Mackeson's XXX
Encyclopedia
Mackeson Stout 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 because it contains lactose
, a sugar
derived from milk
.
, a sugar
derived from milk
. Because lactose is unfermentable by Saccharomyces cerevisiae
, it adds sweetness, body, and calories to the finished beer. Contemporary labeling standards prevent the use of the term in the UK, but Mackeson still bears on its label the milk churn that has been its trademark since it was first brewed in 1907.
Milk stout was supposed to be very nutritious, and was given to nursing mothers. In 1875, John Henry Johnson first sought a patent for a milk beer, based on whey
, lactose, and hops
.
The beer was originally brewed in Hythe
, Kent
, by Mackeson's Brewery in 1907. Brewing discontinued after 1968 at the Hythe plant.
Whitbread
acquired the brand in the 1920s and gave it national distribution, eventually turning it into the market leader for a low abv sweet dark beer. Whitbread was purchased in 2001 by InBev
. The beer is no longer brewed in England, but by Boston Beer Company
's Cincinnati plant.
contained the catch-phrase that Mackeson "looks good, tastes good and, by golly, it does you good."
"under supervision" of InBev
. The British version is 3.0% abv
and is available in 330ml cans or 275ml bottles. The UK version is among the top twenty highest selling beers in Hong Kong
, selling over 5,000 hectolitres a year.
A 4.9% XXX version is brewed by Carib Brewery in Trinidad
for the local market where it is targeted at young adult males with the advertising slogan, "Take it to the Max".
A 5% abv version called Mackeson XXX was once brewed for the American market. This American version was not an import from the UK and was brewed in Cincinnati, Ohio
by Hudepohl-Schoenling
. This brewery is no longer in business, and this stout is no longer brewed in the U.S.
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
. It is one of the few surviving examples of an old southern English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
style of sweet stout
Stout
Stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....
also known as milk stout because it contains lactose
Lactose
Lactose is a disaccharide sugar that is found most notably in milk and is formed from galactose and glucose. Lactose makes up around 2~8% of milk , although the amount varies among species and individuals. It is extracted from sweet or sour whey. The name comes from or , the Latin word for milk,...
, a sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
derived from milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
.
Milk stout
Milk stout (also called sweet stout, mellow stout, or cream stout) is a stout containing lactoseLactose
Lactose is a disaccharide sugar that is found most notably in milk and is formed from galactose and glucose. Lactose makes up around 2~8% of milk , although the amount varies among species and individuals. It is extracted from sweet or sour whey. The name comes from or , the Latin word for milk,...
, a sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
derived from milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
. Because lactose is unfermentable by Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast. It is perhaps the most useful yeast, having been instrumental to baking and brewing since ancient times. It is believed that it was originally isolated from the skin of grapes...
, it adds sweetness, body, and calories to the finished beer. Contemporary labeling standards prevent the use of the term in the UK, but Mackeson still bears on its label the milk churn that has been its trademark since it was first brewed in 1907.
Milk stout was supposed to be very nutritious, and was given to nursing mothers. In 1875, John Henry Johnson first sought a patent for a milk beer, based on whey
Whey
Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese...
, lactose, and hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
.
History
The recipe for Mackeson Milk Stout has been around since 1801, but that is in reference to the British version of the beer known simply as Mackeson’s Stout.The beer was originally brewed in Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, by Mackeson's Brewery in 1907. Brewing discontinued after 1968 at the Hythe plant.
Whitbread
Whitbread
Whitbread PLC is a global hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. Its largest division is Premier Inn, which is the largest hotel brand in the UK with around 580 hotels and over 40,000 rooms. Its Costa Coffee chain has around 1,600 stores across 25...
acquired the brand in the 1920s and gave it national distribution, eventually turning it into the market leader for a low abv sweet dark beer. Whitbread was purchased in 2001 by InBev
InBev
InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
. The beer is no longer brewed in England, but by Boston Beer Company
Boston Beer Company
Samuel Adams is an American brand of beer brewed by the Boston Beer Company and its associated contract brewers. The company was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, Harry M. Rubin, and Lorenzo Lamadrid in Boston, Massachusetts, USA...
's Cincinnati plant.
Advertisements
A long-lasting television advertising campaign with the actor Bernard MilesBernard Miles
Bernard James Miles, Baron Miles, CBE was an English character actor, writer and director. He opened the Mermaid Theatre in London in 1959, the first new theatre opened in the City of London since the 17th century....
contained the catch-phrase that Mackeson "looks good, tastes good and, by golly, it does you good."
Versions
In the UK the beer is now contract brewed by Wells & Young's BreweryWells & Young's Brewery
Wells & Young's Brewery was formed in October 2006 from the merger of the brewing operations of Charles Wells Ltd and Young's Brewery. Charles Wells have a 60% stake and Young's 40%. Wells & Young's is now responsible for brewing, distributing and marketing Charles Wells' and Young & Co's brands...
"under supervision" of InBev
InBev
InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
. The British version is 3.0% abv
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
and is available in 330ml cans or 275ml bottles. The UK version is among the top twenty highest selling beers in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, selling over 5,000 hectolitres a year.
A 4.9% XXX version is brewed by Carib Brewery in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
for the local market where it is targeted at young adult males with the advertising slogan, "Take it to the Max".
A 5% abv version called Mackeson XXX was once brewed for the American market. This American version was not an import from the UK and was brewed in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
by Hudepohl-Schoenling
Hudepohl Brewing Company
Hudepohl Brewing Company was a brewery established in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1885 by founder Ludwig Hudepohl II. Hudepohl was the son of Bavarian immigrants and had worked in the surgical tool business before starting his brewery. Hudepohl combined with Schoenling Brewing Company in 1986...
. This brewery is no longer in business, and this stout is no longer brewed in the U.S.