DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Monday, 02 August, 2021.

LIST BREWERIES Paul Skelton

 

Mackeson

Hythe

Mackeson price list

The Hythe Brewery was established in 1699 by James Pashley and in 1801 came into the hands of the Mackeson family. Early expansion resulted from the influx of British soldiers in the area, to combat the threat of a French invasion. The brewery's most famous product, introduced around 1907, was Milk Stout, which was produced under licence by other brewers. Whitbread acquired control of the brewery through Jude Hanbury & Co. Ltd., in the late 1920s, but brewing continued at Hythe up to May, 1968. Today the name' Mackeson' has become synonymous with mellow stout, and is found around the world as it is known both nationally and internationally.

Mackeson Milk Stout

From the Kentish Chronicle 15 July 1806.

HYTHE BREWERY.

Bakers and Dealers in yeast may be supplied with yeast in the highest perfection, every day in the week, on application being made to John Leversque, brewer, for Messrs. Mackeson's Hythe, Kent.

Hythe, Kent, 14th July, 1806.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 20 February, 1914. Price 1d.

MACKESON SHIELD

A games contest between Dover and Folkestone for the Mackeson Shield took place at the Friendly Society's Club, Biggin Street, on Thursday evening last week, when Folkestone were successful at dominoes, cribbage, euchre, and whist, but Dover won both at billiards and darts. The following were the results:- Billiards; R. Downs (Folkestone), beat W. Austin (Dover); A Williams (Dover), beat M. Bansted (Folkestone); F. H. Licence (Dover), beat Mr. Redmond (Folkestone). Darts; Dover 5, Folkestone 4. Dominoes; Dover 1, Folkestone 2. Cribbage; Dover 4, Folkestone 5. Euchre; Dover 4, Folkestone 5. Whist, Dover 3, Folkestone 6.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 24 May, 1935.

DEATH OF Mr. H. MACKESON, J.P.

The death occurred on Sunday, at the age of 74 years, of Mr. Henry Mackeson, J.P., of Littlebourne House, Littlebourne, a former head of the firm of Mackeson and Co., Ltd., thr Hythe brewers. He was a Justice of the Peace for Kent, and had frequently sat on the Wingham Bench at Dover. Mr. Mackeson was the eldest son of the late Mr. Henry Bean mackeson, of Hythe, and was born in 1861. He was educated at Uppingham, and later studied chemistry at Edinburgh and London. He subsequently entered the business of Mackeson and Co., Ltd., of Hythe. On the death of his father in 1894, he became sole partner in the business, and, a year later, married Miss Ella C Ripley. From then until 1814 he resided at Folkestone, and he moved to Littlebourne House in 1919. He retired in 1920, when the business was purchased by Messrs. Simmonds, of eading. His wife died in 1933, and he leaves two sons. The elder is serving in the Royal Scots Greys in Edinburgh, and the younger is farming at Littlebourne. In 1891, while a captain in the 5th Militia Battalion The Buffs, Mr. Mackeson was taking part in the parade on the Old Park Parade Ground, Canterbury, when the horse which he was riding swerved and threw him backwards. He was dangerously ill at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital for a long time, as a result of his injuries, and was permanently lame afterwards. He served on the Committee of the Kent County Cricket Club for two periods. The funeral took place at Hythe Church on Thursday afternoon.

 

I have recently found an early advert for Mackeson, unfortunately no visual yet, but please click on the link to open a WAV file of the advert. Date unknown. CLICK TO PLAY WAV.

 

The video (available from Windows Explorer) below is in WMV format and is over 5Mbt's in size, so may take some time to download. Please click the play button to view. The advert is for Mackeson XXX Milk Stout 4.9% (Exported). Advert probably from the Caribbean circa 2008.

Should the video not play in your browser, it can be downloaded by clicking here.

 

Post Office Directory 1901 gave the address 15 King Street as belonging to Mackeson and Co., brewers and also the name A. Weston, Restaurant.

 

Mackeson penMackeson penMackeson pen Mackeson pen

Above pictures show a Mackeson pen date circa 1950s.

 

Now technically an InterBrew (now InBev) beer, I thought it was no longer brewed in England but by the Boston Beer Company in Cincinnati. However, Andrew Bowden emailed me to say it was recently (2012) brewed under license by Hydes of Manchester, and had also been brewed by other breweries as well. The recipe for Mackeson Milk Stout has been around since 1801, but that refers to the British version of the beer known simply as Mackeson's Stout. The American version gets the XXX distinction because it's got a 4.9% ABV as opposed to the 3.75% ABV of the original UK edition. I believe the last British version I tasted had dropped to a mere 2.8%.

 

Mackeson advertMackeson advert

Above pictures kindly sent by Paul Wells, dates unknown

From an email received 20 September 2014.

Sirs:

I followed a link on Wikipedia under Mackeson Beer and found your website. I don't know if this would be interesting to you but in this country, Trader Joes, an upscale grocery chain with small but high quality stores, used to import a container of Mackeson XXX every six months and then sell it out. I would buy a case or two whenever they did that. Then a few years ago it stopped and they told me they could no longer get it. For my money, it's the best beer for sale anywhere. I wrote to a Mackeson company in Scotland to ask where it might be distributed here but got no joy out of the answer.

Paul Palmer

Vacaville California.

Mackeson Stout sign

Above sign kindly sent by Pino Lombardi in June 2018.

Mackeson artefacts

Above Mackeson artefacts by John Ault.

Mackeson artefacts

Above Mackeson artefacts by John Ault.

Mackeson artefacts

Above Mackeson artefacts by John Ault.

Mackeson Soda Syphon

Above Soda Syphon kindly sent by Craig Lowery.

 

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

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