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The history and revival of porter - from the porters of London to craft

Porter is one of the most important beers in history - the first mass-produced beer in the world, which for a century ruled London, and then almost completely vanished, only to be reborn in the era of craft beer. Its name comes from the porters, the London workers carrying goods, who came to love this dark, filling beer. From porter was born stout, and in the Baltic countries a strong offshoot of it arose. Porter went through three centuries of rises and falls, from its 18th-century triumph, through oblivion in the 20th century, to today’s renaissance. It is the story of a beer that shaped the history of brewing. Here is a guide to porter: where it came from, how stout was born, what Baltic porter is and how its revival came about.

Birth in 18th-century London

Porter was born in London in the early 18th century, growing out of English brown ales. It was a dark, well-hopped beer, owing its colour to brown malt. Its name is an interesting riddle, but the most popular theory links it to the porters - the workers who carried goods across the whole city and took a liking to this filling, strong, cheap beer. Porter quickly became the favourite of the London working class, the ideal drink after a hard day of physical work. It was a beer of real social significance, tied to the everyday life of the city. Understanding that porter was born as a dark, working-class beer of 18th-century London is the starting point for the rest. It is the beginning of one of the most important stories in the history of beer. We cover dark beers more in dark beers.

The first mass-produced beer

Porter has a unique place in history: it is probably the first mass-produced commercial beer in the world. Its popularity in London grew explosively, reaching its peak in the 1820s. It was precisely around porter that the first great, industrial breweries arose, able to brew it in enormous quantities and store it in giant vats. Porter was ideal for mass production: it could be brewed at scale, matured for a long time and kept well. This made it the foundation of the industrial revolution in brewing - the first beer that went from craft to industry. The porter breweries became economic powers of London. Understanding that porter is a pioneer of mass beer production shows its historical significance, going beyond the flavour itself. It is a beer that changed the way beer is made at all. It is a milestone in the history of brewing.

Brown and robust porter

Over time porter developed into several varieties, differing in strength and character. The two main ones are brown porter and robust porter. Brown porter is gentler, malty and sweeter, of a balanced, friendly character. Robust porter is more hopped and more intense, with a stronger flavour from roasted or black patent malt, giving notes of coffee, chocolate and roast. This distinction shows that porter was never one rigid style but a family of beers of a shared, dark, malty core. Over time ever stronger versions were also brewed, which had momentous consequences - from the strongest porters stout was born. Understanding that porter is a family of varying strength helps grasp its further evolution. It is a flexible style that gave rise to others. We cover roasted beers more in stouts.

The birth of stout

One of the most important consequences of porter was the birth of stout - today a separate, famous style. Originally stout was not a distinct beer but simply a stronger version of porter. The word stout means strong, sturdy in English, and at first people said stout porter, that is strong porter. Over time the strongest, most filling porter beers began to be called simply stouts, and the style became independent. This is why stout and porter are so closely related - they have a common root, and the line between them remains fluid to this day. Stout, with Guinness at the head, over time eclipsed porter in popularity, becoming for many a synonym for dark beer. But it was porter that was first, and stout is its strong child. Understanding this kinship explains why the two styles are so similar and confused. It is a family story of dark beer.

A table: the history of porter

Let us gather the key stages in one place:

The table shows the three-century road of porter: from triumph, through oblivion, to renaissance. It is one of the most dramatic stories in the world of beer.

Baltic porter

An interesting offshoot is Baltic porter, which was born in the 19th century in the Baltic Sea region. The history is fascinating: the strong, imperial stouts and porters exported from Great Britain in the 18th century became popular in the countries around the Baltic - in Poland, the Scandinavian countries, the Baltic states and Russia. Over time they began to be recreated there locally, using local ingredients and brewing traditions. Thus arose Baltic porter - a strong, dark, filling version of the style, often fermented with bottom-fermenting yeast (like a lager), unlike the British top-fermenting ones. This gave it a smoother, cleaner, stronger character. Poland is today one of the main homelands of Baltic porter, with a proud tradition of this style. Understanding this offshoot shows how porter spread and evolved beyond England. We cover this style more in Baltic porter.

Decline and revival

After a century of triumph porter went through a dramatic decline. When in the 19th century pale beers - pale ales and pilsners - became the darlings of Europe, and stout took over the niche of strong dark beers, porter began to lose popularity. The process accelerated in the 20th century, and by the 1940s porter had almost completely vanished from England - the style that created industrial brewing fell into oblivion. But history came full circle. In the 21st century porter was reborn as one of the foundational beers of the craft movement. Craft brewers, valuing tradition and diversity, revived porter, appreciating its history and rich, malty flavour. Today porter is an important, prized style, among others in the thriving Irish craft scene. Understanding this revival shows that even a forgotten style can return. We cover the craft movement more in craft beer.

How to sense it in the mug

Porter is easy to recognise by its dark, malty, but not excessively heavy character. You sense notes of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, caramel and bread, with a moderate bitterness and a smooth, filling texture. Brown porter is gentler and sweeter, robust porter more intense and more roasted. Unlike the strongest stouts, porter is usually a little lighter and more balanced, though the line is often fluid. Baltic porter is stronger, smoother and cleaner, often with notes of dark fruit and molasses. If a beer is dark, malty-roasted, chocolate-coffee, but drinkable and balanced, that is a good clue that it is porter. It is worth comparing porter with stout, to feel their kinship and subtle differences. Serve it lightly chilled, with meats, cheeses or chocolate desserts. Over time you will come to appreciate the rich, malty history in every sip. It is a beer with a soul and a past.

The essentials in brief

Let us gather it up. Porter was born in London in the early 18th century as a dark, working-class beer, the favourite of the porters, from whom it took its name. It became probably the first mass-produced beer in the world, reaching its peak in the 1820s and creating the first great breweries. It developed into brown and robust porter, and from its strongest versions stout was born (originally stout porter). In the 19th century Baltic porter also arose - a strong, smooth, bottom-fermenting version popular in the countries around the Baltic, including Poland. After a century of triumph porter almost vanished in the 1940s, displaced by pale beers and stout, only to be reborn in the 21st century as a foundation of craft beer. Now you know where porter came from and how it went through three centuries of rises and falls.

Note every beer in GustoNote - including the style and the malty character you sense. Over time you will start to recognise porter and tell it from stout.