The Bowsing Ken

 Greene King - Bury St Edmunds
- Wexford Irish-Style Crème Ale

Wexford Irish-Style Crème Ale is a darn fine ale, but its origins are a bit of an enigma. Not that this should prevent you from enjoying a pint or two, like I do, but it’s always nice to know the back story. There are bits and pieces of the story in various old books and on websites, which give hints here and there, but not much more. Heck, I’m not even too sure who brews it, and although the nitro-draught-can does say it comes from the Greene King Company, Bury St Edmunds, U.K., the corporate website does not list it as one of its products. Hmmm
So, what do we know. Well again, the primarily source is basically what is written on the can that I just emptied in my dimple mug. Wexford Irish-Style Crème Ale - earlier cans do not have the word “Style” on them - is brewed in the UK by Greene King. The blurb on the can notes that it is: “Based on a traditional Irish recipe from County Wexford that dates back to 1810.” Earlier cans noted that this ale was made with Irish malts and hops, although this no longer appears on the label. The latest cans also note that this ale is the “Original,” whatever that means. As far as the back story, that’s about it.

Well, a few secondary source seem to add more to the story, but, of course, one must take secondary sources with a grain of salt. Most acknowledge that Wexford Irish-Style Crème Ale is brewed by Greene King at their Morlands Brewery, in Abingdon-on-Thames, and that it was first brewed in 1996. One uncorroborated note found on the inter-web states that the recipe is actually used under license from the Lett family. Well now, that’s an interesting hint, which sent me on a hunt for more information.
This is what I found, starting from the beginning…

In the Parish of St Mary’s, County Wexford, there is a small ancient hamlet called Enniscorthy, situated on the River Slaney, and dating back to at least 510, if not farther. As with many towns of the era, Enniscorthy grew up around monastery, however the fact that the River Slaney was navigable down the 12 miles to the city of Wexford, and thus Wexford Harbor and to what is called St George’s Channel, meant the Enniscorthy developed into a market and port town, informally called “Slaneyside.” During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, between British Loyalists and Irish “insurgents,” the town was all but destroyed by fire. The flames, they said, could be seen as far away as Wexford.
Earlier however, around 1460, a group of monks established an abbey in Enniscorthy, located on what was appropriately be named Abbey Square. Little is known of the friars, and their work, but by the mid-1750s, the abbey was all but abandoned. Apparently, but not certainly, on the site of the former abbey an iron foundry was then established. It was used during the 1798 Rebellion by the Irish militia as a barracks. Then, around 1810 - or so, it’s not certain - a man named John Pounder established what would eventually be called the Mill Park Brewery and Flour Mills. A book called the “History of Enniscorthy, and the Neighborhood, with Interesting Chronicles of Co. Wexford,” by W.H Grattan Flood (The Echo Printing Works, 1920), noted that between 1805 and 1825, there were two breweries at Enniscorthy - one operated by Robert Beale, on Beale Grove, and one by Clement Goff, on St Mary Street. No brewery associated with John Pounder was listed. That said, the book also lists all the prominent people of Enniscorthy for that time frame, and there were several members of the Pounder family listed, including a doctor, a lawyer and one John Pounder who was recorded as being a publican. Perhaps this John Pounder brewed his own beer in his pub, which could be the genesis for the Mill Park Brewery, and its apparent dating back to 1810, as quoted by some sources. Well, perhaps. Anyway, an extant advertisement dated 1844, has John & Thomas Pounder, of the Mill Park Brewery, giving thanks for twenty years of business from the community. So, at least by 1824, there was a brewery at Mill Park. Offerings at the time included an ale and a pale ale.

