In Remembrance: Best Mild

Great article. As a fan of mild, and English ales in general, I'm sad to see it go, but at the same time it was almost inevitable, wasn't it? At least "real ale" wasn't completely replaced as a whole by golden sparkling lagers! And I'm reminded of Mark's Mild, certainly a "best mild" if not more, served at the Dispensary in Liverpool ~ one of my favorite beers of all time, not because it was big and hoppy or malty and full of alcohol, but because it was everything but and yet so flavorful and satisfying... sometimes less is more.

 

Mild was my favorite style during my U.K. visits. Elegant.

Seems like differences here between "mild" and "best mild" were very little and by the table, almost completely arbitrary. Other than being stronger, seems "best" was essentially defined by its smaller sibling?

Hmmm-- seems like an argument perfect for BA main forum.

 

I'm sure @patto1ro has much more information to share if you're interested.

 

When I traveled in the UK a few years ago, my tour group was often directed to the tourist bars and pubs. This, in combination with the fact that I was fairly ignorant about traditional English ales at the time, caused me to miss and not seek out the beers I now wish I could have enjoyed. I was usually relegated to a choice between Coors light, Budweiser, or Guinness, along with the odd one or two other brands that typically tended to be light lagers. Or, god forbid, ciders. Shame.

 

I don't know how close you are to Austin and/or Dripping Springs, but Treaty Oak makes a English Mild. And that means you can, but don't have to go back to the UK to try one.

 

Thanks!

 

Every beer bar with a beer engine should have either a mild or a bitter on without fail.

 

Great article!

After reading the article, it made me think of a beer that I had at Prohibition Pig awhile ago and I had to go and check, I see it's considered a "pumpkin ale" here. I read the commercial description and think to myself, is it possible that some American brewers are interested in re-inventing the style just a bit to accommodate the "newer beer drinker?"

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28663/195293/

 

For sure. No argument here. These are the beers that fueled the great conversations at random places everywhere I traveled in Great Britain. The beer was excellent, but the people were better.

 

A best mild at 4.5-5% abv, I would think the American craft brewers would take this on as a challenge?

 

An opportunity as well I should think, nor does it matter what they call it. The right name might bring the brew back in the spotlight, it's the beer that counts and they certainly have the skill to brew a good one, something like Session Ale perhaps. Except for the current name Mild has a lot going for it and presented in the right way might receive wider acceptance.

 

Velky Al over at Fuggled has been advocating such for a couple of years.

 

If American brewers can take on Porter, they should be able to do the same with Mild.

 

Yes. In the past a British brewery would often had some very similar beers in their line-up, sometimes differing only by a couple of gravity points and a few pennies on the price.

 

Marquis in another thread mentioned 6% pale mild ales in pre-ww1 Britain. Yet another variation of a style demands exploration by craft breweries here in the States.