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Gold label down again

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Harold Burkinshaw was the Head Brewer and the most feared person I knew in my 40 years at Whitbread. He was responsible for "inventing" Gold Label.

The advert used to say ....(strong as a double scotch and half the price).

Whitbread had their own version namely Final Selection and on the label it read.....Discretion should be used when consuming this bottle due to the high alchol content. Ironically it was never as strong as Gold Label.

Both drinks were sold in "nip" bottles ie. a 1/3rd of a pint.

 

I worked as a contractor at the Exchange Brewery in mid-70s, perhaps you cannot identify yourself but perhaps a boss or workmate ?

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A true story. Me dad (let's call him Hillsbro snr.) who was a first aid instructor, visited a brewery one evening in 1962 for a first aid exercise. They offered him a drink afterwards and he "accidentally" (his words, might not be Gospel ;)) drank a pint or more of Gold Label in mistake for ordinary bitter. Realising he had better get home before he was "over the limit" he got astride his LE Velocette without delay. He might have made it home, but foolishly (he was indeed a bit daft, bless him :)) he decided to call for fish & chips from the chippy at the bottom of Dykes Hall Road. By the time he had queued for his haddock, chips & peas he was becoming incoherent. Two ladies from the chip shop wheeled the motorbike into their forecourt and kindly helped him stagger up the road to No 20, whereupon he flaked out on the living room carpet. Mrs Hillsbro, needless to say, was not amused. She took his boots off, covered him with a blanket and gave him a good telling-off the next morning. :)

 

Ha ha !... a good story Hillsbro'... enjoyed !.... ps. Iv'e had a few 'Barley's myself... in my time.

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Glad you enjoyed the story, oscar 2157! :) It did actually happen, and the poor soul never even got his fish & chip supper. :(

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I used to love Whitbread Gold Label, usually on its own but ocassionally in a pint glass with a half of Guinness. This was my own inspired concoction that I named 'Headbanger' and the combination really did hit the spot.

 

New bar staff had to be instructed how to pour it. If they poured the Barley Wine in first then added the Guinness there was an 'explosion' of froth and head and it became mostly lost and couldn't be served :D

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I heard many a landlord used to put 3-4 bottles in there barrels of magnet to give it a edge on other pub beers

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I used to love Whitbread Gold Label, usually on its own but ocassionally in a pint glass with a half of Guinness. This was my own inspired concoction that I named 'Headbanger' and the combination really did hit the spot.

 

New bar staff had to be instructed how to pour it. If they poured the Barley Wine in first then added the Guinness there was an 'explosion' of froth and head and it became mostly lost and couldn't be served :D

 

Yeah, I decided on a black velvet over here in Canada, one day having noticed both Stromgbow and Guiness were on draught. I asked the barman if he knew what one was , he answered cockily, that of course he did. I was talking to a friend at the bar, so I never saw him pulling the pumps. When our drinks arrived,my pal cracked out laughing loudly as he saw the Guiness sat on top of the Cider, the barman thought it looked cool LOL:roll:

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Just cracked open a bottle of Batemans Victory ale 6% and a good substitute for barley wine

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Yeah, I decided on a black velvet over here in Canada, one day having noticed both Stromgbow and Guiness were on draught. I asked the barman if he knew what one was , he answered cockily, that of course he did. I was talking to a friend at the bar, so I never saw him pulling the pumps. When our drinks arrived,my pal cracked out laughing loudly as he saw the Guiness sat on top of the Cider, the barman thought it looked cool LOL:roll:
Good story :D

 

I did have a pint of Guinness in Sydney about seven years ago, it was as good as back home and served in a pint glass too! We live further South of Sydney and I've only seen Guinness served here once, on a promotion in a social club. It was one of the imported tins with the plastic 'widget' inside that produces a head on the Guinness when poured. Do you have these where you are?

 

Anyway all the Aussies were buying it from the bar, popping the ring-pull and drinking it straight from the tin with varying looks of distaste or puzzlement on their faces!

 

Fortunately a passing Pom saw them and taught them the benefit of pouring it into a glass first! :D

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1967

The Guinness Book of Records 14th Ed

 

"The strongest beer now brewed in the United Kingdom is Gold Label Barley Wine made by Tennant Brothers Ltd. of Sheffield, a subsidiary of Whitbread & Co. Ltd. It has an alcoholic content of 8.5 per cent. by weight (10.6 per cent. by volume). This figure is matched by John Courage's Russian Stout which is not brewed at regular intervals, though supplies now exist. The highest original gravity is 1,104° in Bass No. 1 Barley Wine (7.0 per cent. alcohol by weight, or 8.8 per cent. by volume). The strongest larger marketed is Carlsberg Special Brew, with a specific gravity of 1,081°."

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Good story :D

 

I did have a pint of Guinness in Sydney about seven years ago, it was as good as back home and served in a pint glass too! We live further South of Sydney and I've only seen Guinness served here once, on a promotion in a social club. It was one of the imported tins with the plastic 'widget' inside that produces a head on the Guinness when poured. Do you have these where you are?

 

Anyway all the Aussies were buying it from the bar, popping the ring-pull and drinking it straight from the tin with varying looks of distaste or puzzlement on their faces!

 

Fortunately a passing Pom saw them and taught them the benefit of pouring it into a glass first! :D

Yes all the bars that don't have Guiness on tap, have the "widgerydoo" cans of the famous black stuff. Never seen anybody drink out of the can though;)

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Glad to know that some of you think the same as me about G L B W.

I had my first alcoholic drink when I was 18 in 1959 it was John Smiths Ola Ale

by the time I was twenty I was on G L B W. I've tried other specialty beers to replace ti since the reduction but in vain. As some of you remember it used to be 10.5 and I watched being reduced over and over again.

I've even tried contact them by email to who I think produce it to ask why but no reply. And finding the in a public house now is a gamble, especially the new generation serving you say " barley wine no we only sell red or white.

We still , my wife and I drink it at home, and how people react when you tell them what you drink, " That's a poor mans whiskey, alcoholics drink them.

It certainly had a reputation

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Glad to know that some of you think the same as me about G L B W.

I had my first alcoholic drink when I was 18 in 1959 it was John Smiths Ola Ale

by the time I was twenty I was on G L B W. I've tried other specialty beers to replace ti since the reduction but in vain. As some of you remember it used to be 10.5 and I watched being reduced over and over again.

I've even tried contact them by email to who I think produce it to ask why but no reply. And finding the in a public house now is a gamble, especially the new generation serving you say " barley wine no we only sell red or white.

We still , my wife and I drink it at home, and how people react when you tell them what you drink, " That's a poor mans whiskey, alcoholics drink them.

It certainly had a reputation

 

Yep that and special brew central heating for the poor hard up

 

---------- Post added 28-01-2016 at 12:23 ----------

 

Yep that and special brew central heating for the poor hard up

 

Being careful what I say now because if money was available and not spent elsewhere we could do summat about this situation !

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