SA Brain & Company Ltd
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Brains Brewery | |
|---|---|
 S. A. Brain logo |
|
| Location | Cardiff, Wales, UK |
| Owner | S. A. Brain Ltd. |
| Year opened | 1882 |
| Annual production | ? |
| Active Beers | |
| Brains Bitter | bitter |
| Brains Dark | Mild ale |
| Brains SA | best bitter |
| SA Gold | golden ale |
| Rev James | best bitter |
| Buckley's Best Bitter | best bitter |
| IPA | India pale ale |
| 45 | Belgian ale |
| Seasonal Beers | |
| Bread Of Heaven | best bitter |
| St Davids Ale | best bitter |
| Taff End | best bitter |
| Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land Of My Fathers) | golden ale |
| Retired Beers | |
Founded in 1882, SA Brain & Company Ltd, popularly known as Brains, is a brewery in Wales that produces a number of traditional ales in the heart of Cardiff.
The brewery owns over 200 pubs across South Wales, Mid Wales, the West Country and central Cardiff, and has recently become the shirt sponsor for the Welsh rugby union team. As French rules forbid alcohol-related sponsorship logos from appearing on rugby jerseys, when the team plays in France the word "Brains" is replaced with "Brawn", in 2007 it was "Brawn Again".
The Brains brewery was originally owned by the Thomas Brothers prior to 1882. Due to the owners' gambling debts it was sold, and remains in the Brain family to this day, with current owner Chris Brain.
Contents |
[edit] The Old Brewery Quarter
In 1999 SA Brain moved its brewery from the Old Brewery on Saint Mary Street to a larger site just on the bay side of Cardiff Central railway station, the former Hancocks Brewery. In 2003 the then-vacant Old Brewery was redeveloped into the 85,000 sq ft "Old Brewery Quarter." It is a mixed development of 55,000 sq ft of leisure space around an open-air piazza in the heart of Cardiff’s growing city centre together with 42 long-leasehold loft style apartments and penthouses.
The development has attracted a range of bar and restaurant operators including Hard Rock Café, Starbucks, Future 3000, Nandos, Thai Edge, Pancake House, La Tasca, Lava Lounge, Chiquito's and SA Brain's own flagship venue, the Yard Bar and Kitchen.
[edit] Regular Beers
[edit] Brains line
Brains SA, the company's flagship brand, is a light-colored malty best bitter which was colloquially known as "Skull Attack". Its formulation has undergone several revisions since the beer was launched in the early 20th century; the most recent revision was launched in early 2006 and increases the quantity of hops in the brew.
Brains Dark is a dark mild ale with an emphasis on roasted malts. There is a smooth varient, which has a smoother texture than its standard equivilent.
Brains Bitter is the brewery's standard bitter and the most commonly available in Cardiff. Many Brains pubs serve only Bitter from a cask.
Brains IPA, an unusually malty example of the India Pale Ale style, is usually seen on cask only in the valleys outside Cardiff, although some pubs stock it as keg beer or in bottles in Cardiff proper.
SA Gold, the newest addition to the line, is - according to a release note sent out to Brains pubs in early 2006 - Brains' attempts to "branch out" into both the English and youth markets, areas in which Brains is visibly struggling. Its official launch was June 2006, but many houses retired it in favour of the bi-monthly guest ale rotation. The beer is hopped with Cascade, Target and Styrian Golding hops.
45 is a kegged continental-style ale at 4.5% ABV. It is being test-marketed in Cardiff as a competitor to strong lagers such as Stella Artois, though tastes different. In March 2007, the recipe was radically altered from the original used in the January launch after slow market growth and poor in-house response.
[edit] Buckley's line
Brains purchased the Llanelli-based Crown Buckley in 1998. It continues to produce three Buckley's beers, all at their Cardiff brewery: Buckley's Bitter, Buckley's IPA, and Reverend James best bitter.
[edit] Seasonal Beers
St David's Ale is brewed to celebrate St David's Day and is available in February and March. Taff End is available in June and July and celebrates sponsorship of the Glamorgan County Cricket Club. Brains' "Bread of Heaven", named for a traditional Welsh rugby anthem, was launched in 2005 in commemoration of the sponsorship, and is currently an autumn seasonal.
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land Of My Fathers) was launched in 2006 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Welsh national anthem. It is a golden ale brewed with Welsh honey.
