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Old Speckled Hen: Everything You Wanted to Know
Old Speckled Hen is one of the best beers in England, and one of my personal top ten English beers. But how many calories are there in a pint of Old Speckled Hen? What is the alcohol percentage? Is Old Speckled Hen gluten-free? Or vegan? And what beer is similar to Old Speckled Hen? Let’s find out.
There are 291 calories in a pint of Old Speckled Hen (568ml). The alcohol of a draught pint is 4.5% and 5% in a can or bottle. Old Speckled Hen is not gluten-free, though the brewery does offer a gluten-free version. It is not vegan-friendly.
In this article, I will take a more in-depth look at the questions raised above. I will also do my best to recommend some beers that I think are similar to Old Speckled Hen.
How Many Calories Are There in a Pint of Old Speckled Hen?
There are 51.2 calories per 100ml in Old Speckled Hen. This information was surprisingly difficult to find out as there is a lot of misinformation on Google at the moment, and the Greene King website does not shine a light on the situation. Luckily, I am a very sad man, so I emailed Greene King directly and they confirmed the number. Based on this, here are the calorie counts for Old Speckled Hen.
- There are 291 calories in a pint of Old Speckled Hen (568ml)
- There are 256 calories in a 500ml can or bottle of Old Speckled Hen
- There are 225 calories in a 440ml can or bottle of Old Speckled Hen
How Much Alcohol is There in a Pint of Old Speckled Hen?
If your pint of Speckled Hen is poured from a cask, then the alcohol percentage will be 4.5%. If however, your Old Speckled Hen is poured from a bottle or can, then the percentage will 5% abv. Which is quite strong for an English ale. Though, as Old Speckled Hen is a pale ale the alcohol percentage is about right.
Is Old Speckled Hen Gluten-Free?
Old Speckled Hen contains malted barley, which contains gluten. So there is no chance that it can be gluten-free. However, there is a gluten-free version of Old Speckled Hen that is available from their website.
Is Old Speckled Hen Vegan?
Sadly not. This is almost certainly due to the use of isinglass to clarify the beer. One of the downsides to real ales is that they are naturally cloudy, so for a long time brewers have used stuff like isinglass to clear the beer. It does not affect the taste, but isinglass comes from fish swim bladders.
What Beer is Similar to Old Speckled Hen?
I love English Pale Ales such as Old Speckled Hen. Not to be confused with English IPAs, or American IPAs. Most of the real ales people talk about are in fact pale ales. If you really like Old Speckled Hen then there are a number of beers that are similar to it.
Fuller’s London Pride is one of the best English Pale Ales. Black Sheep Ale is an excellent pale ale from Yorkshire. I’ve already talked about John Smith’s and Tetley’s, they are not as good as Old Speckled Hen or the others in this section, but they are two of the most popular pale ales in the UK and deserve at least a mention.
Other English beers you may want to consider include Doom Bar, Hobgoblin, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, St Austell’s Tribute, Harvey’s Best Sussex Bitter, and Badger Best Bitter from Hall & Woodhouse. Bitter is a form of pale ale by the way.
If you would like to learn more about English beer, then check out my article on the best beers to drink in England. You will find a number of pale ales similar to Old Speckled Hen, plus some excellent IPAs, stouts, porters, and craft breweries.
Alternatively, you can check out my article on beer in London which gives a great history of English Pale Ale.
About the Author Matt Smith
Matt Smith is the owner of Beer N Biceps. He has a degree in Sports Science, 10 years of experience working in the fitness industry, and has written for hundreds of fitness websites. He is a lover of good quality beer and believes that drinking in moderation can form part of a healthy lifestyle.
