1973: The LAST DAYS of PORTER | Scene Around Six | Archivist Picks | BBC Archive

[@leaedt7614]

'Work is the curse of the drinking classes.' Brilliant!

[@johnmc3862]

Oscar Wilde.

[@Evemeister12]

@@johnmc3862 in Oscar wilde's infamous libel trial the defence barrister was Edward Carson, the man who went on to help create northern ireland

[@X2LR8]

I have a coffee mug with that inscription on it with a picture of a US Western or Southern hillbilly on it who is missing a few teeth. One of my favorites!

[@tompurcell1499]

The last time I drank a pint of porter was in the Exmouth Arms, Clerkenwell on the 21st of July 2005. Why is my date so precise? Because it was the day Long John Baldry died. The spooky thing about this is that when I walked into the pub, the ‘juke box’ was playing “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” by Elton John (released in 1975). This song was a tribute by Elton John to Long John Baldry for Long John Baldry’s help in getting Elton John to come to terms with his homosexuality. I know that the subsequent story is peripheral to the topic on porter, but I thought it worth mentioning. Besides, there was a tear drop that slightly diluted the contents of my glass.

[@jangeertbruggink7040]

@@tompurcell1499 Some chinese guy from the back of the pub; 'Hah, gayyyyyy'.

[@superdrag65]

The level of oratory and unspoken, nostalgic emotion at the end was beautiful.

[@JohnBloggs-m8l]

I found it verbose and tedious, it's a bloody drink not the end of civilisation.

[@magesalmanac6424]

Your comment made me laugh 😂 Nobody can do sarcasm like people from the UK

[@JohnBloggs-m8l]

@@magesalmanac6424 My comment? Or the original poster?

[@Cactus_Hugger7]

​@@JohnBloggs-m8l In my opinion we don't have to lose something at a catastrophic level for it to effect us. It can be as simple as having something you thought would always be available in your daily life not be around anymore, like the focus of this piece. It's a stark reminder of the passage of time and how our creature comforts shape our way of viewing the world.

[@JohnBloggs-m8l]

@@Cactus_Hugger7 oh please, he dribbles on way too long, Ive lost count of the number of food and drink items discontinued that were my favourites but I don't drone on about it in poetry.

[@animalblundetto8440]

“The cream is borne majestically above to form a clerical collar-that proves the goodness in its heart-and the true porter drinker would look upon such a glass with great reverence indeed.” This guy goes hard

[@barryboom717]

You can imagine that coming straight from the pen of Seamus Heaney.

[@lobabobloblaw]

Holly spirits for sure

[@sheltr9735]

LOL You're right!

[@BunnyWatson-k1w]

He's a regular Dylan Thomas.

[@ProfessorDarkAcademia]

The man knows beauty, and how to spell it

[@danielkarmy4893]

These were also, as I've just now discovered, numbered days for Larry McCoubrey himself. He left his programme Scene Around Six in 1974 due to illness and, so says an article in the Irish Times, died shortly thereafter. It feels fitting to me, somehow, that his heartfelt eulogy for porter is also a testament to the genius of the man.

[@martinwarner1178]

Thanks for that. He looked, and sounded like a fine Gentleman. Peace and goodwill.

[@25Wineman]

I new someone who went to school with Larry McCoubrey. When he made a "remark" at the back of the class even his teachers would laugh

[@vlota]

A pedant writes: The news prog was called "Scene Around Six" not "Scene at Six". It's even there in the title of the vid.

[@myratsalad]

Hi Daniel. He died June 17th, 2004 so lived quite a bit after this programe, thank God. Cheers.

[@thirdeyeblind6369]

@@myratsalad Larry died of a brain haemorrhage in 1974

[@jackson76724]

This sort of quality journalism is badly needed today.

[@photoben]

Haven’t done their research though (Porter & Stout are from London). Cracking video though.

[@krishnan-resurrection714]

..youll have to settle for 'Big Zuus big eats' now .....😆

[@85set05]

I'd say that with some of the better KZbin channels and podcasts we have much more of this type of Journalism then we used to.

[@mcbrodz1663]

@@krishnan-resurrection714 that’s not journalism tho is it. That’s entertainment

[@photoben]

@Alexander Dobinson he says “we developed porter and stout” Porter is a London drink for sure, still very popular here. Yes we all associate stout with Ireland now thanks to those lovely people at Guinness, but both originated from London, which was my point, the presenter here got it wrong, hasn’t done his research, so not the quality journalism the OP desires…

[@dubdaze68]

The reporter savoring this pint, admiring the history and relishing the taste is top-notch. I want to try it the old way.

[@markb3915]

Porter has made a comeback in recent years. Lots of craft brewers make it and stouts too. Thankfully things are better than 20 years when if you closed your eyes all pub beer tasted the same.

[@TheSilvercue]

You must have lived in another world than me 20 years ago

[@markb3915]

@ Silver. It was all Tetleys/John Smith’s smooth style stuff and bland lagers 20 years ago. Like I said tasteless and the same every pub you went in. Even in somewhere like Wetherspoons you get a decent choice now.

