Mackeson's XXX

Mackeson's XXX 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, so-called because it contains lactose, a sugar derived from milk.

Milk stout

Milk stout (also called sweet stout or cream stout) is a stout containing lactose, 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's still wears on its label the milk churn that has been its trademark on and off 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.

History

The beer was originally brewed in Hythe, Kent, by Mackeson's Brewery in 1907.

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.

The 1950s produced one of the most memorable and long-lasting television advertising catch-phrases with actor Bernard Miles informing viewers that Mackeson "'looks good, tastes good and, by golly, it does you good."

Current situation

The beer is now brewed "under supervision" of Whitbread by InBev (formerly Interbrew), who in turn have commissioned Young's to brew the beer at the Ram Brewery, London. The Mackeson recipe itself is touted as being around since 1801, although milk beer wasn't patented until 1875.

Three versions are brewed, a 3.75% abv version for the British market, a 5% abv version called "Mackeson XXX" for the American market. The American version is not an import from the UK. It is brewed in Cincinnati, Ohio by Hudepohl-Schoenling. A 4.9% XXX version is brewed by Carib Brewery in Trinidad for the local market where it is targeted at "a multi-ethnic society, communicating energy, stamina, masculinity, smoothness and session ability. It is primarily directed to young adult males who are fitness conscious and enjoy socializing, (Generation Next)." with the advertising slogan "Take it to the Max" http://www.caribbeer.com/mackeson.htm

ee also

*Stout

References