Porter Emerges in Early-Eighteenth-Century London

By 1721, porter had emerged as a recognizable type of dark beer in London. The earliest known printed use of the name appears in a political pamphlet by Nicholas Amhurst, who referred to a modest meal of beef, cabbage, and porter. The reference indicates that the beer was already familiar enough to be associated with the city’s working population. Porter was not the sudden invention traditionally attributed to Ralph Harwood in 1722. Historical research instead describes its gradual development from London brown beer around 1720. Brewers produced a well-hopped beer from brown malt and matured it before sale, creating a drink that could be supplied in a more finished condition. Porter subsequently became the foundation of London’s large-scale brewing industry, spread through international trade, and gave rise to stronger versions known as stout porter and eventually stout.