Porter (beer)

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Porter is a style of beer in the ale family - developed in the 18th century - which has a dark colour, originally from the use of highly dried brown malt, a roast malt aroma and hop bitterness. It is generally brewed with soft rather than hard water.

In 1802, a writer named John Feltham wrote a version of the history of porter that has been repeated hundreds of times since. Unfortunately very little of Feltham's story is backed up by contemporary evidence. Feltham claimed that in 18th century London a popular beverage called "three threads" was made consisting of a third of a pint each of ale, beer and twopenny (the strongest beer, costing tuppence a quart). About 1730, Feltham said, a brewer called Harwood made a single beer called Entire which recreated the flavour of "three threads", and which became known as "porter". It took its name from its popularity with the thousands of street and river porters (but not market porters) of London, who drank it to refresh themselves as they carried goods and parcels off and on ships in the Thames and around the streets of England's capital.

Porter is actually mentioned as early as 1721, but no writer before Feltham says it was made to replicate "three threads". Instead it seems to be a more-aged development of the brown beers already being made in London. It was the first beer that could be made on any big scale, and the London porter brewers, such as Whitbread, Truman, Parsons and Thrale, became rich and famous.

Bart Sinnott of Dublin whose father had three pubs in that city always said that the name porter came from a mistake at a brewery in London where the malt was burned or partly burned and what came out after the brewing was finished was black. Unsure as to what to do the brewery gave this black beer to the porters who distributed the beer to the pubs to drink themselves as the brewery did not think that one could sell this mistake. The rest is history.

In Ireland, especially Dublin, the drink was known as "plain porter" or just "plain". This is the drink referred to in the famous refrain of Flann O'Brien's poem "The Workman's Friend": "A pint of plain is your only man." By contrast, extra-strong porter was called Stout Porter and eventually became what is today stout.

Stout grew into its own recognised style but there is still much debate today on whether this division is appropriate. Usually the deciding factor in whether a particular ale is a porter or a stout is strength. After the invention of malted barley roasted until black, also known as patent malt, in 1817, to impart dark colour, which also gives a distinct burnt taste to the beer, Irish brewers dropped the use of brown malt, using patent malt and pale malt only, while English brewers continued using some brown malt, giving a difference in style between English and Irish porters and stouts. Stouts sometimes also use roast barley, unmalted barley roasted black, that can impart a flavour of coffee.

During the First World War in Britain, shortages of grain led to restrictions on the production of strong beer. This allowed Irish brewers such as Guinness to fill the market need and gain market dominance, a position that they continue to enjoy to this day.

A version known as Baltic porter, is brewed in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. It has a higher alcohol content than ordinary porters. Baltic porter was introduced from Britain in the 18th century as a top-fermenting (ie ale-style) beer; influenced by regional styles when it began to be produced locally, it is now mostly brewed as a lager-style bottom-fermenting beer. Many Baltic porters were also influenced by Russian Imperial Stout.

The microbrew revival of the past twenty years has led to somewhat of a resurgence in the popularity of the style, with many new varieties available around the world. The style is particularly prominent and popular in the United States.

Notable Porters

XXXX Porter from the Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire, England.
Alaskan Smoked Porter from Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau, Alaska (Smoked Porter)
Anchor Porter from Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, California
Bell's Porter from Bell's in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon
Blackhook Porter from Redhook in Woodinville, Washington
Bully! Porter from Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri
Carnegie Porter brewed by Carlsberg in Sweden
Edmund Fitzgerald Porter from Great Lakes in Cleveland, Ohio.
Flag Porter from Elgoods in Wisbech, England
Fuller's London Porter from Fuller, Smith and Turner in Chiswick, England
Great Northern Porter Summit Brewing Company from Saint Paul, Minnesota
James Squire Porter from Malt Shovel Brewery in Sydney, Australia
John Sleeman Fine Porter from Sleeman in Guelph, Canada
Koff Porter from Sinebrychoff in Kerava, Finland (Baltic Porter)
Limfjords-Porter from Thisted Bryghus in Thisted, Denmark
Nøgne Ø Porter from [Nøgne Ø] in Grimstad, Norway
Rogue Mocha Porter from Rogue in Newport, Oregon
Perkuno's Hammer from Heavyweight Brewing in Ocean Township, New Jersey (Baltic Porter)
Saku Porter from Saku in Harjumaa, Estonia. (Baltic Porter)
Sierra Nevada Porter from Sierra Nevada in Chico, California
Taddy Porter from Samuel Smith in Tadcaster, England
Utenos Porteris from Utenos in Utena, Lithuania (Baltic Porter)
Yuengling Porter from D.G. Yuengling & Son in Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Żywiec Porter from Żywiec in Cieszyn, Poland (Baltic Porter)

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