Caledonian Brewery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Caledonian Brewery | |
|---|---|
| Location | Slateford, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Owner | Scottish & Newcastle |
| Year opened | 1869 |
| Active Beers | |
| Deuchars IPA | India Pale Ale |
| Caledonian 80/- | Ale |
| Seasonal Beers | |
| Ale Lang Syne | Ale |
| Six Nations | Golden Ale |
| Flying Scotsman | Ruby Ale |
| Dr. Bob's Magic Potion | Ale |
| Nectar Summer Ale | Ale |
| Tattoo Ale | Ale |
| Full Monty Ale | Ale |
| Campbell, Hope and King Double Amber | Amber Ale |
| Santa's Little Helper | Ale |
Caledonian Brewery is a Scottish brewery founded in 1869 in the Slateford area of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Contents |
[edit] History
When it was founded in 1869, the brewery was named the Lorimer and Clark Caledonian Brewery, after its founders George Lorimer and Robert Clark.
George Lorimer was just 18 years old when his father (George Lorimer Snr.) died in a fire at Edinburgh's Theatre Royal in 1865. Young George was a keen golfer and member of the Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society - which met at the Golf Tavern and played on the adjacent Bruntsfield Links. It was through spending time at the Golf Tavern that George became friends with many of Edinburgh's leading brewers; including Thomas Aitchison, George Bernard and Robert Clark.
In 1868, George Lorimer came of age and inherited his father's estate. George was determined to use the money to start his own brewery. He enlisted the help of Robert Clark, then Head Brewer at the Alexander Melvin Brewery in Edinburgh and together they opened Lorimer and Clark's Caledonian Brewery on the Slateford Road site.
Although the brewery sold its beers and a number of stouts all over Scotland, its most popular beer was Lorimer's Best Scotch, which was sold predominantly in the North East of England
On George Lorimer’s death in 1919, The Caledonian Brewery passed into the hands of Sunderland based Vaux Breweries, who developed Lorimer’s Best Scotch brand into one of the most popular beers in the North East. Not surprisingly, in 1986 they decided to cease brewing in Edinburgh and transfer the operation to their base in Sunderland.
Eventually neglect and lack of investment took their toll and placed the brewery under threat of closure. In 1987, the brewery was fortunately saved through a management buy-out led by Head Brewer Russell Sharp. From small beginnings the Caledonian Brewery, known locally as The Caley, has led the Scottish renaissance in the traditional brewing of quality cask-conditioned ales, thereby sustaining Edinburgh's proud brewing heritage.
The brewery was partially bought by Scottish & Newcastle in 2004, following their closure of the McEwan's Brewery in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. Production of McEwan's ales has been transferred to the Caledonian Brewery.
In January 2006 Caledonian Brewery bought Harviestoun Brewery based in Alva, makers of Bitter and Twisted. [1]
[edit] Beers
Caledonian's most well known beers are Deuchars IPA and 80/-. They also brew Golden Promise, an organic beer, as well as a number of seasonal ales.
[edit] References
- ^ Fraser, Ian (29 January 2006). Harviestoun is Caledonian’s.
