Porters were first introduced in 1722 England as an ale called “Entire” and became a favorite of the working class – particularly among porters, who labored at the local markets and also delivered the product to the pubs. Hence, the name. Our version of this ale, which includes a generous amount of Commonwealth Joe coffee beans, pays homage to those who choose to get dirty for a living – today’s modern-day porters – for it is these people who truly make the world go round.

Roasted grains, chocolate, toffee, coffee.

Growlers and on tap.

C-45, Extra Special, raw wheat, flaked oats, roasted barley, pale chocolate, dark chocolate.

Columbus.

Ale.

A substantial malty, dark ale that is complex and has a roasted chocolate character. It is a full-bodied ale that imparts a slight warmth, yet is super smooth and offers a soft mouth feel. This brew not only has a caffeine punch – thanks to 36 pounds of Commonwealth Joe java beans – but also gushes with a wonderful coffee aroma.

The first printed reference to porter was in 1722, when Ralph Harwood, a London brewer, created a beer he originally called “Entire.” Prior to Harwood’s concoction, Entire had referred to a blend of three separate beers, consisting of one third each beer, ale, and strong beer. Workingmen would order this blend – which was also known as “Three Threads,” vernacular for three thirds – and the drink would be mixed at the bar like a cocktail is today.

Harwood’s Entire soon became the workingman’s pint of choice, primarily because these men needed ample supplies of both liquid and calories to get through an average day on the job. Entire was particularly favored by porters, who labored at the local markets and also delivered the product to the pubs. As the story goes – at least a story believed by several historians – it wasn’t long before Entire was being referred to as porter.

There is an alternative theory of the origin or porter, however, one that suggests that porter (or at least the practice of calling a beer “porter”) came to Britain from the Netherlands, where a beer known as “poorter” was being consumed as early as the 14th century. Trading links between London and Dutch ports were certainly well-established, and there could well have been some cross-pollination of Netherlands’ poorter and England’s porter, though the evidence is scant. In either case, though, it seems that poorter and porter were both considered ideal beers for the working classes, so it seems that both countries can lay claim to the origin of this ale.

Regardless of who gets credit, one thing is for certain: Because of the lengthy aging required, porters were among the first beers to be made by freestanding breweries rather than by the pubs themselves. Only larger breweries had space for the huge vats necessary to store beer for extended periods of time.

The history of stout and porter are intertwined. The name “stout,” used for a dark beer, came about because strong porters were marketed as “stout porter,” which was later shortened to just stout. Guinness Extra Stout was originally called “Extra Superior Porter” and was not given the name “Extra Stout” until 1840. Today, the terms are used by different breweries almost interchangeably to describe dark beers, and the two styles have more in common than in distinction.

Smoked foods, barbecue, sausage, rich stews, meats, bacon, chili, braised dishes, and chicken wings.