[@Dkcode]

@@markb3915 100%

[@rodjones117]

@@markb3915 You were going in the wrong pubs mate.

[@JasonLaneZardoz]

@@markb3915 Yup, you were going to the wrong pubs.

[@AnnesleyPlaceDub70]

Hats-off to that "re-PORTER" 😂👊🏻

[@DerekTJ]

Just go!

[@raftonpounder6696]

Excellent sir.

[@TheBestBoyyeeehehe]

YA YA YA

[@cakeburps]

Being from the archive, this upload is technically a re-report of this re-porter's report on porter 🧐👌

[@mankillsquare]

I'd like to see the stout-takes from the recording of this

[@francisgomer7628]

What a brilliant presenter: a poet...he absolutely delivered a master class in pace and vocabulary.

[@noelfleming3567]

👍👏

[@Requiredfields2]

I think the porter was helping him along.

[@BunnyWatson-k1w]

Yeah. He's a regular Peter Mansbridge.

[@kimjongun505]

guess you could call him a re*porter*

[@Falcrist]

"Porter: the drink that launched _thousands_ of ships." Very good!

[@videogamebookreviews]

Me when talking about porter: "It's a drink that I quite like" Reporter: speaks in literature

[@feliscorax]

It’s really something, isn’t it? What a news report that was.

[@dondesmond7969]

When things are wrong and will not come right, when things aren't going to plan, when everything seems black as night, a pint of plain is yer only man.

[@Lepretr0n]

I wish i could go back in time to a pub and ask for this "pint of plain"

[@JohnMartin-ux2rm]

Larry was a wonderful reporter and loved by all the folks here in Northern Ireland .

[@oscarosullivan4513]

If he hadn’t died he might have lived to see the founding of Hilden brewery.

[@mossy199]

Sure, he said "Derry" so good with me 😉

[@Dreyno]

@@mossy199 Everyone called it that until the Troubles started. And even now many Protestants who live there call it Derry casually. The strict Unionist adherence to Londonderry is used by politicians etc. in interviews and by people who don’t actually live there.

[@raftonpounder6696]

@@mossy199do you lot have to bring politics and religion into everything?

[@peternoble3691]

@@mossy199come on man, no need for that

[@connoroleary591]

Wonderful report. Almost genius in its pace and poetry. Incidentally, porter was called "porter" because it was once so popular with the porters on London Docks and Covent Garden Market.

[@rodjones117]

Them, and also "Ticket Porters" who were general labourers who carried parcels and other things in the days before a Post Office. They were probably the largest group, larger than Market Porters. They drank Porter in Porterhouses, eating Porterhouse steak.

[@jimdonovan243]

I want a pint.

[@ignoblesurfer6281]

It was a great report. It's tragic to note that the presenter, who wrote a lot of his own material, died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage at just 38 years old.

[@connoroleary591]

@@ignoblesurfer6281 I didn't know that. That's very sad to hear, he seems so very talented too.

[@MrDaraghkinch]

@@ignoblesurfer6281 Christ, he looks 48 here.

[@chrish1657]

Lmao. He sipped that pint like he was playing Hamlet.

[@reidboggs4344]

A good pint is worth it.

[@Requiredfields2]

Indeed, this is best beer promotion I've ever seen.

[@jameschou888]

The product is good

[@davel4708]

Alas poor Yorick.

[@paularrowsmith9376]

That poured pint was perfection in a glass, absolutely stunning

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Shame it disappeared.

[@garryleeks4848]

Work of art 👍

[@rodjones117]

@@oscarosullivan4513 It disappeared because it stopped selling - nobody wanted it any more.

[@oscarosullivan4513]

@@rodjones117 Which is a pity because they look creamy

[@rodjones117]

@@oscarosullivan4513 I agree, but that's the market...

[@JRust99]

Brings a tear to me eye.

[@nobordersnoflags9905]

incredible, powerful, movingly poetic.

[@kamandi1362]

Yes, a lovely eulogy to a tiny bit of working class culture.

[@danbreen6946]

No Borders One Flag 🇮🇪

[@andrewreaney]

@@danbreen6946 GTF with your political crap.

[@suffern63]

Give it a rest for five minutes.

[@MrPlownds26]

I read some where that the last barrel of Porter to leave Guiness was given a decent send off.A load of men in funeral attire and bowler hats drank it and burried the empty cask with all due reverance. Whilst visiting St James's Gate a few years back.I noticed that Guiness say that Porter is just another name for stout. This vid would surgest otherwise. When in Ireland I drink bottled ,shelf Guinness

[@Team-fabulous]

Let's hope it's true. A fantastic send off...

[@DemonetisedZone]

Irish people who know their history do not drink Guinness they drink Murphys

[@patavinity1262]

Guinness sell their own porter which is quite different to their stout, so clearly it's not the same.

[@missourimongoose8858]

​@@DemonetisedZoneI just drank my first Murphys yesterday and it's a banger for sure

[@mbrady2329]

With no small irony, porter has seen something of a revival in England. It's not a mainstream pint, but rather a niche style with a decent following amongst beer drinkers.

