Beer-drinking cow sets world record
I was only searching for stuff about Milk Stout and look what comes up. I suppose it was inevitable, what with the folk stories you hear time and again about farmers feeding beer to all manner of beasts. From Life, March 22, 1948.
"Keeper helps cow swallow a pint of stout. The beverage is not rationed but is hard to obtain in England." I wonder how true that was?
This is of course the kind of silly story that papers love, in 1948 and today. Those shouting that beer needs to get into the mainstream media could do well to reflect on that: Cows drinking beer is what the mainstream media are interested in.
You never saw it in the mainstream press when BrewDog put pale ale on a ship, or aged stout with berries in an Islay cask, or blended two double IPAs to try to achieve new flavours. You did hear about it when they made "the strongest beer in the world", because that's the type of trash the press want to write about. Who's really to blame, BrewDog or the mass media?
But this story, apart from being silly, is interesting because we actually find out what kind of beer is involved, and there's even a lovely picture of bottles with nearly-legible labels. Oat Malt Stout (not Oatmeal). That narrows it down a fair bit. The label resembles the Tetley's huntsman but the lettering above the type of beer seems to be two words. I remember somewhere reading that some other brewery also had a huntsman logo … [edit: Puzzle solved. It was Eldridge Pope. Thanks to Callum]
Should be easy: A brewery in Hampshire or thereabouts, that in 1948 had an Oat Malt Stout with a huntsman on the label. There's a prize for the right answer. A bottle of Milk Stout. Or Oat Malt Stout if you prefer.
This is of course the kind of silly story that papers love, in 1948 and today. Those shouting that beer needs to get into the mainstream media could do well to reflect on that: Cows drinking beer is what the mainstream media are interested in.
You never saw it in the mainstream press when BrewDog put pale ale on a ship, or aged stout with berries in an Islay cask, or blended two double IPAs to try to achieve new flavours. You did hear about it when they made "the strongest beer in the world", because that's the type of trash the press want to write about. Who's really to blame, BrewDog or the mass media?
But this story, apart from being silly, is interesting because we actually find out what kind of beer is involved, and there's even a lovely picture of bottles with nearly-legible labels. Oat Malt Stout (not Oatmeal). That narrows it down a fair bit. The label resembles the Tetley's huntsman but the lettering above the type of beer seems to be two words. I remember somewhere reading that some other brewery also had a huntsman logo … [edit: Puzzle solved. It was Eldridge Pope. Thanks to Callum]
Should be easy: A brewery in Hampshire or thereabouts, that in 1948 had an Oat Malt Stout with a huntsman on the label. There's a prize for the right answer. A bottle of Milk Stout. Or Oat Malt Stout if you prefer.
Just found this on Ebay, same label?
ReplyDeletehttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Eldridge-pope-oat-malt-stout-beer-label-/230547621890
http://www.beer-pages.com/protz/features/eldridge_pope.htm
There's a bit more about it on the wiki page for stout!
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stout#Oatmeal_stout
Friday night could seldom have arrived in such style.
ReplyDeleteBravo!
I now realise that I'm desperately craving steak, for some reason...
Callum, if either of these styles ever becomes popular enough again that I can buy some, a bottle of each is yours.
ReplyDeleteWhey, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see more milk stouts around. Had one from Thornbridge earlier in the year, which was also infused with coffee beans from Pollards of Sheffield, t'was excellent.
http://www.ratebeer.com/beerimages/124729.jpg
One i'd really like to try is from Bristol Beer Factory
Anyway, enjoyed reading this blog post, cheers!
I got an interesting blog you write more
ReplyDeleteThe Bristol Beer Factory milk stout is superb. Had it at GBBF last year and have sadly never seen it since. Thornbridge did a good job with Pollard too, I liked it a lot and I'm generally not keen on coffee beers at all.
ReplyDeleteWhy's the fellow in the white coat trying to shove the botle up the poor beast's nose?
ReplyDeleteSo if you drink a Milk Stout, and the lactose came from a cow that drinks Milk Stouts, can you get Mad Cow Disease?
ReplyDeletePay attention Eric, the cow is drinking OAT MALT stout. Possibly you could get Malt Cow Disease.
ReplyDeletethis is very true the cow was fed stout, im his granddaughter, back then dairy milkers wore these coats, he won the most milk in a year this was won in 1948 on mortown farm hampshire the keeper was bill hobbs my grandad, he fed the cow stoat to loosen her up un he also fed her asprins if you want any more information on this its in the guiness book of records 1948
ReplyDeletewith thanks shauna hobbs