Scottish Blog

The Shilling categories is a commonly used means of measuring and classifying beers in Scotland.

The shilling categorization of beers stems from the practice of manufacturers to charge different prices for different qualities of beers, with low-alcohol brews being cheaper. Specifically, the shilling measurement refers to the price that would have been charged for 54 gallons of any particular beer in the 19th century.

People would use the shilling system by ordering a beer from a certain shilling range. As an example, a bar patron might ask for “a pint of eighty shilling”. The shilling range would not determine what type of beer was given, and manufacturers would even produce equal shilling beers of different beer types.

From a modern standpoint, the shilling range system has been revived, although it no longer refers to prices. Shillings now stand as a reference point for the strengths of beers. Although the shilling range is not officially decided, but there is a general public consensus on what the different terms mean. Sixty shilling beer is considered to be light, and under 3.5 percent in alcohol volume. Heavy beers of between 3.5 and 4 percent in alcohol are considered to be 70 shilling beers. Export beers are 8- shillings, and can be up to 5.5 percent in alcohol. And 90 shillings would refer to a beer with an alcohol level of above 6 percent.