These days in England, "Real Ale" is vitually synonomous with "Draught Bitter" - OK I know that we have Milds, Olds, and Stouts as well. The point that I wanted to make is that before WW1, the most popular beer drunk have probably have been Porter which was somewhere between an Old and a Stout. Wartime shortages were responsible for Breweries producing IPA (which needed less barley) as a draught rather than bottled beer. The drink caught on as did a lighter bottled equivalent - pale (or light) ale. For the drinkers who preferred a darker beer, draught mild, and bottled brown ale were produced. Most of these are still available - and several breweries produce a Porter.

Does any one know of a brewery which still produces a (southern style) Bottled Brown Ale ? - I'm not including Newcastle Brown Ale which is a rather different drink. It used to be wonderful in casseroles, welsh rarebits and had many uses - a brown and bitter was a much tastier drink than a light and bitter. I always used keep a quart bottle (with a rubber screw top) around - it lasted for ages.