At a time when hazy, tropical fruit bombs and bitter, hop-heavy brews are everywhere, is there a place for traditional styles that fly in the face of craft beer’s excesses?
Although real ale hasn’t completely shed its image as an ‘old man’s drink’, there are some encouraging signs that it may be reaching out to a new audience. CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) reports a 10% increase in cask ale brewed by Britain’s independent brewers, with darker beers increasingly popular. However, only 16% of 18 to 24 year-old beer consumers drink cask ale, so there’s still much work to be done. Many modern drinkers are seeking lower-strength, lighter, more sessionable beers and mild is one category that could potentially help fill that gap.
Mild used to be a term applied to any beer which was young, unaged and best served fresh, so was probably much paler than it is today. It became darker in colour after World War I and was a favourite style in pubs during the decade following the Second World War, accounting for 75% of beer produced then. However, as bitter and then lager took centre stage, its popularity declined.
Today, there are two main variants commercially available. Dark milds are typically between 3% and 4% abv, lightly hopped with a roasted character, and are not particularly bitter. Strong milds range from 4.1% to 6.4% abv, according to CAMRA, and have more obvious sweet malt flavours along with roasted notes and a fuller mouthfeel than other milds. Pale milds and Scottish light beers also fit into the category, but they are not commercially prevalent.
Finding mild on draught in the UK is often a postcode lottery. So, where better to discover more about this traditional beer style than at the Great British Beer Festival, where Miles Jenner, legendary head brewer for nearly 40 years at iconic Sussex brewery Harvey’s, was on hand to give his views.
“It’s certainly sessionable at 3% abv,” Jenner comments, “and my memories go back to the 1950s at Harvey’s when I was a child. In those days, mild was 70% of our production, so it was very high volume and a beer that the workforce would drink because they wanted to rehydrate. It was low gravity and went down well with bread and cheese at lunchtime. So in that era, I think it was very much a sort of staple public beer to drink.”
Among the many beers that Harvey’s make is their multi-awarding 3% abv dark mild. Dry, refreshing, light and clean, it shows gentle touches of malty sweetness and roasted nuts plus a slight hint of brown bread.
Although down to around 1% of their production now, it’s survived, Jenner says, because Harvey’s never stopped brewing it. “It has a lovely quality – soft and rounded with no astringency and very easy drinking. We’re using a good coloured crystal malt, which gives it that nutty burnt background without being dominant.”
He continues: “Brewers of my generation were all torn up to produce balanced beers. You have a lower abv, a lower hop rate and that background quality, which I think just gives a beer that slots into a very easy drinking category. It’s one which you can drink more of, because your units are obviously far lower, about 2.8-3% abv, which is where mild sits for us.”
Indeed, for modern consumers cutting back on alcohol or seeking a lower abv alternative, mild may potentially offer a more appealing choice than a non-alcoholic beer. “I think there is that element where people look for lower gravity beers that are satisfying and deliver an experience,” Jenner notes.
So, what are Jenner’s views on the future of mild as a beer category?
“I think it’s here to stay,” he says. “I don’t think it’s going to grow exponentially, but if it’s on the bar, people will choose it. Obviously, if slow-moving, it’s difficult because mild will go off, like a low-gravity beer can… or any beer. So, you’re dependent on a reasonable turnover. Pubs that can substantiate having it on the bar, I think will benefit. The fact that many smaller craft brewers are now turning out a mild is indicative of the fact that there is interest in the style, or they wouldn’t be doing it.
“I think mild has had a bad press, because people associate it with a generation that’s gone. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with rediscovering tastes of the past. It’s one of the most exciting things about brewing. You can recreate something that your forebears were drinking and have that same experience, hopefully one that’s equally satisfying.”
… and which beer was crowned CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain 2025 at the Great British Beer Festival? Well, it was Mild by Cornwall’s Penzance Brewing Company!
Top photo shows Miles Jenner, head brewer at Harvey’s (image by Robin Goldsmith)
