The distinctive strong ales of Scotland are such a flawless complement to the brisk climate, unspoiled landscape and robust inhabitants within its borders, that they are seemingly brewed with that in mind. This marriage is, in reality, naturally evolved from mostly indigenous ingredients, local conditions and thrift. Serendipity has given the world a style of beer following the British template, while resembling lagerbiers closely, especially German bock, because of the cool environment and necessary adaptations. The malt-accented character offers effortless drinkability, and the warming strength is rich enough to stave off the cold. Sometimes called simply Scotch ale (distinguishing them from the plainer Scottish ales) or wee heavy, they have gained some favor among American brewers in recent years, and are still a welcome mainstay from the breweries of their homeland.
Sometimes called simply Scotch ale (distinguishing them from the plainer Scottish ales) or wee heavy, they have gained some favor among American brewers in recent years.
Ancestral Scots
Archaeology has given us many glimpses into the prehistoric affinity for alcoholic beverages, which were nothing more than crude mixtures spontaneously fermented by wild yeast and bacteria. In present day Scotland, such a discovery was made on the Isle of Rhum, north of Edinburgh, in 1985. A Pictish Neolithic crock, dated to 6500 BC, was determined to contain the residue of barley and oats, heather and/or heather honey, and assorted indigenous plants. Honey is not surprising, as mead is perhaps the world’s most ancient fermented beverage. Nor is heather, a pleasing bittersweet and aromatic lavender shrub that blankets Scottish hillsides. The presence of the two cereal grains, however, demonstrates a rudimentary understanding of their fermentability. The notion of intentional fermentation in prehistoric Scotland coincides with ancient discoveries from the same period in the Fertile Crescent and Continental Europe.
The annals of Scottish brewing history are synonymous with heather. Pictish heather ale was so coveted by outsiders that the marauding Irish High King Niall obliterated much of the population of Galloway in the fourth century in part to obtain the closely guarded recipe. Legend says the secrets were never divulged, even in the face of death. Furthermore, heather was still used in traditional breweries into relatively modern times. Heather Ales Ltd. of Alloa, brews Fraoch (Gaelic for heather) even today.
Scottish Pedigree
The route taken by Scottish brewers over the centuries runs parallel to the rest of Europe early on, and in competitive, but emulative, fashion with England more recently. In the end, though, Scotland’s inimitable ales eventually found their own identity as a result of independent spirit and unique conditions.
Medieval Europe’s finest brewers were the cloistered monks of abbeys and monasteries, some of whom brewed for public consumption. During the sixth century AD, St. Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow, was a skilled brewer himself, helping establish that city as a brewing hub. The craft was also the duty of common housewives, known as broustaris or browster wives, who made beers of barley and oats flavored with local herbs. Often broustaris were listed in city registers, sometimes numbering in the hundreds.
Monastic and house brewing was the norm until about the 15th century, when brewing gradually became the domain of small public house breweries. Also, the towns of Edinburgh and Alloa were swiftly becoming players. Much of this success had to do with the copious supply of fresh, cool water, which flowed freely from aquifers beneath the rocky earth, and the burgeoning supply of local barley. With public breweries flourishing in southern Scotland, the brewers, most of whom did their own malting, formed the Incorporation of Maltmen in the 16th century to keep their seminal industry viable. Shortly thereafter, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation forbidding the import of English and Baltic beers.
Edinburgh had by now long usurped Glasgow as the brewing epicenter, and in 1575 formed the Society of Brewers to defend their stake. The impetus for this was the well-earned fame of Edinburgh wee heavy, widely recognized as some of the finest ale in the world, and one that would probably be quite similar to those we enjoy today.
Edinburgh is built upon a fault line, a font of soft water perfect for brewing the burly, malty, temperately-hopped wee heavy. This fault line became a bustle of brewing activity, with many breweries taking advantage of this fortuitous natural resource. The water was also perfect for brewing London-style porter, later known as Scotch porter (highly-sought in its own right).
Brewers could also draw fairly hard water from other strata of the aquifer, and hence, began brewing the popular and hoppy Burton-style pale ale during the 18th century. They even hired Burton brewers to tutor them. For this ale however, Scottish brewers had to import even more hops from Kent, something they were loathe to do as it impinged on their independence from anything English, as hops essentially do not grow in Scotland.
Scottish brewers were keen to keep their export markets afloat and did so by adopting these foreign styles and utilizing the convenient ports. They even became something of a lager-brewing nation, as the climate was conducive, something that England could not match. Scotland’s impact on worldwide beer exports was significant into the 19th century, reaching virtually every corner of the globe.
Eventually, the extent of other nations’ exports, a couple of world wars and political upheaval led to a winnowing of Scotland’s brewing industry in the 20th century. Some brewers that had been in business for centuries held on and continue to brew today, with several more having started more recently. They are located primarily in the south, but reach as far north as the Orkney Islands and display their Scottish pride by producing the ales that made them famous 500 years ago. Why are they unique? The story of their production is as intriguing as Scotland’s brewing history.
