| Scope and Method of Study. This paper examines the impact of hopped beer on the brewing trade in London between the years 1200-1700. Prior to the arrival of hopped beer, traditional, un-hopped ale reigned as the most popular drink throughout England for centuries, pre-dating the Roman invasion of Britannia. This brew, though widely consumed, was an unstable commodity, as it spoiled quickly and brewers could only produce a limited amount of ale per batch. These factors caused ale brewing to remain a domestic industry for centuries leading to the outbreak of plague in 1348. Following the Black Death, ale brewing experienced a limited amount of commercialization, but the marketing of ale remained highly localized. The addition of hops into brewing resulted in a more resilient product that lasted for months instead of weeks. The longer lifespan allowed brewers to export beer to an international market, resulting in a rapid growth of commercialization against which ale could not compete. The more stable brew allowed for improvements in brewing technology and laid the foundations for industrial brewing. Sources used include the Letter Books from the City of London, which document the city's legal history. Written reactions from ale brewers regarding beer and foreign beer brewers, drinking songs, morality plays, books regarding health and nutrition, and military records also contributed to this study.;Findings and Conclusions. Though the ale brewers of London resisted the arrival of hopped beer, their product could not compete against the commercial advantages offered by beer. Once accepted by English drinkers, beer became a staple supply to the English army, and London became the primary exporter of beer on the international market. These factors resulted in the greater commercialization of beer in London, paving the way for the rise of industrial brewing in the eighteenth century. The durability of hopped beer forced brewers to take up the new practice of brewing with hops and pushed the brewing of ale into the English countryside by the end of the seventeenth century. |
