Barley wine One of the oldest styles of beer, the current form of barley wine originated in England during the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 18th century, it developed a short-lived popularity with English aristocracy, who were looking for an alternative to wine that had the same alcoholic strength. The first beer to be marketed as "barley wine" was Bass No. 1 Ale, around 1870. The Anchor Brewing Company introduced the style to the United States in 1976 with its Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale. Old Foghorn was styled as "barleywine" (one word) out of fear that occurrence of the word
Barley wine at a higher rate than other beers. Thus, barley wines tend to suffer a further price premium as compared with other beers. Similarly, many jurisdictions have different regulations regarding where beers and wines can be sold, leading to confusion regarding in which category barley wines fall and therefore limiting access. A variation on the barley wine style involves adding a large quantity of wheat to the mash bill, resulting in what is referred to as wheat wine. This style originated in the United States in the 1980s. Barley wine Barley wine is a style of strong ale of between 6-11%