A low-gravity beer with a predominantly malty palate that originated in Britain in the 17th century or earlier.

The term originally meant unaged ale, the opposite of old ale, but in more recent times has been interpreted as denoting 'mildly hopped. It can be any strength or colour, although most are dark brown and low in strength, typically between 3-3.5%.

There is some overlap between the weakest styles of bitter and light mild, with the term AK being used to refer to both. The designation of such beers as bitter or mild has tended to change with fashion.

Once sold in every pub, mild experienced a sharp decline in popularity after the 1960s and was in danger of completely disappearing. However, in recent years the explosion of microbreweries has led to a modest renaissance and an increasing number of milds (sometimes labelled Dark) are now being brewed.