History gets a bit more precise at time goes on. According to the guidebook called “Wexford County Guide and Directory,” by George Henry Bassett (Sealy, Bryers and Walker, 1885), in 1864, brothers Stephen and Edward Lett purchased the brewery, and soon dropped the sum of 8,000 pounds to improve the operation. The existing building was almost completely razed and a new building, housing some of the latest brewing technology, was erected. The complex soon consisted of the brewery, malt houses, warehouses, and offices. Water was supplied by an artesian well on the site, while water from a stream called The Urrin, in the Monart district - about 2 miles away, up the road towards Kilkenny - provided power for the huge, 32-foot, iron water wheel.
Stephen Lett died in 1865, while Edward followed in 1875. After being managed by executors for a time, in 1881, Stephen’s two sons - George H. and Edward J. Lett - took over the operations. The “Wexford County Guide and Directory” listed only one brewery in Enniscorthy in 1885, namely G.H. and E.J Lett. Edward passed away in 1888, leaving George in charge of the business. Over the ensuing years the brewery - now simply called G.H. Lett & Company - was run by various members of the Lett family. The offerings included beers, porters and ales, as well a malted grains and flours. Mineral water, aerated water, fruit syrup and cordials were also offered. There was also a side business of spirits distribution, which was quite profitable.
Business seemed to go fairly well for the Lett brewery up until the mid 1950s, when, due to the costs of a required major upgrade to the brewery, it was decided to close down the brewery operation, and concentrate on their spirits distribution operation. Although the brewery was shuttered in 1956, the company is still in business today.

Sidebar: In 1974, a French brewery called the Pelforth Brewery was looking to add a “foreign” beer to their catalog. Their search ended up at the offices of G.H. Lett & Co., who still maintained a brewer’s license, and who still had the original recipes for their now dormant beers, including one called Strong Ale. A deal was stuck, and Pelforth began brewing Strong Ale, which apparently for marketing purposes, they named after Lett’s Ruby Ale - calling it George Killian’s Bière Rousse. The “George Killian” moniker was a bit of advertising hocus pocus that renamed Lett’s then head - George John Lett - as George Killian Lett, all to add a portion of Irish authenticity to the beer. Some speculate that the recipe used by Pelforth was indeed Lett’s Ruby Red, but this is discounted by George Lett himself, who confirmed that the recipe he licensed to them was for their Strong Ale. In 1981, the Coors Brewery, of Golden, Colorado, was approached by Pelforth to brew a version of their Bière Rousse in the United States. Coors executives bought in and stated marketing was they called George Killian Irish Red Ale. Here’s the funny thing, the style called “Irish Red Ale” does not really exist in Ireland, and is really just a marketing program used by Pelforth, then Coors, and now many others. But, that’s a different story. “Irish Red Ales” abound today, even though tracing their Irish heritage back in time is highly problematical. If you would like to read a more definitive chronicle of the story behind the rise of the “Irish Red Ale,” please click HERE for a great article by Martyn Cornell, on his Zythophile website.

Meanwhile back to Wexford Irish-Style Crème Ale…

In 1996, Letts again licensed one of the ale recipes out to another brewery, this time the Greene King brewery, although which particular recipe has not been publicized. In any case, Greene King launched what it called its Wexford Irish-Style Crème Ale. Funny thing (again) however, like the Irish Red Ale, it is not really all that certain what an Irish Crème - or Cream - Ale exactly is, its origins, or its heritage. Also, what the characteristic differences between the typical “American” Cream Ale and the “Irish-Style” Cream Ale entail are also not certain.
Green King claims that this ale is based on a recipe that dates all the way back to 1810, and that it is being used with the permission of the Lett family. This may be true, but it is certainly doubtful that it was known as a cream ale way back when either Pounder or later Lett was brewing. Some references indicate that all that makes a cream ale a cream ale is a certain smoothness in the brew. While this may be true it is not definitive.
To date, Greene King has only offered its Wexford Irish-Style Crème Ale in a nitro-can, nitrokeg, nitro draught, or pub-can, a can with a nitrogen “widget” in it that imparts an instant fizziness upon opening. The result is a rather smooth and velvety texture to the ale. Perhaps the use of the word crème in the title refers to this attribute.

So, bottom line…Yes, the back story of Wexford Irish-Style Crème Ale is somewhat obscure, and may be - well, probably is - based heavily on marketing efforts. There does seem to be some connection with old Ireland, but this could also be mostly for marketing. Regardless of all that, Wexford Irish-Style Crème Ale is still a decent ale, not too hoppy and quite smooth. Give one a try, and let me know what you think. Cheers!