of Hythe, Kent
Mackeson's is a dark sweet beer. It is 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.
1801 Henry and William Mackeson inherited a brewery in Hythe, Kent.
1900s Sweet stouts became popular in London.
1936 Mackesons Milk Stout was available nationally.
1920 Mackesons acquired by H. and G. Simmons of Reading.
1929 Company acquired by Jude, Hanbury and Co, a Kent brewer.
1920s Whitbread then acquired the brand, eventually turning it into the market leader for a low ABV sweet dark beer.
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". [1]
See Also
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