[@GiandomenicoDeMola]

The fact is that the people are beginning to be fed up by the I.P.A., or better, the multiple variations of the I.P.A. style... Many people are looking for more traditional and "true" styles, I think... Or, at least, I'm one of those...

[@ximono]

I'm definitely a porter person, and have been since I tasted my first porter

[@xander1052]

I mean, it is originally from London, so it's not that strange it would get it's revival at it's original home before setting sail back to where it lived out it's effective retirement from being the most drank beer on earth.

[@AlphaOneActual]

@@GiandomenicoDeMola IPA’s will remain popular as it’s a varied beer that can bring about many profiles & flavours. With that being said though beer, specifically craft beer across the globe is seeing a renaissance once again. With this happening many beer drinkers are trying all the different types of brews & as such demanding traditional styles as well. Many craft breweries can produce traditional brews with tighter control due to smaller brew sizes, giving these traditional beers the time & care needed to show their true qualities.

[@Wolfington]

@@GiandomenicoDeMola You're not alone. The prevalence of gimmicky IPAs that all taste the same (grapefruit predominantly) have sidelined the more traditional beers that kept good beer alive forty/fifty years ago. Even porter gets dicked about with...marshmallow, vanilla, cherry ffs

[@Lazarus1095]

I've never been able to stomach a full glass of beer in my life, but after watching this I mourn its loss like an old friend.

[@startledmilk6670]

Porter has made a huge come back especially with craft beer

[@Lazarus1095]

@@GOAWAY-e6m I'm not sure if I've been complimented or insulted. Let me knock back a few and figure it out.

[@VanderlyndenJengold]

Is it a taste thing? I'm one of those people that tastes coriander and it's like soap. I'm OK with beer though, and keep sampling to make sure.

[@Lazarus1095]

@@GOAWAY-e6m Fortunately, I am too inebriated to care!

[@ElonMuskrat-my8jy]

​@@startledmilk6670stout > porter

[@boredphysicist]

Ive never wanted a pint more, this is the greatesr advert ive ever seen and its not even an advert

[@mountkeen8701]

What a gem of a clip. Eloquent storytelling of the sort we just don’t see anymore. Journalism at its best.

[@BunnyWatson-k1w]

Yeah. He's a regular Harvey Kirk.

[@mabs503]

I'm a bit surprised as porter never really fell out of popularity here in Sweden. Carnegie Porter has been brewed in Sweden since 1836 and still is. It's Sweden's oldest still living trademark. Actually, David Carnegie took over an already vibrant business of porter and sugar manufacturing in Gothenburg, that had been making porter since 1817 when import restrictions on imported porter was put in place.

[@randomscandinavian6094]

But surely not served this way with two distinct casks of different varieties? I don’t know of any Scandinavian beer tradition that involves fresh cask beer with a really short sell-by date like the Irish and English beers.

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Stout was the best seller in Ireland until 1999

[@Dreyno]

Stout is just a style of porter and has always remained popular in Ireland. This report is just referring to the sale of draught porter. The names were used interchangeably in Ireland because there wasn’t really a clear difference between the styles. Any “rules” invented since by beer snobs did not exist then. In 1960, Guinness started using a mixture of CO2 and nitrogen gas (Guinness gas) for Guinness Draught. The older method was the process shown in this video. That in itself was only in existence for about 50 years at that point. Prior to that point, Guinness was sold in casks that were then bottled on site and conditioned before being sold in pubs. Today you can buy bottle of Guinness Extra Stout which is basically he equivalent of a porter as served a century ago.

[@Dreyno]

@@randomscandinavian6094 This two part pour was a strange phenomenon. Guinness in Ireland had traditionally been served bottles. Pubs bottled their own beer from casks and conditioned it before selling. After the Great War, Irish soldiers and workers had got to like cask ales. Guinness experimented with the process but found it produced an overly carbonated beer. So they use a mixture of conditioned beer mixed with flat beer. That is where the two part pour came from. When imported lagers started to use canister CO2 gas, Guinness experimented and again found it overly carbonated. They developed a mixture of nitrogen and CO2 (known as Guinness gas) which resulted in the extremely creamy Guinness Draught we have today. And the associated two part pour which no longer serves a purpose.

[@randomscandinavian6094]

@@Dreyno that’s very interesting. Thank you for the information! By chance I’m off to Ireland this weekend so I’ll look for that Guinness Extra Stout.

[@ironageamplification1791]

Porter is my absolute favorite type of beer. Doesn't get enough love, especially here in the United States. Cheers from around the Globe my friends!

[@emcee7670]

There's a nice one made (seasonally, dammit) in Freeport, Maine.

[@owenmcquarrie586]

@@emcee7670damn right there is! And in Fort Kent. Hairy Porter at First Mile brewing. And they pull it right too!

[@snufflyelk9005]

Try Denver Brewing Company!

[@Kezza1919]

Poetic, powerful and mesmeric. Fabulous.

