Mild in May

Head Brewer and GM Derek Orford explains a bit more about the old style beer that’s fighting back…

It’s Mild in May and we have the weather to go with it! Brewers all over the country are busy brewing Mild beer. Mild, as a beer style, has been around for a few hundred years. These days it tends to be lower in strength than most beers, although that wasn’t generally the case until the First World War, when brewers were forced to limit the strength of their beers (that’s our story, anyway!)

Milds are usually dark in colour, but light Milds are also brewed, AK from Fremlins in Kent being the first Mild that I mashed in, as a junior brewer. But it’s the darker ones that I really like. As the amount of hops in the recipe is relatively low, the dark malt that provides the colour also predominates in flavour.

Having said that, I do like a Mild to have some caramel in the recipe too. At low levels it gives a smooth roundness that makes for easy drinking and the second and third pints come by in quick succession (Mild is not made for sipping!)

Unsurprisingly, our Dark Horse Mild fits the bill perfectly. It’s available on tap here at the brewery, and our regular customers include The Embankment, The Ale Wagon, The Geese and Fountain, The Cranmer Arms, The Dog & Gun, and the Horse & Trumpet. If you wait a little while you’ll also find it at the Noel’s Arms in Melton (just delivered!)

Other brewers also make Milds that are almost as good. If you can’t find Belvoir Brewery Dark Horse Mild in your local, why not try any of the locally brewed ones that you can find this month, and enjoy Mild in May!

Cheers…