British Pubs: Post WWII Beer Rationing?

[3113]

Yo! My research for my "just-after-WWII" story continues and I've got another question, this time about the U.K. There is a ton of internet info (and personal stories) about the rationing that happened during WWII and just after (so there is no need to give me a history lesson on UK rationing--I'm drowning in UK rationing info)...but no matter how I ask the question, I just can't seem to find an answer to how all this affected British Pubs.

Food-wise, I presume pubs were rationed as restaurants were--and, again, I've a great deal of info on restaurant rationing--but what about beer and ale? In '46, Britain's wheat crops were ruined by a flood of rain, which led to continued rationing of flour and bread. I can't find one site that tells me how this affected beer production (not saying such doesn't exist--just that I can't seem to find it). And I know it had to have messed up beer production.

Was the remaining wheat crop allocated only to flour and bread, or did any of it go into making beer and ale? Did pubs stop serving beer and ale? If not, how many pints was each person allowed per day? Does anyone know?

 

[R. Richard]

There is wheat beer. However, most beer is made from malted barley, not wheat.

 

[oggbashan]

Beer was not rationed in the UK except by local shortages.

From this site: http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/warbeer.htm

World War 2

Here's what happened in the next war:

Year UK Germany
production
(barrels 1,000) gravity production
(barrels 1,000) gravity
1938 24,535 1041.02
1939 25,532 1040.93 31,326 1041
1940 25,499 1040.62 29,774 1037
1941 29,101 1038.51 28,733 1034
1942 29,170 1035.53 25,976 1030
1943 29,956 1034.34 26,496
1944 31,472 1034.63
1945 32,667 1034.54
1949 26,276 1033.43 8,648 1032
1951 25,087 1036.99 17,360
Sources:
The Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 56
100 Jahre Deutsche Brauer-Bund 1871-1971, p.202

Notes:
UK gravities are an average of all beer brewed
German gravities are for the strongest beer allowed.

This time UK strengths only dropped by about 10% and output even increased. The UK was able to brew large quantities of reasonable-strength beer.

You'll note that the effects of the war - even in the period when things were going well - were much more pronounced in Germany. Production of serious-strength beer trickled to a halt about half way into the war in Germany.

The average German gravity would have been much lower than the maximum figure given. There were classes at 1012 even in the early war years. By 1945 some beers were as weak as 1008. If you reckon that German beer probably averaged at least 12º (1.048) before the war, it's quite a big drop.

You can see a drop in the UK post 1945, but wine and spirits were rarely available during the war. The drop in production and/or demand might be because stronger drinks were available, or because the country was broke!

 

[Handley_Page]

From: http://www.war-experience.org/history/

Certain goods were never rationed during the War years. These included bread, potatoes, tobacco and beer.
However, the latter was watered down and its price inflated by excise duties.
Coal was not placed on the ration, following a sustained campaign of Conservative led opposition to proposed schemes for fuel control.

And it stayed that way until the mid 50s

 

[oggbashan]

From: http://www.war-experience.org/history/

Certain goods were never rationed during the War years. These included bread, potatoes, tobacco and beer.
However, the latter was watered down and its price inflated by excise duties.
Coal was not placed on the ration, following a sustained campaign of Conservative led opposition to proposed schemes for fuel control.

And it stayed that way until the mid 50s

But although those items were not rationed, they were effectively rationed by intermittent supplies. Unless you "knew" someone.

Like my Uncle.

 

[Saxon_Hart]

Just the thought of beer rationing makes me wanna cry. I need a beer.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Any attempt to ration beer would probably have led to armed insurrection!

 

[3113]

Now I'm confused...

The ration sites insist that there was bread rationing, especially after '46. But are you saying that there was plenty of beer at the pubs? And that people could also buy tobacco? Cigarettes? (The way American cigarette companies pushed their product--and got people addicted to it, I could well imagine them dropping packs of cigarettes across Europe....)

Or are you saying that there were shortages of beer and tobacco, but the government didn't ration it so it was catch as catch can?

Putting it another way, if I went into a pub in 1947--bread still rationed at that time--would I be able to order up a pint and get it? No problem, no issues?

 

[Handley_Page]

The ration sites insist that there was bread rationing, especially after '46. But are you saying that there was plenty of beer at the pubs? And that people could also buy tobacco? Cigarettes? (The way American cigarette companies pushed their product--and got people addicted to it, I could well imagine them dropping packs of cigarettes across Europe....)

Or are you saying that there were shortages of beer and tobacco, but the government didn't ration it so it was catch as catch can?

Putting it another way, if I went into a pub in 1947--bread still rationed at that time--would I be able to order up a pint and get it? No problem, no issues?

Well, yes you probably could get a pint.
Whether it was of a quality you remembered from before the War is debatable.
Generally speaking, cigarettes were not exactly rare. The variety might not be bright, but you could certainly get a pack.

About this time, American tobacco companies realised that the UK taste buds were not quite the same as USA.
We used to call them "toasties".

 

[oggbashan]

...

