1996 Big Ben Porter
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

In 1996, Widmer Brothers went through the process of beer and label approval for Big Ben Porter – a London-style porter brewed with molasses and licorice. Widmer Brothers was told that it could not be referred to as a “traditional” London-style porter. The brewing team strongly disagreed and gathered evidence that proved Big Ben was brewed in traditional fashion. It was the first dispute with a positive outcome for the brewery, but certainly would not be the last. Big Ben Porter is also known as one of the most difficult beers to brew in Widmer Brothers’ history. Longtime Widmer Brothers Brewer Angel Marquez once climbed into a kettle shortly after the beer was brewed to dislodge a sticky sack of licorice.

Big Ben Porter – 1996
The government didn’t want to let us call this London-style Porter a traditional beer, but our brewers did their homework and proved it was brewed in a traditional fashion with the addition of licorice and molasses. One of the hardest beers to brew in our history, one brewer, Angel Marquez, once climbed in the kettle full of boiling soon-to-be-beer and fetched a sack of licorice chunks that had gotten stuck. Prost to having brass ones.