BADRAG is again running its Mild Ale Promotion Campaign, Mild Time, from Friday 19 to Sunday 28 November 2021.
While encouraging the local trade to support CAMRA's National Mild Month in May, we discovered from them that as soon as the sun comes out they find it difficult to sell dark beers, hence our own local Mild Time campaign. Due to the pandemic, there will be no Mild Time group events this year, but please support the pubs listed below (coming soon), which will be fielding Mild Ales.
Mild Ale is a rare style of ale once very common in the UK including the South West, it is low in bitterness, often malty, nutty and very easy drinking. There is a myth that it always has a low ABV, but low ABVs were introduced in the Victorian era to avoid factory workers returning from lunch a bit tipsy. Stronger mild ales, such as Sarah Hughes Ruby 6% ABV, sell very well and often the word Mild is omitted from the name on the pump clip, so ask the bar staff which is the Mild Ale if it is not obvious to you, or look out for the CAMRA Mild pump crowner.
We have compiled a contacts list for pubs of mild suppliers and brewers.
You may be lucky during Mild Time to find these Mild category winners of the Campaign for Real Ale's prestigious Champion Beer of Britain competition, awarded at the Great British Beer Festival 2019:
- Gold: Grave Diggers Ale 3.8%, Church End Brewery,
- Silver: Malt Shovel Mild 3.6%, Fernandes Brewery
- Bronze: Maggs Magnificent Mild 3.8%, West Berkshire Brewery
And in the Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition February 2020, the Old Age Strong Milds were:
- Gold: Hocus Pocus 4.6%, Loddon Brewery
- Silver: Black Sabbath 6%, Brunswick Brewery
- Bronze: Caliburn 5.8%, Tintagel Brewery
Mild Time Participating Pubs 2021
Note: (MTE **) means a Mild Time Event is taking place at this pub on the November date(s) shown, see the Branch Diary for full details.
- Bank Tavern - John Street, Bristol BS1 2HR (MTE: 28) [Beowulf - Dark Raven; Teignworthy - Martha’s Mild]
- Shakespeare Tavern - Prince Street, Bristol BS1 4QD (MTE: 24 & 28) [Greene King {ex Morlands} XX Mild Ale (emptied in 24 hrs!); Backyard Beers 1898 dark mild @ 4.9%]
- The Gryphon - Colston Street, Bristol BS1 5AP [Marble Beers - Moor Mild @ 3.2%]
- Moor Beer Tap Room - Days Road, Bristol BS2 0QS [Marble Beers - Moor Mild @ 3.2%]
- Green Man - Alfred Place, Kingsdown, Bristol BS2 8HD
- Hillgrove Porter Stores - Hillgrove Street North, Kingsdown, Bristol BS2 8LT
- The Swan With Two Necks - 12 Little Ann Street, St Judes, Bristol BS2 9EB
- Duke of York - Jubilee Road, St Werburghs, Bristol BS2 9RS [Marble Beers - Moor Mild @ 3.2%] (MTE: 21 & 22)
- The Miners Arms - 136 Mina Road, St Werburghs, Bristol BS2 9YQ
- Dawkins Brewery Tap - Lawnwood Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 0EF
- Brewhouse & Kitchen - Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6JY [Brewing their own mild ale, Heritage @ 4.5%]
- Chums (Micro pub) - Chandos Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 6PF
- Drapers Arms (Micro pub) - Gloucester Road, Horfield, Bristol BS7 8TZ (MTE: 27) [Lucifer - Mild Side]
- Portcullis - Wellington Terrace, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4LE
- The Lyons Den - Regent Street, Kingswood BS15 8LJ [Tomos and Lilford - Gwenith Du @ 4% a Wheat Mild] (MTE: 23)
- Snuffy Jack's Ale House - 800 Fishponds Road, BS16 3TE [Bewdley - William Mucklow's Dark Mild @ 6%]
- Van Dyck Forum - 748 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3UA [Banks - Mild; Blindman’s - Goggles; Dawkins - East Bristol Porter
- Red Lion - 39 St James Street, Mangotsfield BS16 9HD
- Siren’s Calling - Newfoundland Way, Portishead Marina BS20 7QH [Timothy Taylor - Mild (from 19th); Incredible - Dark Mild (from 24th)]
- Old Bank (Keynsham) - 20 High Street, Keynsham BS31 1DQ [Facer’s Flintshire Brewery - Mountain Mild]
- Horseshoe - High Street, Chipping Sodbury BS37 6AH [Black Country Ales - Pig on the Wall; Holden - Black Country Mild]
- Nailsea MicroPub - High Street, Nailsea BS48 1AW [Lucifer - Mild Side; Nottingham - Rock Mild] (MTE: 19 & 20)
- Bag of Nails - St Georges Road, Bristol BS1 5UW [Marble Beers - Moor Mild @ 3.2%]
- Lime Kiln St George’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UU [Beowulf - Strong Mild @ 7.4%; Franklins Eclipse Dark Mild @ 4%]]
- Cornubia - Temple Street, Bristol BS1 6EN [Incredible - Dark Mild]
- Old Bookshop - 65 North Street, Bristol BS3 1ES [LHG - Dark Mild]