1872 Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks (Mixellany)

88

Ale and Beer. Of leaden Morpheus o'er my eyes had shed Its opiate influence. What though sore ills Oppress, dire want of chill-dispelling coals, Or cheerful candle, save the makeweight's gleam Haply remaining; heart-rejoicing ale Cheers the sad scene, and every want supplies.

Ale was first made from malted barley alone. Beer (from the German word bier) was the name given long afterwards to ale flavoured with bitters, such as hops, &c. Hops were first introduced from Germany in the year 1524, during the reign of Henry VIII.:— Ale-houses were first licensed in the reign of Charles II. That variety of beer called Porter derives its name from its consumption by the London porters, and other hard-working men. It was first called Entire, or entire butt, because drawn from one cask. The malt liquors previously in use were ale, beer, and twopenny. It was then customary to call for a tankard of three thirds (or three threads), which was a mixture of a third each of ale, beer, and twopenny. This obliged the drawer to go to three casks to supply a single tan- kard. To improve upon this system, a brewer named Harwood, in 1722, made a liquor he called entire, Turkies, carp, picarell, and beere, Came into England all in one year.