1903 The Flowing Bowl by Edward Spencer

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THE FLOWING BOWL

that, securely bottled, it will keep its strength far longer than any other fermented drink. In December 1889 some bottles of beer were found walled up in a cellar at Burton-on-Trent; and the records of the firm, as well as the shape of the bottles, shewed that the beer had been brewed nearly a hundred years before. It was as bright as a sunbeam, and quite drinkable, but had lost its bitterness, andassumed the character of sherry. But old ale, like old brandy, is of little value to the toper, in that it takes a veryminute quantity toaccomplish in him the desired effect—oblivion. "Audit" ales and "college" ditto require very delicate handling of the jug ; and I have tasted ancient beer in Allsopp's cellars in Burton, a wine-glassful of which would probably have put a coal-whipper on his back. It was the colour of mahogany and oh ! so seductive. Porter, as most people know, is a black beer, brewed in much the same manner as the other stuff, with roasted malt to give it colour ; whilst stout is simply a superior kind of porter. As for the lager beer of the Fatherland it is fermented at avery low temperature, the fermentation being longer delayed. Some years ago great stress was laid on the German system of mashing called the "thick mash," which consisted of boiling or cooking a portion of the mash, and running it back and remixing it with the portion left in the tun ; but it is now found possible to brew the finest lager beer with a slight modification of our own mashing method. The sons of Britannia for a considerable period held aloof from this lager, which was

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