Annotation:Mug of Brown Ale (1)
X:1 T:Mug of Brown Ale [1] M:6/8 L:1/8 K:Ador eAA fAA | gfg age | dBA GFG | BAB dBd | eAA fAA | gfg age | dBd gdB | BAG A2 :| |: g | efg aba | aba age | def g2f | gba ged | efg aba | aba age | dBd gdB | BAG A2 :|
MUG OF BROWN ALE [1], THE. AKA and see "Butcher's March (3)," "Clare Jig (1) (The)," "Delaney's Drummers," "Paddy in London (2)," "Raffle Jig (The)," "Spoonful of Treacle (The)," "Winter Apples (2)," "Wrong-Headed Man (The)." Irish, Jig (6/8 time). A Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Kerr): AABB (Mallinson, Miller & Perron, Prior, Songer): AABB' (Allan's). Bayard (1981) states that this tune belongs to a rather vague, and so far nameless, tune family whose members "seem always on the point of diverging off into other pieces." The family is probably Irish, he thinks, and has attracted many "floating" titles from that tradition over the years. "Delaney's Drummers" is a related melody.
Brown ale is one of the oldest brewing styles in the British Isles, one of the three beers or "three threads" that blended together make a beer that developed into porter. It is first mentioned in literature in the 16th century. Brown ale was widely brewed at one time, primarily by women (hence the term 'alewife' for a married woman). Many brown ales have a round, nutty flavor (especially those brewed with the Yorkshire square system of fermentation), and are sometimes referred to as 'nut-brown ales'. The brew was originally probably slightly sweet, lightly carbonated, and served from the barrel a few days after fermentation was complete.
"Mug of Brown Ale [1]" shares some characteristics with "Apples in Winter (1)," including the same tonality and general melodic contour, and very similar opening measures. However, the tunes are not cognate and belong to different tune families.