[@theautumnalcyclist7629]

It's now 2024 I'm 51 born in 73 and porter is now more popular than ever

[@JB9000x]

Indeed! The Campaign For Real Ale has most certainly been successsful. Although, is the modern incarnation of the most popular porter the same thing anymore? I've never seen Guinness from a pump (been drinking for 25 years). And it's funny how they call it Stout now even though Guinness isn't stout. When did that come about

[@fryertuck6496]

​@@JB9000x Guinness is a stout. Just not so heavy and with more gas.

[@ruatoomey9107]

Hahaha ,it’s just like being in a pub

[@stevebton]

I guess it's the time taken to pour that killed it off,. Today it's all about maximising throughput and so maintaining and pouring from 2 different barells would be regarded as nuts. I would loved to have tried it though.

[@SwedishNeo]

@@JB9000x you ddn't have Guiness on a pump in England/Ireland? Even we have that in Sweden.

[@ThePressurizer]

What an amazing presenter. A stirring, well-worded eulogy for a type of beer and I enjoyed every second of it. Ah, I wish modern TV was a third as classy and competent.

[@BunnyWatson-k1w]

Yeah. He's a regular William Butler Yeats.

[@jamesedgewood4643]

Drawing beer like this was probably the high point of human civilisation.

[@eljanrimsa5843]

In the good old time when people had the patience to wait a couple of minutes for their drink, pubs were so inefficient that a waiter had to do several processing steps for every glass of beer, and drinkers were so dependable that the pubs could prepare before they arrived.

[@roberttodd2414]

the was excellent, ive never had a glass of porter but his presentation made me mourn it's passing

[@Flieger-71]

Ah that took me back. I remember one could order a pint of "double" or a pint of "single" which was the Porter from the wooden barrels behind the bar. The pubs had sawdust on the floor and where packed and the craic was mighty!!

[@alexlamont4470]

Pint of single if you had a few bob a pint of double I can just taste it now lovely and not forgetting a Parkdrive. Pubs today are rubbish.

[@Flieger-71]

@@alexlamont4470 I remember a pint of Guinness was two shillings and six pennies and a bottle of Red Heart Guinness was one shilling and nine pennies. Men were standing three deep at the bar and it took ages to get served!

[@sicksquid3258]

The barrels were made of steel.

[@magnusbruce4051]

Bloody hell I've never felt so emotional about the idea of a style of beer. While porter has made a resurgence and I am a fan of the modern style, I cannot help but feel like what I drink isn't that close to what those older generations were enjoying. Absolutely exquisite monologue.

[@j0nnyism]

I’ve had both. The modern stuff can be just as good. Just make sure it’s draught not bottled

[@magnusbruce4051]

@@j0nnyism I enjoy both cask and bottle, but more often bottle. This is because the pub in my village, which is also where I work, only does one cask beer and it's a blonde ale (the only dark beer we sell at all is Guinness and while there's nothing bad about that, it's not what I want to drink most of the time). I have to travel elsewhere to get cask porters. I used to live in a town where >10 pubs were known for having great cask beers (although probably thirty to fifty had traditional hand-pulled beers, most weren't specifically known as a place to get a good pint) and in autumn and winter, at least a few would have a porter on offer.

[@WD-zk6fg]

Ahoy is a channel that has done profiles on drinks much similar to this. Only with a frame that shows the brand instead of the film reel of a bar or pub

[@johnmacaroni105]

We missed out, born too late... Bolloxs

[@3rdStoreyChemist]

CAMRA in the UK has always been about keeping these old styles alive and as true to how it was as possible and very anti-'craft' (for better or worse). However never seen that way of pouring a pint with two barrels before, but that's arguably part of the trend away from large heads on beer that has occurred since the 90's, but could see coming back in as the craft beer scene has gotten into nitrogen.

[@LeifES]

Reporter drinking and waxing poetically. Fantastic!!

[@joshkokichi]

Porter is a great beer, especially in winter

[@antarmshaw]

When things go wrong and will not come right, Though you do the best you can, When life looks black as the hour of night - A pint of plain is your only man. When money’s tight and hard to get And your horse has also ran, When all you have is a heap of debt - A pint of plain is your only man. When health is bad and your heart feels strange, And your face is pale and wan, When doctors say you need a change, A pint of plain is your only man. When food is scarce and your larder bare And no rashers grease your pan, When hunger grows as your meals are rare - A pint of plain is your only man. In time of trouble and lousey strife, You have still got a darlint plan You still can turn to a brighter life - A pint of plain is your only man. The Workman’s Friend”, by Flann O’Brien

[@msives]

wow. thats poetry. amazing stuff. I love this stuff from the 60s and 70s

[@armiter87]

This was more enjoyable than I anticipated.

[@wcsxwcsx]

A beautiful tribute. Porter will always have a place with me.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Porter - a lovely drink. A lot of the smaller breweries offer it these days. Very nice.

