Mulled ale has the reputation of being a drink more commonly served to the poor with mulled wine favoured by the rich.
In Britain and other beer drinking countries, warming the ale and sweetening it with sugar and or honey was thought to be more beneficial to the health.
Again, spices likely masked some pretty rough beer making the end drink more palatable than its original form. A shot of something stronger, whatever spirit to hand, but mostly rum or brandy, mulled ale then takes the name of a flip. Flips were popular on both sides of the Atlantic, associated as they were with sailors and much raucous, seafaring revelry.
