing mothers.
And the favoured tipple of one Ena Sharples.
ReplyDeleteAnd - let me see if I can remember - Minnie Caldwell and Martha Longhurst.
ReplyDeleteCome on Alan, you can't spend all day in the 'snug'. I have drunk the odd Mackeson, albeit many moons ago. As I remember, it always had the edge on Watney's Cream Label.
ReplyDeleteIn weather like this I can't think of anything better than spending the day in the Snug. From what I can remember, my favourite was Jubilee Stout.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm... Somehow sweet stout doesn't sound right, but then what do I know? This time of year I always wonder about mulling stout or porter - all that deep, rich flavor and texture enhanced by some spice and served steaming hot. What an ideal Winter warmer! I haven't tried it yet, though, mainly because I'm not sure if you can actually mull stouts and porters the way you can with ales. Is it possible?
ReplyDeleteRoy : I'm not sure about mulled stout - it sounds like it should work but I may be wrong.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite elderly, nor nursing, but pour me a tall one, please!
ReplyDeleteGood health, Tess
ReplyDeleteI don't drink now but I used to love this - being a nursing mother was a great excuse! Something to do with the iron in it, I think. Funny how those old advertising phrases stick in one's brain. 'Looks good, tastes good and by golly it does you good'...but until you reminded me, I couldn't for the life of me think what 'It" was! Now I remember!
ReplyDeleteI remember this old phrase too, though I don't remember the actual advert.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about milk stout but I am rather fond of stout in other forms!
ReplyDeleteI've learned something -- thanks, Alan!
ReplyDeleteJust curious, Alan: Are you familiar with this website? If not, I think it may interest you.
ReplyDeleteI can remember customers in my parents pub who would like a mackeson and mild or a Manns brown and mild and if they wanted something stronger a barley wine and bitter
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