Discover the History of Porters and Stouts
Matthew Alexander
Matt is the General Manager of the award winning Tap House in Sydney, known for being one of the largest rangers of beer brands in Sydney. Whilst being an active member in the Australian Reserves his passion is Beer, an avid student of the beverage Matt is progressing through the ranks of the renowned Cicerone qualifications.
Where did it come from?
First brewed in London in the early 18th century, porters quickly became the most popular beer in the world! Named for their popularity with street and river porters along the Thames, porters were the first beer to gain international popularity and be brewed across the world with production in North America, Europe, and Asia by the late 18 th century. Their initial prevalence in England is attributed to the fact that the darkly coloured malts offset the high mineral content of the local water in London. (Compared to the popularity of pale lagers in Germany at the same time in history due to the typically low mineral content of their local water).
What is the technical difference?
It is impossible to talk about porters without talking about their relationship to stouts. Porters are typically highly hopped and with brown malts that impart a dark colour to the beer. At some point throughout the mid-late 18th-century brewers started making stronger, richer porters that were interchangeably referred to as ‘strong porters’ or ‘stout porters’. As time went on the name for a strong porter was shortened to simply ‘stout’. Due to their popularity porters were responsible for introducing many technological advancements to the brewing industry as a way to reproduce consistent, high-quality beers on a mass scale. For example, Thermometers to measure and maintain temperature during the brewing process and hydrometers measure the amount of sugar yielded from the malt.
Which is stronger?
The first porters were generally stronger in alcohol than by today’s standard, likewise, stouts were much stronger than their counterparts, with an alcohol content of around 7%. As a comparison modern-day porters have an ABV of 4 -5%. With the rise of craft beer over the past 25 years, however, the differences between porters and stouts has become even more indistinct. For example, Deschutes Black Butte imperial porter weighs in at a whopping 13.6% ABV and has huge flavour notes of dark chocolate and strong coffee, while 8 Wired’s iStout imperial stout sits at just 10% and hosts comparatively more subdued characteristics.
Is there a difference in the pub of today?
While the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) offers a clear distinction between the two styles, it is the brewer who defines their beers. Some brewers make a distinction based on the malts used, others will look to the ABV, or flavour notes. Many still will name their beers based on geography with porters being traditionally from London and stouts hailing from Ireland. Ultimately there is no wrong way to label a stout or porter. Be open-minded and focus on the beer you’re drinking, rather than its label.
