Price* of Provision*. 



IT79 



1785 



ALE, BEER, AND PORTER. 



I HAVE thought it worth while to print a few of the prices of the 

 various malt liquors drunk during the eighteenth century. They are 

 all drawn from the Brandsby and Castle Howard papers, as nothing on 

 this subject was found among my father's collections. I hardly think it 

 possible that he disregarded any quotations he found, as the eighteenth 

 century witnessed the development of the brewing trade and the drink 

 question. It is more probable that the colleges in whose records he 

 searched bought little ale or beer from the common brewer, as their 

 breweries were maintained till almost the present time. It appears that 

 at Brandsby the brewhouse was kept going a large part of the period, 

 and that the purchases were made either in a temporary failure of the 

 supply, or when for some reason the home manufacture was stopped. 

 At Castle Howard, except where they are taken from the innkeeper's 

 books, they are generally records of sales. The liquor brewed there is 

 said to have been of exceptional strength, and was popularly called 

 ' the George/ after one of the Earls of Carlisle. Stories told of its 

 intoxicating powers suggest a resemblance to the better known ' audit 

 ale/ The brewery was only closed a few years ago. 



Beer, Ale, and Porter are usually sold by the hogshead, the barrel, the 

 gallon. I have found one purchase of a butt and two of a firkin, and the 

 pint and the dozen are also used. There is one entry of ' table ale * and 

 one of ' after ale/ 



Unless otherwise described, the price is of a barrel, two of which go to 

 the hogshead. 



