Mackesons

December 1948.

c1958.

of Hythe, Kent

Mackeson's is a dark sweet beer and one of the few surviving examples of an old southern English style of sweet stout also known as milk stout, so-called because it contains lactose, a sugar derived from milk.

1669 James Pashley established the Hythe Brewery in High Street, Hythe

1801 Henry Mackeson and William Mackeson inherited the brewery in Hythe, Kent.

1848 Partnership dissolved. '...the Partnership lately subsisting between us the undersigned, Henry Mackeson, Harriett Mackeson, John Mackeson, Henry Scroope Mackeson, George Mackeson, and Harriet Sophia Backhouse, as Brewers and Maltsters, at Hythe, in the county of Kent, hath been dissolved, as from the 16th day of July 1847, by mutual consent; and that the said businesses will be in future carried on by the said Henry Mackeson alone...'

1860 Henry died.

Company continued by Henry's son Henry Bean Mackeson

1900 Mackeson and Co Ltd was incorporated

1900s Sweet stouts became popular in London.

1908 Acquired patents for incorporation of lactose in beer.

1909 The first milk stout was introduced.

1920 Mackeson and Co was acquired by H. and G. Simonds of Reading.

1929 Company acquired by Jude, Hanbury and Co, a Kent brewer.

1929 Whitbread then acquired the brand, eventually turning it into the market leader for a high ABV sweet dark beer.

1934 The registered office of Mackeson and Co was transferred to Chiswell Street Brewery, London EC1

1936 Mackesons Milk Stout was made available nationally.

c1958 Advert. Hythe. Where the Country Meets the Sea. Official Guide. Hythe Publicity Committee.

1960 Half the sales of Whitbread were of Mackesons sweet stout.

There are currently three versions of the stout:

United Kingdom - In Britain the beer is now brewed "under supervision" of Whitbread by InBev (formerly Interbrew), who in turn have commissioned Youngs to brew the beer at the Ram Brewery, London. The Mackeson recipe itself is touted as being around since 1801, although milk beer wasn't patented until 1875. The British version is 3.75% abv and is available in 330ml cans or 275ml bottles.

United States of America - A 5% abv version called Mackeson XXX is brewed for the American market. The American version is not an import from the UK and is brewed in Cincinnati, Ohio by Hudepohl-Schoenling.

Trinidad - A 4.9% XXX version is brewed by Carib Brewery in Trinidad for the local market where it is targeted at "a multi-ethnic society, communicating energy, stamina, masculinity, smoothness and session ability. It is primarily directed to young adult males who are fitness conscious and enjoy socializing, (Generation Next)" with the advertising slogan "Take it to the Max".

See Also

Loading...

Sources of Information

• [2] Wikipedia
• Trademarked. A History of Well-Known Brands - from Aertex to Wright's Coal Tar by David Newton. Pub: Sutton Publishing 2008 ISBN 978-0-7509-4590-5