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Porter

Drinks

Porter is a very dark beer made using highly dried brown malt, of middle strength and hoppiness, generally made using soft water.

Known at least since Nicholas Amhurst’s ‘Terrae Filius‘ of 1721; “We had rather dine at a Cook’s Shop upon Beef, Cabbage and Porter, than tug at an Oar, or rot in a dark, stinking Dungeon.”
Daniel Defoe’s 1724 ‘Great Law Subordination Consider’d‘ has; “I have convers’d with them over a Mug of Porter, as they call their Alehouse Beer and Ale.”

John Feltham’s 1802 history of porter claimed it originated with a brewer called Harwood making an ‘Entire’ beer to imitate the ‘three threads’ mixture of ale, beer and twopenny offered in 18th century London, and taking its name from its popularity with street and river porters. Porter is mentioned as early as 1721, and its current form may be a development of the London Brown Ales made darker by the use of Wheeler’s invention of his patent malt process in 1817.

Friedrich Accum’s 1820 ‘Treatise on adulterations of food‘ found the London Porter of his day to be between 4% an 4.75% alcohol.


Fuller’s London Porter
Image: LeeKeoma


See:
Porter Cake
Stout






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