EXMOOR Ales has produced a traditional mild beer for the first time in the brewery’s 28 years.

The Wiveliscombe-based company has produced the light beer – which dominated bars up until the 1950s.

Emerging in the 19th century, mild has suffered a drop-in sale since its heyday in the first half of the 20th century. It is nowadays a rare sight outside its traditional heartland of the West Midlands, which is where the brewery’s managing director Jonathan Price comes from.

At 3.5 per cent abv, the beer is low in alcohol as well as being soft in its malt character.

Mr Price said: “Part of the motive for brewing a mild comes a little from my Midlands heritage.

“When I was a youngster starting out drinking, the only choice on bars was bitter or mild, though the mild could be very variable from pub to pub, as typically it had the reputation of being the beer in which any old ‘beer slops’ were recycled.

“Thankfully, the days of those practices are long behind us, and mild should be treated and presented consistently in pubs to give the style a chance again.

“However, the main reason to brewing a mild now is because of the hugely broadened perspective of beer drinkers who are eager to give new, or revived, styles a chance. This is reflected in the remarkably high interest in our mild, which has surprised and delighted us.”

Adrian Newman, Exmoor Ales’ head brewer, and his assistant Tom Davis, was tasked with the job of producing the mild.