Samuel Smith Brewery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Samuel Smith | |
|---|---|
| Location | Tadcaster Yorkshire England |
| Year opened | 1758 |
Samuel Smith's is an independent British brewery located in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, England. It brews at Yorkshire's oldest brewery, which was founded in 1758.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1847, Samuel Smith, a butcher and cattle dealer from Meanwood, Leeds, funded his son John to buy a struggling brewing business in Tadcaster from the Hartley family. That brewery, founded in 1758, is said to be the oldest in Yorkshire.
John Smith took over the brewery in 1852 forming John Smiths Brewery. He was later joined by his brother William. John then left the brewery to the eldest son of his other brother Samuel and the joint custiodianship of the business to both William and Samuel. However William bought Samuel's half and moved the business to a new brewery, next door, which is where John Smiths is now brewed, then leaving the business to his sister's sons. Meanwhile Samuel's son Samuel Smith, inherited the Old Brewery on William's death in 1886, and re-opened the brewery under his own name. He then ran it in competition with his cousins' business, John Smiths. Samuel Smith's remains independent, the only brewery in Tadcaster to do so.
[edit] Pubs
The brewery operates some pubs, which are notable for their fierce independence: The beers are all produced by the Tadcaster brewery and no large-corporation spirits or soft-drinks are available. Prices are kept minimal by only increasing in line with alcohol duty and inflation increases. In November 2004 the company took the decision to ban music in its pubs to save Performing Rights levy.
Samuel Smith still deliver multiple-trip bottles in beer crates - a very environmentally friendly system.
[edit] The Old Brewery
The Old Brewery at Tadcaster was founded in 1758 and bears the name of famous local brewer Samuel Smith. It is both the oldest brewery in Yorkshire and the only surviving independent brewery in Tadcaster.
The smallest of the three modern-day Tadcaster breweries, Sam Smith's is one of the few remaining British breweries to employ the traditional Yorkshire Square system in the production of its beers.
Brewing water for ales and stouts is still drawn from the original 85 foot well, sunk when the site was established in 1758, and the yeast used in the fermentation process is of a strain that has been used continuously since approximately 1900 - one of the oldest unchanged strains in the country.
In keeping with this rich sense of history and tradition, the brewery keeps a small team of dapple-grey Shire Horses. Far from being simply show horses, these gentle giants are among the last active dray horses in the world. They deliver beer to customers within a seven-mile radius of the brewery, as they and their ancestors have done for more than a hundred years.
[edit] Beers
Samuel Smith produces a wide range of beers, all vegan. The bottled beers are available in some off-licences. In the United States, Samuel Smith's bottled beers are imported by Merchant du Vin.
| Beer Name | Style | Alcohol Strength ABV |
|---|---|---|
| Old Brewery Bitter | English Bitter | 4.0% |
| Old Brewery Pale Ale | English Pale Ale | 5.0% |
| Yorkshire | English Bitter | 3.8% |
| Organically Produced Ale | English Pale Ale | 5.0% |
| Taddy Porter | English Porter | 5.0% |
| Winter Welcome Ale | Winter Warmer | 6.0% |
| Extra Stout | Dry Stout | 4.5% |
| Imperial Stout | Russian Imperial Stout | 7.0% |
| India Ale | India Pale Ale (IPA) | 5.0% |
| Nut Brown Ale | Brown Ale | 5.0% |
| Oatmeal Stout | Oatmeal Stout | 5.0% |
| Organically Produced Lager | European Pale Lager | 5.0% |
| Alpine Lager (formerly Ayingerbrau Lager) | European Pale Lager | 4.5% |
| Ayingerbrau D Pils | European Strong Pale Lager | 5.9% |
| Ayingerbrau Prinz | European Pale Lager | 5.0% |
| Pure Brewed Lager | European Pale Lager | 5.0% |
| Cider Reserve | Dry Cider | 5.2% |
| Organic Cider | Cider | |
| Wheat Beer (formerly Ayingerbrau Heffe Weiss) | Wheat Beer | 5.0% |
| Sovereign Bitter | English Bitter | 4.1% |
| Dark Mild | Mild Ale | 3.7% |
| Tadcaster (Taddy) Lager | European Pale Lager | 3.7% |
| Organic Cherry Beer | Fruit beer | 5.2% |
[edit] Ayingerbrau
Until 2006 Samuel Smiths used the brand name Ayingerbrau for its lagers and wheat beers, using the name and logo of German brewery, Brauerei Aying. The brand was best known for its 'man-in-a-box' pump for Ayingerbrau Lager, which featured a model Bavarian man in a plastic box.
Ayingerbrau Lager gained a cult following in some parts of the UK and a beer drinking challenge is held annually. In 2006, the lager was renamed to Alpine Lager.
In late 2005, Samuel Smiths ceased production of both the Ayingerbrau D Pils and Prinz Lager brands. These have been replaced by Samuel Smiths Pure Brewed Lager.
