Shilling Showdown (It's tame)

Today I will shell out for you the concept behind the shilling category. This is a Scottish system dating back to an older currency and an older time in ye olde empire. First off, we need to look at sizes. This was implemented around the time the imperial system of measurements had been brought out. The Scots had a friendly term for a lot of beer called a “Hogshead” which was roughly 54 imperial gallons of beer – I told you it was a lot.

From here, the price break down would go in to quality or strength of the beer, with sixty shillings (or bobs) charged for a hogshead of light beer, and on the other spectrum 90 bobs representing what we call a “wee heavy” (only a wee bit, really). The ABV in a Wee Heavy is supposed to be above 6%. Technically, Odell’s was an American Red Ale with about 5.5% abv, so it wouldn’t really classify as a 90 shilling. More appropriately it would be an 80 shilling which was charged on simple heavy beers. Between the heavies and the lights was – you guessed it – 70 shillings for a medium.

Whether or not you’re getting your money’s worth when you pick up that fifty-four gallons of Odell’s for 90 shilling, it was still a very good beer, if just a “over priced.”

Happy drinking! Keep the cap.

- JP