Or are you saying that there were shortages of beer and tobacco, but the government didn't ration it so it was catch as catch can?

Putting it another way, if I went into a pub in 1947--bread still rationed at that time--would I be able to order up a pint and get it? No problem, no issues?

You could get A pint. You might be able to get several. But you might be considered selfish, and perhaps not served, if you wanted 10 pints and the landlord had limited supplies. Another pub, or the same pub on a different night, you could get as much beer as you could pay for.

If you couldn't get your particular brand of cigarettes in one shop you might have to search around to get them. But you could get cigarettes, perhaps not the brand you really wanted.

 

[3113]

Well, yes you probably could get a pint.
Whether it was of a quality you remembered from before the War is debatable.
Generally speaking, cigarettes were not exactly rare. The variety might not be bright, but you could certainly get a pack.

About this time, American tobacco companies realised that the UK taste buds were not quite the same as USA.
We used to call them "toasties".

You could get A pint. You might be able to get several. But you might be considered selfish, and perhaps not served, if you wanted 10 pints and the landlord had limited supplies. Another pub, or the same pub on a different night, you could get as much beer as you could pay for.

If you couldn't get your particular brand of cigarettes in one shop you might have to search around to get them. But you could get cigarettes, perhaps not the brand you really wanted.

Ah! All this is very helpful, thank you! So, the pubs were still full up and lively, but people "rationed" themselves or society rationed them so that everyone could enjoy. About how many pints might a gent have and not get a scowl from the landlord? And what brands of cigarettes were popular in the U.K. at that time--did the U.S. use the shortages to try and sell their brands?

 

[Handley_Page]

Ah! All this is very helpful, thank you!
So, the pubs were still full up and lively, but people "rationed" themselves or society rationed them so that everyone could enjoy.
About how many pints might a gent have and not get a scowl from the landlord? And what brands of cigarettes were popular in the U.K. at that time--did the U.S. use the shortages to try and sell their brands?

It wasn't as easy as that. I'll assume draught Beer, not bottled.
If a publican had taken a full delivery, there's likely be not much of a fuss in the event that the local Rugby or Football Club members had a bit of a fuddle (ie., a celebration). "Drinking the Pub dry" was quite a sport at times.

On the other hand, if the beer was running out, and someone seemed to be a bit greedy, he'd be reminded, gently, that he was not playing the game (at which point he might be invited to try a different pub). Unless some local lad decided that this information was best applied via more physical means, that would end the matter (quite rare).

As to scowls from the landlord, always remember that "the management reserves the right to refuse admission" (in case that sounds weird, remember that a publican usually owned the pub, and provided all the necessary legal requirements were met his word was Law).

And we did not have any of this frozen fizzy stuff, either.
English Bitter is best served at Cellar temperature.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Though Americans should remember that during WWII and before, central heating was very rare in British homes and unknown in pub cellars so come fall and winter, the bitter could be quite nippy. And being underground it was a long way from 'warm' even in midsummer . . . or what passes for summer in the British Isles.

 

[oggbashan]

Ah! ... And what brands of cigarettes were popular in the U.K. at that time--did the U.S. use the shortages to try and sell their brands?

UK leading brands: Players, Senior Service, Capstan, Gold Flake, Craven A, Piccadilly, Woodbines (cheapest). Also available were NAAFI unbranded cigarettes intended for service people but sold from 'under the counter'.

US cigarettes were usually sourced from GIs for UK goods and services and could be a trading item instead of money: Camels, Lucky Strike, Chesterfield.

 

[3113]

And we did not have any of this frozen fizzy stuff, either.
English Bitter is best served at Cellar temperature.

Though Americans should remember that during WWII and before, central heating was very rare in British homes and unknown in pub cellars so come fall and winter, the bitter could be quite nippy. And being underground it was a long way from 'warm' even in midsummer . . . or what passes for summer in the British Isles.

Ah, but the pub itself was likely to have a toasty fireplace and a lot of warm bodies. So once the barrel was up from the cellar, I'm sure it came up to what we in the US would consider warm or at least tepid compared to our frosty brews.

 

[3113]

UK leading brands: Players, Senior Service, Capstan, Gold Flake, Craven A, Piccadilly, Woodbines (cheapest). Also available were NAAFI unbranded cigarettes intended for service people but sold from 'under the counter'.

US cigarettes were usually sourced from GIs for UK goods and services and could be a trading item instead of money: Camels, Lucky Strike, Chesterfield.

Thanks Og, very useful.

 

[Handley_Page]

Ah, but the pub itself was likely to have a toasty fireplace and a lot of warm bodies. So once the barrel was up from the cellar, I'm sure it came up to what we in the US would consider warm or at least tepid compared to our frosty brews.

You might like to note that in a country pub, there was a chance that a barrel was up on the frame (they left it there for 24 hours so it would 'settle').
However, quite a few 'city' pubs had it 'piped' up from the cellar.

 

[oggbashan]

Ah, but the pub itself was likely to have a toasty fireplace and a lot of warm bodies. So once the barrel was up from the cellar, I'm sure it came up to what we in the US would consider warm or at least tepid compared to our frosty brews.

