Through a Glass, Mildly

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With the impeachment of former US President Donald J. Trump now affirmed: his trial by the Senate deemed to be lawful and Fulton County GA prosecutors starting a criminal investigation over the “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” conversation with Brad Raffensperger; I thought I'd just mention Sedgeley, apropos of absolutely bugger all, by way of diversion.

I have family connections with the place: my Great, Great, Great Grandfather was born there in the late eighteenth century, before moving to North East Wales and marrying my Great, Great, Great Grandmother, Sarah Parry; who was born in Ruabon. Also, Sedgeley is home to another Sarah: Sarah Hughes Brewery [another good Welsh name], based at The Beacon Hotel. In normal times, a cracking place to go for a pint of exquisite beer, or in the case of my favourite long tipple; ale.

Wind back a few decades to the mid-nineties, and we were on a visit to Birmingham to see family. There were the three of us; Jane's parents and Jane's sister and brother-in-law with their two twenty-something lads. Jane's father, who like me had a great fondness for Black Country beers and ales, suggested going to the Beacon for a couple of drinks before lunch as Sedgeley's not that far from where they lived at the time.

First at the bar as usual, Alec [Jane's dad] asked what I wanted to drink. Seeing that there was a dark mild [this is now an endangered species] on tap, I said I'd try that. The others pretty much followed suit. At some point, Alec tipped me the wink that this was a rather special 'mild' ale. Traditionally, mild was a lowish alcohol, very lightly hopped, session beer; meant to quaffed rather than sipped: I grew up drinking the stuff, and very nice it was too. However, whilst tasting like any other really good dark mild should, Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby carried a bit of a punch, in the form of 6%ABV, rather stronger than your average premium lager these days.

In warning me to keep it to a couple of pints, Alec suggested we say nothing to anyone else [he was a bit wicked, truth be told], so we kept stumm. Jane's nephews, being young lads used to quaffing, quaffed. By the time we left the pub to return home for lunch, they were 'hanging' to use a North Walean phrase: slightly more than mildly inebriated, and missed out on the meal, being forced to retire to bed to sleep it off.

When things get back to normal, and pubs hopefully re-open for business; please frequent and support what is after all, part of our culture and pretty much unique to the UK. And if you find yourself in Sedgeley, and it's open, stop off at The Beacon Hotel for a drop of some of the finest beer in the world, brewed out back on the premises.


Comments

  1. Steve11 February 2021 at 13:44

    Both me and my very good friend, Kelvin Smith, are great fans of dark beers and especially mild ale. I must say that I am not a fan of those brewers who insist on making ales of ABV's above 4 and calling them Mild Ale, (a discussion I recently had with our mutual friend the 'Other Mr Smith, who was also in agreement).Dark Ales above 4, or more appropriately 3.5, are just that - Dark Ales and there are in truth some excellent ones of these too. In Yorkshire we are well blessed, (or at least we were before lockdowns - and let us hope that we still are when we come out of them), with really good quality Mild's from some great small breweries. Hopefully when all this is over we can get together and go sample some before the inevitable curry finish. Cheers!

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  2. sideways11 February 2021 at 14:00

    I totally agree with your taxonomic derivations, Mr. Smith; but a quarter of a century ago, I'm pretty sure that Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby was in a minority of one: a bit of a Black Country oddball you might say. And however classified, it was a beautiful pint at the time. I'm also really looking forward to the day when I can just casually step into a pub for a couple and read my paper in peace: unfortunately, proper mild - indeed any, for that matter - is impossible to get round here these days, since sources of Burtonwood's excellent draught disappeared (it rivalled Ansells - and from me that's a *big* compliment). Iechyd da!

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