Farthings, florins and shillings; pins, firkins and kilderkins. Looking at the history of porter requires us to not only turn back the clock three hundred years, but re-awaken bygone words. George I was King of England when porter was first mentioned as a drink in 1722. Beer was very much the drink of the day and London taverns generally served mild (freshly brewed, mildly hopped beer), stale (mild that had been matured for a few months), ale (sweetish, unhopped, malt liquor) two-penny (a pale ale sold at two-penny a quart) and stout (which simply means stouter, i.e. stronger). Pubs brewed their own beers and landlords often blended the beers on pouring as per the customer’s request. This meant old stock could be moved through and inconsistencies from barrel to barrel could be negated and of course, the punter received a customised drink; hence the phrases half-and-half, or if a blend of three beers, ‘three-threads’.
