You may have tried some beers from Scotland over the years—the powerfully malty Dark Island from the Orkney Brewery, or the unique range of beers from Heather Ales. Like most beer lovers, after trying these beers, you’re curious about where the beers come from and why they are what they are. What, after all, makes a Scottish beer Scottish? Is it the water? The ingredients? Do the brewers perform mysterious rites with a haggis?
Spend enough time talking to Scottish craft brewers and you’ll find they’re a quirky and innovative lot—that just happen to be producing some great beers.
(Photo courtesy of Visit Scotland. )
Scottish brewers come up with different approaches to positioning their beers. Some, such as Broughton Ales, Heather Ale, and Orkney, place strong emphasis on their Scottish heritage. But Harviestoun is one of the best craft brewers in Scotland—and there’s very little in their marketing that tells customers that they are buying a Scottish product.
In less than ten years, Scotland has lost its three large breweries, but the door has opened for small, specialty brewers. Spend enough time talking to Scottish craft brewers and you’ll find they’re a quirky, interesting, and innovative lot that are producing a lot of great beer.