Bring the barrel up from the cellar?

Never! Not in any well run pub where the Landlord understood his beer.

That's what Beer Engines (Hand Pumps) were for.

Back in the 1970s I used to visit an ancient public house near my brother's village. It hadn't been modernised since the 1890s when the current landladies' grandfather was the landlord.

There were no facilities. There was no bar. There were a few shelves fixed to the walls of the only room but drinkers were expected to stand and hold their pints. The few rickety chairs were for the ancient farmworkers who were too frail to stand. No one else dared sit down because they would be shunned as pathetic weaklings.

When one ordered a pint, one of the ancient sisters would go down the ladder to the cellar, draw the pint, climb up the ladder and place the pint on the small shelf next to the cellar hatch. On a normal evening the two sisters would climb down and up that ladder fifty to sixty times and over a hundred times on Friday and Saturday nights. But if the pub was really busy, trusted regulars might do half the climbing.

At the end of the evening the sawdust would be shovelled out of the front door and around to the right. (see below)

If you wanted to go to the toilet, gentlemen left by the front door, turned right, went through a gate beside the pub and peed against the pub wall. If there were ladies present which was very rarely, they would also leave by the front door but turn left, go through a more substantial gate and then pee against the pub wall.

In the 1950s such public houses were not uncommon. The last one I knew closed in the late 1980s. All the others have been modernised or have ceased to be public houses.

But barrels behind the bar are a modern innovation that needs some cooling mechanisms and is really only suitable for commercial gassed beer or ice cold lager. Even so, most good pubs still keep their beer in the cellar.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

And so the beer would be pleasantly cool to drink which is actually the preferable temperature for darker American beer except in the blazing heat of summer. That's when the palest of pils comes out and the glasses are kept in the freezer!

 

[Dyslexicea]

And so the beer would be pleasantly cool to drink which is actually the preferable temperature for darker American beer except in the blazing heat of summer. That's when the palest of pils comes out and the glasses are kept in the freezer!

As strange as this may sound, I hate our American beers but I do have a taste for Newcastle Brown Ale and if it is very cold it really loses some of it's flavor. I'm sure Newcastle Brown Ale is even better out of the barrel. You Brits do make lovely beer. Is it permissible for me to call beer lovely?

 

[oggbashan]

You might like to note that in a country pub, there was a chance that a barrel was up on the frame (they left it there for 24 hours so it would 'settle').
However, quite a few 'city' pubs had it 'piped' up from the cellar.

Whether a beer could be put on the frame depended on the brewer. Some beers should never be in the bar area. Most IPAs could be put on the frame, but normal bitter should not be.

Modern (1960s onwards) gassy beers could be put anywhere. They would still taste the same because of the chemical additives that took away the individuality and didn't need skilled handling. Some of them were and are pleasant to drink but they don't have the variability of traditional beers.

Some breweries and their products had unfortunate effects on visitors unused to the particular brews. I remember Bridport in Dorset. All the pubs were either one local brewer or another. The choice was a difficult one.

If you drank the first brewer's beer in moderation you would get a mild attack of the runs for the first couple of days in the town before your internal system adjusted. If you drank the other brewer's beer you had a high likelihood of vomiting your breakfast for the first couple of days. And God help you if you drank both! After a few days on one or the other brewer's beer you could begin to enjoy it - but you daren't change brewer!

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I remember the first few weeks I was stationed in Germany. The gasthaus across from our kaserne served a delicious beer but it definitely 'loosened' you up. We visited all the gasthausen within walking distance and found one that served a super roast chicken with pomme frits (with mayonnaise!) but one, repeat one liter of the house beer guaranteed a vicious hangover the next morning. Yeah, non-industrial European beer is a long way from uniform. Not just in taste but almost everything else about it. We're going back to Germany a year from September. I can hardly wait!

 

[Handley_Page]

Anyone remember the original Watney's Draught Red Barrel ?

It didn't last too long after the story was put round that Watney's had put a small drop of detergent in it to ensure an even head. Quite how true this was in not know to me, but it tasted bad enough (London beers tended to get a bad reputation outside the capital; although, to be honest, they didn't export their better brews).

And Ogg, I have been in rural pubs where the barrels of Bitter (Courage) was on the frame at the back of the bar. It was nectar.


Bear; please make sure you have a glass or two of Dortmunder Union, and Ritter. It's very refreshing on a hot day.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Dortmunder Union is grand. Ritterbrau was the stuff that gave us headaches! We will start in Berlin and sail down the Elbe to Prague. From Prague we head to Munich for three days of Oktoberfest!

 

[fifty5]

Anyone remember the original Watney's Draught Red Barrel=?

It didn't last too long after the story was put round that Watney's had put a small drop of detergent in it to ensure an even head. Quite how true this was in not know to me, but it tasted bad enough (London beers tended to get a bad reputation outside the capital; although, to be honest, they didn't export their better brews).

IIRC, Red Barrel could legally have been sold as 'non-alcoholic' it was so weak - or was that some other brew?