Milk Stouts, otherwise known as Sweet Stouts, have enticed our palates since the 1800s. This was when milk was blended with dark beer in an effort to make these ales more nutritious.
These sweet libations became popular among the English labors as a pick-me-up during the middle of the day.
Healthy Beer
Adding lactose to beers began in 1875 from a brewer by the name John Henry Johnson. He actually patented the idea of making a beer with barley, hops, whey, and lactose.
Unfortunately, he did not see his idea to fruition. Many brewers adopted this idea as a “restorative treatment” for people in poor health. Even doctors, until the 1950s, believed this to be true.
The First Sweet Stout
The first commercial example of Milk Stouts was brewed by Mackeson Brewery in 1907 in Hythe, Kent. Their label even recognized that a pint of this beer contained 10 ounces of “pure dairy milk.” This label is now owned by InBev.