Bandstand Beer Festival 2010

Our beers will be featuring at the Bandstand Beer Festival in Nairn next weekend.

Last year's Beer Festival was attended by over 700 people, drawing visitors from all over the UK. This year the Festival (19 - 23 March) is going to be bigger and I expect it to attract even more people. I have attached a programme giving more information about the festival. This year we have live music, ale quiz, pool competition and opportunities to meet brewers.
This year, the Festival will also be raising funds for Cash for Kids Moray Firth Radio charity and will be widely publicised (incl. on Moray Firth Radio). We will be having a raffle, a stall selling branded products (T-shirts, glasses, bar runners, polypins etc.) all in aid of the charity.

Also, 10p from every pint of ale sold will go to the charity.

Discount accommodation is available for CAMRA members. More info on:  http://www.braevalhotel.co.uk/.

Maybe you should think about going! It should be great fun.

Our new brewery is open

The first brew has taken place at our new brewery. The culmination of months of hard graft, frustration and planning finally arrived in early February 2010 when Fergus and Ken set the mash tun going on a 30 bbl brew of Lia Fail. Commenting on the opening, Fergus said ‘it has been a long, hard road, but we are there. The opening of our new brewery signifies the beginning of a new chapter for The Inveralmond Brewery. That new chapter will bring new challenges, but I am sure we can go from strength to strength.’ The brewery provides three times more capacity and will help Inveralmond bring on new products to keep our customers’ needs fulfilled.

National Cask Ale Week 2010 celebration

As we are sure many of you know, from March 29th – 5th April the nation’s pubs will raise a glass of real ale to toast everything brilliant about beer. People are encouraged to visit a brewery where their favourite brand is created, or go to a pub they haven’t tried before, or just try a beautiful glass of cask conditioned beer for the first time. We will be doing our wee bit to help the celebration go with a swing and hope that you can join in too. British beer in all its forms is certainly worth celebrating.

The people behind the beer: Jonathan White

Johnny (as he is known in the brewery) is one of the newest members of the team having joined the brewery in 2008. He was born in Glasgow in 1976 and waited 15 years before having his first pint in 'some pub' in Tunbridge Wells. His favourite tipple is champagne and he is a Queen fan, especially Night at the Opera. Spending time with his partner Lynne and new-born son Alfie is important to Johnny. Lynne and Alfie were unavailable for comment at time of going to press. He would like to be a house husband and flounce around the house in marigolds and a flowery pinny listening to Freddie Mercury (have you seen the video to 'I want to break free'?) and Elvis, preparing tiger prawns and fillet steak for his family.

Gold star for our labelling

You may have seen or read about the Government’s concern over drinks labelling. Only 15% of beer can and bottle labels had all of what it deems to be necessary information. We are pleased to report that our labels are within this 15%. The (currently) voluntary information required is: number of UK units; a responsibility message; the Drinkaware logo; responsible drinking guidelines; a pregnancy warning. These five elements have been on our labels since 2007.