Caledonian Brewery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Caledonian Brewery | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Slateford, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Owner | Scottish & Newcastle |
| Year opened | 1869 |
| Active Beers | |
| Deuchars IPA | India Pale Ale |
| Caledonian 80/- | Scottish Ale |
| Golden Promise | organic ale |
| XPA | India Pale Ale |
| Seasonal Beers | |
| Six Nations | golden ale |
| Nectar Summer Ale | honey ale |
| Santa's Little Helper | Christmas ale |
Caledonian Brewery is a Scottish brewery founded in 1869 in the Slateford area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Caley, as it is known locally, is the only survivor of over 40 breweries that operated in Edinburgh during the 1800's.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early years
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.
[edit] Vaux era
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 has led the Scottish renaissance in the traditional brewing of quality cask-conditioned ales, thereby sustaining Edinburgh's proud brewing heritage.
[edit] Scottish & Newcastle era
In 2004, the brewery site and production facilites were bought by Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) , following their closure of the McEwan's Brewery in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. Production of McEwan's ales has been transferred to the Caledonian Brewery.[1]
At the same time, a new Caledonian Brewing Company (CBC) was formed by several former share holders ad directors of the pre-2004 business. CBC owns the Caledonian brands and operates the brewery site on behalf of the owners. Whilst S&N has taken a 30% share in this business, CBC operates on an independent basis. [2]
In January 2006, the Caledonian Brewing Company purchased the 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, XPA, and a number of seasonal ales.
[edit] References
- ^ Fraser, Ian (29 January 2006). Harviestoun is Caledonian’s.
