Dear Sir/madam, 

I am just wondering if you can help me.  I have come across a few old bottles which I used to collect. In with them was the one I have sent an image of,  can you tell me anything about it as I am having no luck on the internet. 

Your help and knowledge would be most helpful,

Yours faithfully,

Mrs S Fletcher

David Priest is researching Holt Brothers of Burnham and a number of us have sent him images of labels in our collections.

Richard Lilley has sent the attached photograph of a couple of Coronation bottles in his collection - they are covered in what looks liek clingfilm to protect the labels. Richard says:

I saw your letter in the newsletter and thought you might like the enclosed picture. I aquired the two bottles a few years ago from a dealer in the north, he said they came from the head brewer’s office when the brewery closed. The interesting thing is that one bottle has a date for 1937 hand written on the label and the other has the date 1953 hand written but with different handwriting to the 1937 bottle. It was suggested that spare 1937 labels were used on the first 1953 bottles then the colour of the label changed from purple to dark red for the later bottles.
Season’s Greetings
Richard Lilley

If you have any memories of the early days of the BHS, or any documentation (other than Newsletters, which we have), we would love to hear from you.

Thanks

Jeff

 Hello from Switzerland!I’m taking part to a medieval reconstitution group in ma area (Fribourg) in Switzerland, specialized in 1420 – 1480 and for the artisanal aspect of the life at this range. I’m trying to find as you suspect beer recipe and process. Do you cover this on your blog in England? I cannot find.Or maybe in Europe/France/Germany/Switzerland ? Everything I found is starting 1600/1700.If I’m not wrong hops are landing into throws around 1400-1450 in England no, in parallel with the gruit ale? Beer vs ale :o)I ask also to Durden Park, but they don’t have source for this period. Maybe you?Or do you know medieval group around in UK?Brewerly, Dom   

We copied this to Ian Hornsey who replied as follows. Other contributions, as ever, would be very welcome

Regarding the enquiry, I have no reliable records of recipes from this era. Being ‘inland’, and far from the Hansa towns further north, I suspect that the hop would not have been used for brewing in medieval Switzerland. Cultivation of the plant may not have reached that far south. I suggest that Dom looks at Unger’s two books, and Nordland’s epic (even tho’ the latter relates to matters further north). Also, advise him to look up details of the old monastery at St. Gall - I know of early records, but there might be some later ones. He will almost certainly know about this.

 References are:Nordland, Odd. Brewing and Beer Traditions in Norway. Universitetsforlaget, Oslo. 1969.Unger, R.W. A History of Brewing in Holland 900-1900. Brill, Leiden. 2001. Unger, R.W. Beer in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. PA. 2004.  (Austria mentioned on pp.50, 54, 107, 161, 217, 246 - no mention of Switzerland) Best,Ian

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Microbiologists Raul Cano and Chip Lambert have teamed up with microbrewer Peter Hackett to produce a beer made with yeast extracted from ancient amber. Brewed and distributed under the name Fossil Fuels Brewing Company it goes on sale later this year. To see how they did it click here.