Green’s Dictionary of Slang

English n.¹

ale.

1650		Eighth Liberal Science n.p.: English is the name for Ale.
1849		Bell’s Life in Sydney 17 Feb. 3/1: Nor was she backward in washing down the good things set before her by retorting to copious draughts of English.
1904		Wkly Times (Melbourne) 7 May 21/5: One of the witnesses was said to have been inebriated. This was indignantly denied by another witness, who said that all the other man had had to drink was two ‘tiddle-hi-tis’ of ‘English’.