St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-17
BRITONS AND THEIR BEER.
The Brewing Business in England
Is Not What 1t Used to Be.

Special Cable to the Globe
LONDON, Aug. 16.-The is a grave,
and, it would seem, well-founded
anxiety concerning the future of what
has been for many generations one of the
most prominent British industries. 1t
has been matter of almost religious
belief in the mind of the Briton that the
product of his breweries surpassed in
quality the beer of any other
land, and the quantity con-
to has naturally confirmed his conf
dence in the domestic article. The
fortunes made by the prominent brew
ers have been Drincely, and they have
spent them like princes. Some of them
have been knighted in acknowledge
ment of their benefactions, and DR..
JOhnSon'S pOmpOuS PRONUNCIATION of the
value of Thrale's plant has been pro-
verbal, but there is a suspicion that
the British brewer has seen his best
days. The exports of beer to
the United States have fallen
off greatly, and those to the
colonies are becoming smaller yearly.
The French never took kindly to the
heady product of their insular neighbor
and the enormously increased conSump-
ton of beer in France owing to the im-
possibility of procuring genuine wine at
moderate cost has accrued to the beD-
eft of Germany, althougifvtO avoid ma
tiOnal prejudice, the Books are popu-
larly supposed to come from Belgium.
Physicians in Australia and India have
CONDEMNED TIE STRONG BEER
of the mother country and the expatri-
ated Brlt0n has become aware that i'm
such climates he gratifies his prejudice
at the expense of his liver. At home,
too, the unkindeSt cut of all, the gradu-
ally increasing sentiment in favor of
moderation in stimulants has led Eng
lishmen of the upper class to prefer the
light Bavarian and Vienna beers at
luncheon or other times when wine is
not in vogue. Having gained the favor
of the SwellS the custom, as might
be expected, has been enthusiastically
adopted by the aSpirantS to Swelldom,
and the consequence is that the British
brewers find their trade fearfully cut
into by their continental rivals. The
latter have reputation for honesty of
manufacture, while the former are not
entirely above suspicion in that regard.
The deSpotic TeutOn authorities inspect
the breweries and compel the purity of
their product, nor is it allowed to be
tempered with by the retailer If some
British makers bear a tolerably good
reputation the retail beer seller is more
than suspected of
p DoCTORING THE LIQUID
he deals out to his customers. A par
liamentary report says: 1.-THE quanti-
ties of cOcculus Indicus berries, as well
as of black extract, brought into this
country for the purpose of adulteratlonof
malt liquor are enormous" Other pleas
ing improvements are sulphate of iron,
Quassia, soda, potash, carbonate of lime,
sulphuric acid, etc. The English work
man will cling for some time, no doubt,
to the beverage he has quatfed from his
childhood, as it has the desired "bite,"
which the publican takes care it shall
not lack, but it is safe to say that the
brewing business will never again be
what it has been. One well-known
company is In serious difficulties, and
two others of world. celebrity are
confessedly shaky. Shrewd parties
connected with the latter for years
have withdrawn their capital, and it
is no secret that they have invested it in
a gigantic brewing enterprise in the
United States.