Worthington

Why it matters

Worthington was one of the Burton names that built the India export trade, and White Shield is close to the only continuously produced British beer that still represents what that beer was — bottle-conditioned, strong enough to travel, and expected to throw a sediment.

Details

Reference beers

• Worthington White Shield5.6% ABV

  A bottle-conditioned Burton IPA, and close to the only continuous survivor of the nineteenth-century style.

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Styles it is associated with

• English IPA — The original IPA: a strong, firmly bitter English pale ale with earthy, floral hop character and a dry, mineral finish.
• English pale ale — The bottled British pale ale tradition: biscuity malt, earthy and floral English hops, and a firm, dry, mineral finish.

Traditions

• Burton pale ale brewing — The nineteenth-century Staffordshire pale ale trade built on gypsum-rich well water, high hopping rates and export-stable beer.