Sarah Hughes Brewery

Why it matters

Mild nearly disappeared, and the argument for it is hard to make with the thin, low-gravity examples that survived. This brewery is the counter-example people reach for: a strong dark mild brewed in a restored tower brewhouse to a recipe from before the strength reductions, which shows what the style was rather than what it was reduced to.

Details

Reference beers

• Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild6% ABV

  A 6% dark mild brewed to a 1920s recipe in a restored Victorian tower brewhouse, and the beer that makes the case for the style.

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Styles it is associated with

• Dark mild — A low-strength dark British ale, gently sweet and nutty, built for drinking in quantity after physical work.

Traditions

• British cask ale — Beer that completes its fermentation in the container it is served from and is dispensed without added gas, at cellar rather than fridge temperature.