brewing
Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and #Fermenting, fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with Yeast#Beer, yeast. It may be done in a brewery ...
industry within the British political system. A
portmanteau word
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.) Israeli שלט ''shalát'' 'remote control', an ellipsis ...
combining ''
beer
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
'' and ''
peerage
A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks.
Peerages include:
A ...
'', it arose through the ennoblement and award of other honours to brewers in the late 19th century, and such individuals were considered to be within this subset of the peerage. Its use has since been applied in other contexts within the British beer sector.
Historical use
'Beerage', a
portmanteau word
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.) Israeli שלט ''shalát'' 'remote control', an ellipsis ...
combining
beer
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
and
peerage
A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks.
Peerages include:
A ...
, was coined about 1880. The term carried connotations of political funding by brewers, and reciprocal favourable treatment of the brewing industry.
In the late 19th century, there were a large number of brewers as Members of Parliament in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
and several of these were elevated to the peerage or awarded other honours. The link between political donations and the honours system, though criticised, was then more prevalent.
The 19th-century Liberals included a strong contingent of temperance campaigners which created tensions with the brewing faction within the party. It has been noted that following
Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party.
In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
's
Licensing Act 1872
The Licensing Act 1872 ( 35 & 36 Vict. c. 94) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that enacted various regulations and offences relating to alcohol, particularly licensing of premises.
The act is one of the Licensing Acts 1828 ...
"the beerage swung from the Liberal party to the Conservative party". By the early 1900s, the Conservative Benches in the House of Lords were known collectively as the "Beerage" and
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
had accused the Conservative Party of "drawing a brewer's dray across the road of progress". These references were used in 2005 to set the historical context in the course of debates in the House of Lords on a motion to withdraw the
Licensing Act 2003
The Licensing Act 2003 (c. 17) is an act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act establishes a single integrated scheme for licensing premises in England and Wales used to sell or supply of alcohol, provide regulated entertainm ...
.
In 1931 the term was used in the Commons during a "hotly debated"
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Pl ...
by
Scottish Prohibition Party
The Scottish Prohibition Party was a minor Scottish political party which advocated alcohol prohibition.
The party was founded in 1901. In its early years, Bob Stewart acted as the party's full-time organiser.Edwin Scrymgeour, to prohibit commercial liquor sales in Britain:
Mr. Scrymgeour: "Evidence given before the present Royal Licensing Commission showed that in four London brewing companies there were among the shareholders forty-six peers, twenty peeresses, 161 lords and ladies and honorables, forty-seven baronets, 106 knights and seventeen members of Parliament." Lady Astor: "You might as well call it the beerage as the peerage", to which the Speaker interjected severely: "I would remind the noble lady that it is a rule of this House not to say anything disrespectful of the Other Place (the
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
The term "beerage" has been used more recently in a wider context to reflect the dominance of the industry by major players. In 1995 the brewing industry was in the hands of the "Big Six" which by 2000 was down to two -
Bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
and
Whitbread
Whitbread is a British multinational hotel and restaurant company headquartered in Houghton Regis, England. The business was founded as a brewery in 1742 by Samuel Whitbread in partnership with Godfrey and Thomas Shewell, with premises in L ...
- that were about to withdraw from the industry. However, the lobbying power of the beerage was still great, and its long tradition of Tory Party activism still evident.
The hereditary principle of peerage has also seen the term applied to family-run breweries that have been inherited over the generations.
Earl of Iveagh
Earl of Iveagh (pronounced —especially in Dublin—or ) is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1919 for the businessman and philanthropist Edward Guinness, 1st Viscount Iveagh. He was the third son of Sir Benjamin Guin ...
(1919)
*
Viscount Younger of Leckie
Viscount Younger of Leckie, of Alloa in the County of Clackmannan, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 20 February 1923 for the Unionist politician Sir George Younger, 1st Baronet. He had already been created ...
(1923)
*
Baron Daresbury
Baron Daresbury, of Walton in the County of Chester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 21 June 1927 for Sir Gilbert Greenall, 2nd Baronet by King George V. The Baronetcy, of Walton Hall in the County of Chester ...