[@Maclabhruinn]

For the home brewer, porter never went away! I turned out a few batches of porter, and pretty good it was too. Basically a well-malted beer, with less hops than stout, and less of the roasted barley, just enough to give it the dark colour and a hint of smoke but not pitch black like stout. It's actually a refreshing drink, on a hot day (and pretty good on cold days, too 🙂)

[@juggeist]

Porter is one of those styles I never get quite right when brewing myself they tend to end up too sweet for my taste so they always end up in the beef stew instead.

[@jamesportrais3946]

Thanks Andrew - Brit ex-pat (S/E Asia) and taught my wife to brew wine from the local fruit harvests when it is cheap. I used to brew beer a long time ago, found it much more interesting than wine - which was why I was so glad to read your descriptive. I did do some small batches of stouts that were fairly mild (chocolate malt was a hoot - you should try it if you can get the ingredients!) so I'm connecting that with a heavily malted beer like Newcastle Brown? Love to get back into beer brewing when I get some time (it's technically illegal, but in the same way it was in the UK before '63; it's really not policed - in fact you have micro brewery pubs [I think this is the future!] openly patronised by police) but getting hold of the stuff (pressure barrels, malts/extracts, yeasts) is a bit of an issue here at anything close to a sensible price

[@jamesportrais3946]

@@juggeist Beef stew is an admirable zenith for any ale! Curious though - when you say too sweet are you talking about sugar or overall flavour balance?

[@juggeist]

@@jamesportrais3946 The overall flavour balance tend to end up a bit too sweet for me when brewing porter.

[@SteveD826]

@@juggeist without knowing your process, I would say try adding a touch of hops later in the boil, around 10 minutes before flame out. Fuggle or EKG will do well. Adds just a little herbal/floral character that rounds out the beer. Happy brewing 🍻

[@Ultrad321]

Excellent reporting. I love a good porter much better than a stout. Good that the craft beer movement has brought many old styles back

[@ronfrancois]

A great piece of writing that conjures, winkles out and tickles the historical, factual and taste buds of the listener.

[@andrewlong6438]

Wonderful clip. A bit of history and a presenter who was thoroughly enjoying his pint. You can get porter in 2022 though it’s more a craft/real ale thing.

[@Team-fabulous]

If its a craft real ale it ain't Porter....

[@andrewlong6438]

@@Team-fabulous I had a pint of porter today brewed by Double-Barrelled in Reading. You go and tell them they don’t know how to brew porter. It was very nice. Perhaps you should try it first.

[@Team-fabulous]

@@andrewlong6438 maybe it's labelled as Porter but if it's an ale it's not...

[@delmarodonnell3645]

@@Team-fabulous Porter is a type of ale.....

[@Team-fabulous]

@@delmarodonnell3645 Porter is a style of beer that was developed in London, England in the early 18th century. It was well-hopped and dark in appearance owing to the use of brown malt. The name is believed to have originated from its popularity with working class people and porters. A glass of rugporter, showing characteristic dark body The popularity of porter was significant. It became the first beer style to be brewed around the world, and production had commenced in Ireland, North America, Sweden, and Russia by the end of the 18th century. The history of stout and porter are intertwined. The name "stout", used for a dark beer, came about because strong porters were marketed as "stout porter", later being shortened to just stout. Guinness Extra Stout was originally called "Extra Superior Porter" and was not given the name "Extra Stout" until 1840. Today, the terms stout and porter are used by different breweries almost interchangeably to describe dark beers, and have more in common than in distinction.

[@mitya]

That was a masterpiece of journalism, really. Not to mention the beer, of course. This was broadcasted before I was even born and I am not even British nor Irish. But my god, I could feel the taste of that pint on my tongue. I only ever tried porter in a bottle and it was special, top quality. It's the one brewed in Riga, Latvia, so if you're ever there, look for one. It's worth it.

[@TheCho-k4m]

Will do, thanks for sharing! :)

[@pmc8451]

His histories a bit off and I don't think he's actually done much research but it was a great poetic piece.

[@naughtiusmaximus1811]

Baltika? That's a good one.

[@mitya]

@@naughtiusmaximus1811No, it's different. Baltika is the Russian one. And I am not sure they ever had a porter.

[@johnmehaffey9953]

I remember moonies in abbey st Dublin the old barman would have around 7 pints on the go around 5pm and guys would rush in while waiting for the bus and the barman would just be like a machine topping up the pints until after 6 when the rush died down, he pulled some of the best tasting pints I tasted, we either called it porter or a pint of single x , great nostalgia

[@freebornjohn2687]

Nice video, I like the only sound is a clock ticking away - no muzak, phones to a TV blaring away in the background. A man can be left in peace with just his pint and his thoughts.

[@petermgruhn]

For ticking clocks, you want "The Island." kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWGVd5utgZiqfNk (sorry, can't find the full version).

[@steveosborne2297]

Interestingly enough Porter actually was originally brewed in London , first mentioned in the early 1700s . It wasn’t actually brewed in Ireland until 1776 .

[@DaraM73]

Protestant’s best porter was the original tag line for Guinness.

[@herrfister1477]

Everyone knows that mate.

[@original.dwornboy]

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. The BBC have been reporting fake news for decades.

