Charles Dickens Vs Bitter Lager Beer and zee Germans?

[hemmings]

Lots of mentions of Inns and parties in lots of his works about things near Christmas Time. Even in Christmas Carol but mostly as asides there.

Pickwick Papers have lots of good party scene's and discussion of various beers. But found a somewhat lesser known one I thought I would pass on as it seems to be an interesting shot at "zee Germans" during the Victorian Period in his "Christmas Stories" in a tale about the Holly Tree Inn- He basically tells a bunch of short stories about Inns his character has been to and says- "That was a good Inn down in Wiltshire where I put up once, in the days of Hard Wilshire Ale, before all beer was bitterness".

I was thinking this meant the hops and lager beer taking over but now I'm wondering if it could mean things like bitter India Pale Ales instead? hmmm

Maybe more of a seperate issue than I was thinking at first but Victoria and Albert were married in early 1840. Curious if the spread of Lager beer followed him to England and then the USA? Does anyone know if this has ever been traced? I know that is pretty much the story with Christmas Trees so if could have happened that way????? Just read he was only 42 when he died in 1861, yikes....