In the early 18th century, East London pub brewer Ralph Harwood mixed the pub’s three ale styles to create a fourth style on the premises. Calling it the “three heads ale,” this porter forerunner was a mix of equal parts pale ale, actively fermenting brown ale, and aged brown ale. In 1732 Harwood brewed the first “porter” from scratch. He called this new ale “entire.” This hearty dark ale became known as porter due to its popularity among that group of working class pubgoers.

Using maritime English Malts, East Kent Golding hops, and mash conditions mimicking those of the 18th century London breweries, Java Porter has a distinctive new world twist—coffee beans are brewed in with the boiling wort. Collaborating with local coffee roaster Partridge & Quigley, the bitter dark roasted Sumatra Blue Lingtong Java was selected to complement this robust seasonal ale. With an Original Gravity of 1.075 brix, this highly hopped porter is distinguished by the subtle presence of the Sumatra Java. Available for a limited time only, Java Porter is served on draught or cask conditioned from the BBC’s hand-pull engine.