[@oscarosullivan4513]

@@DaraM73 Or Beamish

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Fell out of popularity in the 19th century in England but was the best seller in Ireland until 1999

[@paulmorton3259]

I’m a Guinness man today but still rate the Murphy’s as even better. I would love to know what the porter tasted like. That’s the great thing with some of these beers that go back so many decades, they give you a historical taste of what the working classes used to thrive on. Very interesting

[@cultofsgc]

Surely you must have tried Guinness West Indies Porter?

[@opencurtin]

Have you tried Beamish ? Come down to Cork and you’ll get it at its best !

[@lablackzed]

Beamish is lovely.👍🍺

[@doubles6508]

Those pints look amazing

[@draexian530]

That ticking clock at the end with the slow zoom shot on the glass. A deathly touch.

[@redfraggle77]

What a fabulous tribute, I drink this stuff, never heard of it referred to as ‘plain’!

[@CarlowMod]

There's an old Dublin saying. "A pint of plain is your only man".

[@mossy199]

Checks out the video on here, Dubliners Pint of Plain"

[@garryleeks4848]

I never drunk it , thought it was Guinness at 1st

[@baerlauchstal]

@@CarlowMod It's a poem by Myles na Gopaleen/Flann O'Brien, I think. (Though maybe he took it from the old saying.)

[@beadelf8158]

had a porter on the weekend. lovely

[@TJamieson-q5j]

This is pure poetry.

[@muchasgracias6976]

Not sure if it's the same style or taste as a pint of 'plain' but Guinness West Indies Porter is one of my favourites but even that is becoming harder to get hold of. If you can find it and haven't tried it give it a go!

[@johngough2958]

Imperial Russian Stout - at around 15%. No wonder the Tsar never saw the Revolution coming!

[@zloychechen5150]

west indies is fabulous. was rather abundant in russia during covid, i aquired quite a taste for it.

[@RW-nr6bh]

West Indies Porter is still in most Tesco and Bargain Booze stores. Guinness did a Dublin Porter for a while too, but it's been ages since I saw it.

[@StrawberryStationMusic]

The Dublin Porter was great, there was an Irish pub in Sheffield where I used to drink it on draught and it went down almost too easily for its own good! @@RW-nr6bh

[@kingseanp9267]

What a head on that pour! I got a shiver, then thirsty…

[@Motspur]

I would love to be able to get this little beauty. I was drinking Mild in pubs at 17 and loved every drop.

[@oscarosullivan4513]

We also brewed mild or sweet ale

[@orion4900]

Glorious video showcasing a historic broadcast here.

[@sevensorrows2595]

Oh man, just MARRY that pint, ffs!

[@spanglestein66]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@Johnnybonzo]

Thought he was going to down it all in one go at first

[@Team-fabulous]

The weddings always fantastic but tomorrow brings a painful divorce..

[@qwerty6383]

Would if could :(

[@Gluttonite]

They lived happily ever after

[@pukabowers4353]

What a wonderfully poetic piece of reporting.

[@leangrypoulet7523]

Was poetic journalism just what was done back in the 70’s or is it because of the history that Ireland has for storytelling, that makes this clip so wonderful. Can we really imagine a television presenter now, speaking with such lyricism? Not a chance.

[@magickmarck]

YES

[@asdf9890]

Glad to be able to have a great porter these days, and it did not go extinct as this video seems to be foreboding at the time. Samuel Smith’s Tadcaster and Founder’s Porter are both excellent and widely available. People not into craft beer often make fun of us beer nerds, but who doesn’t like variety? I don’t want to be stuck with the only choice being blandly made lagers that are made to appeal to the masses. I like being able to have a pale ale, an IPA, a German dopplebock, stouts, Belgian beers brewed by monks, etc. Variety is the spice of life!

[@emcee7670]

The only lager I've had in years was last summer, on a hot day, mixed one to make a shandy. But to drink straight? A lager? No thanks. I'd like a beer that tastes like something.

[@alancawfield6549]

I've never drank in my life, but I'd kill for a pint of that stuff right now.

[@johnmacaroni105]

London porter with a hint of chocolate sold at the Co-op supermarket... Beautiful, go buy some.

[@seriousoldman8997]

The power of advertising eh?

[@Rapscallion2009]

Try something new. My advice. Enjoy drinking, not drunkenness. A lovely cold beer on a hot night is an absolute pleasure. A red wine with a hearty supper really adds something. Sipping whisky whilst listening to music and reading a book - oh it feels so right! Doing all three and then chucking up is no fun at all.

[@zloychechen5150]

@@Rapscallion2009 it starts with a cold beer, and turns into six after a few years with some people. if one doesn't drink, i'd advise them not to bother starting, you never know how your body (and mind) will take it in advance.

[@RyanKeane9]

@@Rapscallion2009stay off the top shelf. It’s for boozers, losers and jacuzzi users

[@16ingi16]

A poetic journey of nostalgia, was I just hypnotised! I want a drink.

[@aethellstan]

porter didn't originate in ireland as far as i'm aware, i thought it originated in london where it was originally called london porter. porter is still drunk in lots of pubs, including by me so it has by no means died out.

