1903 The Flowing Bowl by Edward Spencer

ALL ALE 67 For the annual holiday of the stafF I should be afraid to state from memory how many special trains are required to convey the great hive of workers to Brighton, and other far - distant watering-places, and back to Burton again. In short, it would be hard to find a spot in the inhabited world in which the name of Bass is not known and respected. I mentioned further back Scotch and English barleys as being employed for malting purposes ; but as a matter of fact the produce of many countries is used, in a blend, the whole being divided into two classes, heavy and light. And in making choice of barleys it is necessary that they should be thoroughly and equally ripened, well " got" or harvested, and as far as possible presented to the brewer in the perfect husk or envelope with which nature has furnished the kernel. Ancient and modern modes of thrashing and dressing to a greater or less extent damage both the husk and the kernel, and thus at the very threshold introduce one of the causes of disease. Whenever the grain is broken or bruised it is liable to beattacked whenmoist by a variety of moulds which lead to more or less serious disaster. Of the dilFerent varieties of beer, " pale ale" or " bitter " is a highly-hopped beer made from the very finest selected malt and hops ; whilst " mild ale," or as it is called in Scotland " sweet ale," is of greater gravity or strength, and is comparatively lightly hopped. " Old ale" is, naturally, the best stuff that can be brewed, in a state of maturity ; and it is a peculiarity of ale