Beer Memorabilia - Supplement

TWO INTERESTING BREWERY PRICE LISTS FROM 1897

As a result of the article accompanying issue 37 of Beer Memorabilia, a member has sent me scans of two price lists in
his collection, which are extremely interesting. I have reproduced them in this article to share them.

The first list is a trifold item from Joules of Stone, Staffordshire, and covers two pages in this document. The price list is
dated 1897, and commemorates the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It lists prices of beers produced in that year. The list refers to ‘Royal Brews’ for
1897. It includes ‘A1’ Ale, along with beers entitled ‘1’ and ‘2’. Could one of them have been used for a Coronation ‘Royal’ Ale in 1902? We do know that
Joules produced a Coronation beer in 1911, so it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that one could have been done for 1902, or even a Diamond
Jubilee ale for 1897, although I would have expected it to be listed in the price list if it had been produced.

It is interesting to note that A1 Ale is listed here, because as far as I knew the first year we have hitherto seen an example of it is in 1917; a magnum is
known from that year.

The list was printed by Sir Joseph Causton & Sons Ltd., a company which, over the years, produced a huge amount of brewery and other advertising
material on behalf of companies.

The Fremlins of Maidstone list is an interesting piece of brewery history. It is especially of interest to Labologists to note the range of bottled beers
produced in 1897. And the illustrations of the labels are a bonus. In contrast to the Joules list, there is no mention of ‘Royal’ Ales. As far as I know
Fremlins didn’t produce a royal commemorative item until 1911. In that year Fremlins commemorated the Grand Prix Festival of Empire, which was an
event held at Crystal Palace to celebrate the 1911 coronation.

It is also interesting to note the number of branches or agents Fremlins had in the area at the time, ranging from Kent, through London, as far afield as
Guildford.

In the case of both lists, beer prices in days gone by are always of interest.

Mike Peterson

Editor’s note: Coronations for which beers are known to have been produced occurred in the UK in 1902 (Edward VII), 1911 (George V), 1937 (George VI)
and 1953 (Elizabeth II). Edward VIII never had a coronation.

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