[@Bungle2010]

I think the pub and beer scene in the UK, and no doubt in Ireland too, was very different then. This was around the time when CAMRA came onto the scene.

[@johnmacaroni105]

London porter with a hint of chocolate sold in bottles at the Co-op supermarket.. A very decent drink especially through the winter months. 10/10 I bloody want one now ☺️

[@elliotvernon7971]

Porter has been revived in England now, but its popularity was in decline in London in the late 19th century and its regular brewing was killed off by grain rationing in WWI. That rationing didn’t apply in Ireland, so porter remained popular among Irish workers.

[@358life6]

I'm loving the BBC archive.

[@jorybennett5932]

Bottle porter can be found in supermarkets. It's great stuff to use in any beef in beer recipes.

[@Team-fabulous]

You can't bottle true Porter. It has to be served from two different sources...

[@michaeljreid1987]

oh my god I've been searching for this full segment for so long!

[@gomey70]

When things go wrong and will not come right, Though you do the best you can, When life looks black as the hour of night - A pint of plain is your only man.

[@daviddavid5880]

Neato. "The clerical collar" indeed. I do so love me some porter after work. Foothills People's Porter ftw. NC represent.

[@jacobfunnell65]

I'm appreciating just how many ways the person behind the camera managed to film a small dark glass with interesting shots. Seems easy enough until you try doing something like that.

[@Muzikman127]

The camerawork etc. really is excellent here

[@Jerram89]

Trust me the BBC was the cream of the crop in that time. Before all the woke warriors got in and ruined it with activist journalism.

[@MarcoCuauhtemocMejia]

that zoom in on the glass at the end is SO 70’s lmao

[@grahambuckerfield4640]

Fascinating, I wondered why in the 1968 film Charge Of The Light Brigade’ Lord Cardigan had his insane rant about porter beer in the Officers Mess.

[@peternoble3691]

I believe that the man himself had the bizarre rant in Crimea. It wasn’t dramatic licence!

[@OlafProt]

Fascinating!! I wonder what bar that is? Very interesting he says Derry too. I would’ve thought anything Auntie Beeb back then would’ve said the long name.

[@oxouk]

Was thinking the very same thing. I then decided to check the comments to see who caught that.

[@5roundsrapid263]

I also noticed that, and I’m not English or Irish!

[@OttoStrawanzinger]

My wife comes from a Protestant family from Derry, and even they call Derry Derry. The distinction of the name Derry/Londonderry across sectarian line is less important to actual people from Derry than what they want to make you believe.

[@oxouk]

@@OttoStrawanzinger go into the bogside and say Londonderry. Trust me, it matters to people from Derry.

[@OttoStrawanzinger]

@@oxouk did you read and understand my post? This is not about the bogside, it‘s about how Protestants from Derry call Derry Derry, and that it‘s more normal for regular, normal Protestants to call Derry just Derry than what the hardcore fundamentalists like the DUP want to make everyone believe.

[@wallywinker2438]

The alliteration in this video is downright musical

[@bertroost1675]

It's relaxing. The pace and quietness of the video is very nice compared to the noise of tv today.

[@JCSAXON]

A tiny local dive used to keep a keg of porter on tap for me. It’s a wild food substitute but it can really stave off the bitter cold

[@ESmith-ik8vu]

You'll be happy to know that Porter's still sold in Denmark, and several brands of it, too. The Carlsberg, the the Limfjords, and the sublime Wibroe. All of them sold bottled only, though, ne'ertheless, it's still possible to build ships on'em. They shouldn't be enjoyed cold but they'll still warm you.

[@MrMpalmer33]

Never knew it fell out of popularity, and considering how much I like drinking it I'm glad it never disappeared altogether.

[@OscarOSullivan]

It was the casked version of Guinness that met the end of the line in 1973

[@jeremyhunter1459]

If Porter is a supposed acquired taste, then I was born with it.

[@grghkllb3875]

Absolute poetry. Bartender, a glass of plain!

[@diegop2311]

The best beer commercial ever made

[@scottanno8861]

Made me want to try it and I don't even drink beer.

[@kedro5]

Glad we have craft beer keeping various styles alive today. It really is easy to take it all for granted.

[@RoyCousins]

London Porter began as the preferred drink of the porters at the London markets (Smithfield, Billingsgate, Covent Garden, etc,.). London market pubs had special licences to allow them to be open in the early hours to let market workers drink after their night shifts. It later moved out to the regions, including Northern Ireland. The business about mixing flat beer with unsettled beer has got to be sharp practice and a way to shift dead beer.

[@markzammit7781]

I used to grab a cheeky pint at the Smithfield market pubs on the way home from a night shift at St Bart's hospital when I worked in London. Happy days.

[@Ian2844]

Porter was invented in London in 1720s. I like the way in this video, the porter comes from casks under the bar. Unlike the chilled , gassed up dead , nitrokeg that they call Guinness now.

[@timothyhill3794]

Damn, this is poetry.

[@2660016A]

As a 41 year old Scottish lover of cask ales, heavy and what I thought was porter (the bottled stuff you get today), I’m sad to learn that this wonderful looking brewing and drinking tradition died out. Would love to know what a real porter tasted like. My staple is McEwans 80 shilling (Scottish ale) and even that isn’t what it used to be, having stopped being cask conditioned about 15 years ago. Even worse, over the years the brewery has been purchased by the likes of Heineken and Marstons and they announced in May 2022 that the Edinburgh brewery that makes it is to be closed. They say production of various beers brewed there will be moved to other breweries, but I haven’t found any specific confirmation about my beloved pint of heavy. Even if they continue making it now, I fear it will die out in years to come, conquered by the tsunami of IPA in recent years to appeal to the young non ale drinkers and the resultant swing in popular tastes. The new Stewart Brewing co do a very nice version of 80 shilling which I enjoy almost as much, but for different characteristics. Belhaven Best is bland swill, Caledonian Best is bland swill with a bit of fizz and John Smith’s can take a running jump. There is no real substitute for a draught pint of McEwans 80, so I shall enjoy it as much as possible while it’s still here!

[@donaldpyper4627]

There has been nothing so damaging to good beer than the mega-brewers buying them all up then shutting them down. I find Stewart’s 80/- a bit too sweet and not a patch on the old Caley 80/-

[@chrisr5499]

Marstons has done the same with the Jennings Brewery and shut it down and now you can not get any of the Jennings range apart from Cumberland Ale but even that is made in Burton.

[@ironbooze2937]

Don't you worry, you couldn't taste a 'real' Porter even if you wanted to, 'cause it never existed. It just changed too much throughout history. My favourite example is Mild. Now dark and low abv, Mild once referred to a fresh beer. These came in varying strengths (up to ~10%) and with a light colour.

[@prangbro]

There’s a craft beer brewery in Glasgow called Simple Things Fermentations who make a fantastic Scottish heavy, 3.5 per cent or so and very much alive and can conditioned. Would love to try on draught!

[@2660016A]

@@prangbro Great stuff. I regret to say that the expected drop in quality has happened with McEwans 80. I could swear they’re putting Caledonian 80 in the barrels and claiming it’s McEwans.

[@cessnaverdi]

Love a good porter, especially in the autumn.

[@alanknight3778]

Well it certainly came back with a vengeance. We have the American craft brewing industry to thank for that in large part. They revived the style beautifully.

[@eedobee]

Porter remains a popular drink in craft breweries around the world. Most of my friends don’t like dark brews, but it’s a good drop.

[@SkinsNatsCaps]

Little did they know that porter and dark beer would have a resurgence 30-40 years later.

[@simongreaves9465]

That was so evocative I could smell it!

[@0019808]

I’m a homebrewer and brew porter every winter. It’s lovely stuff, and I have enough to last me four or five months, until March / April time next year. Its got so much more body and flavour than gassy lager, which I stopped drinking several years ago.

[@robertrobert7924]

I have been drinking Yuengling Porter brewed by America's oldest brewery in Pottsville, PA since 1965. They stopped distributing it about 5 years ago, and I sorely miss it.

[@emcee7670]

Dang! Didn't know they even had one!

[@kasimsultonfan]

The late, great Larry. RIP

[@brian9670]

Founders Porter...perfection in a glass

[@jaybee2402]

How Joycian his eloquence is 😁

[@gulfstream7235]

Chap knows how to spin a yarn you could say..

[@darrenmurray861]

That was beautifully shot and made.

[@jo71992]

had a great uncle, b 1909 who kept a diary. He and his dad (my gr grandfather) once took a trip from Smithfield to Tring when my gr uncle was young (under 10) and he wrote that they'd stopped in a pub and he drank a porter. Boggles the mind now

[@johnmacaroni105]

He was probably given just an half pint, compare today parents will buy their kids red bull or other fizzy drinks packed with sugars, helping them on the way too diabetes and rotting teeth.

[@edwardbyard6540]

..and now it's a popular craft beer, and there are some superb porters around. My favourite is Plum Porter, by Titanic Brewery - absolutely delicious.

[@eanschaan9392]

Porter, or at least the kind you find these days, is one of my favorite kinds of beer. A shame it isn't as common anymore.

[@thequintanashow5058]

I don’t drink. However, I love excellence - and this reporting is simply sublime

[@hoosiersands]

Porter in bottles is pretty easy to get nowadays-at least in London. On tap is more difficult. Just because Guinness doesn't brew it, doesn't mean it's gone! My favourite is Five Points Railway Porter-absolutely gorgeous.

[@michaelroberts7374]

I love five points beer!

[@j0nnyism]

It’s not the real thing unless it’s draft in my opinion as the bottled stuff isn’t bottle conditioned or is rarely

[@nothanksguy]

Hoosier sands... Like indiana?

[@kevinduffy80]

@@nothanksguy Hoosier, Kansas surely

[@UnbelievableEricthegiraffe]

@@j0nnyism Is that Draft as in "The Draft blew through the window " Or I'd like a Pint of Draught Beer please " ??