Free beer of yesteryear

As mentioned in the last edition of Brewhouse News, the seasonal beer range of The Inveralmond Brewery had undergone a major overhaul. This overhaul included redesigns for old favourites, new beers, and the restitution of beers that we have brewed in the past. Pundie is one of the latter and we are please to say the beer will be available in October this year.


Pundie is a measure of beer that used to be given free to brewery workers on certain days of the year. Traditionally a strong beer, the name gave rise to the colloquial term for a brewery: a pundie-house. This term is turn was mashed into the word booze!

Ken Duncan, our Head Brewer, describes the beer as ‘a great burnished copper strong ale. The malty palate is finely balanced with Saaz hops to give a full flavoured yet refreshing beer’. We also like to say that Pundie is Scots for a guid strong ale. We all hope you will agree. The beer will be available in 9g and 18g cask, and 30l keg. A very limited number of 4.5g casks will also be made available on a first come first served basis. Once they are gone, they’re gone.

Did you know?

The Incas and some Pacific Island cultures used spit to ferment their beer. Beer or Chicha was very important for Inca festivals. They had large breweries devoted to making enough of the stuff. The recipe went something like this: take a large vat of water and let it warm up in the sun. Get a large group of women to chew corn until it is a pulp in their mouths. The women then spit the pulp into the vat of warm water and let it sit for a few weeks. Then simply strain the lumpy, cloudy mixture and it’s ready to serve. So the next time you try a strange foreign brew... think on!

Inveralmond at GBBF 2010

Fergus & Ken took the train to London to attend the Great British Beer Festival at Earl’s Court. Unfortunately, despite Ossian getting to the finals, there were no major prizes this year, but it was a good opportunity to meet up with customers from home and overseas and there is always next year! Just getting to the finals is a major feather in the cap for Ossian and one further step may mean glory! Fingers crossed for 2011!

The Inveralmond Brewery at The Edinburgh Festival 2010

Although sometimes accused of being comedians no-one from the brewery has yet trod the boards as a thespian or stand up. Our drayman John can belt out a canny version of any Proclaimers track, but even he has stopped short of putting on a show at the Edinburgh Festival. Luckily, our beer has been starring in a few pubs in the centre of Edinburgh and Festival-goers have been able to quench their thirst on not only our classic collection, but also on a beer brand only made available at Festival time: Festival Frolics. This is a bit of fun for a few weeks of the year and is intended to give our customers that wee point of difference in their beer offer.

Santa’s Swallie available in bottle for the first time

In the last edition of Brewhouse News we stated that we were considering bottling Santa’s Swallie. Well, we have stopped considering and started doing because the bottling is completed and the first orders, primarily for export, are in.


This is a new venture for us. In draught, Santa’s Swallie has grown in popularity every year we made it available. In bottle the initial reaction from customers has been good with orders being fulfilled for North America, Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. The take-up in the UK is going to be vital, so if you are interested please get in touch.

Christmas beers are growing in popularity in the UK. The word ‘yule' is derived from 'ale' as beer was used to celebrate the winter solstice throughout the years. Look out for the next Brewhouse News for a preview of the revamped draught pump clip.

‘House’ beer offers incremental sales to pubs and clubs

Many of our customers ask about ‘house’ beer. What is it? How does it work? In a nutshell we create a ‘brand’ in conjunction with a pub or club from which a pump clip and other promotional material is created. We then supply beer in the normal way. The liquid supplied is generally a 4.2% ABV ale which has been brewed to appeal to as wide a beer drinking population as possible. This is made available in 9g, 18g and, where appropriate , 30l kegs. The latter format tends to appeal to sports’ clubs and the like and also those outlets whose staff are maybe not used to handling cask beer. House ale customers range from small pubs to major groups... so it must be something worth considering.

When in Rome do as the Romans do

John Nolan, the capo of our Italian distributors is the proud father to newly born twins. Everyone at the brewery sends their warmest congratulations to John and his wife. He was also telling us that bottled Ossian is available on the pavement cafes looking out on the Coliseum in Rome. Ken is musing over this in his column, but it got us thinking of a competition: send in your photos of Ossian at significant landmarks around the world and we shall publish the best or most unusual ones in Brewhouse News. There will be a prize of a case of Ossian for the picture judged by Fergus to be the most unusual. Please e-mail/post in your entries by 31 December 2010. Ciao!

Swedish beer exhibition

Ossian, Lia Fail, Blackfriar and (hopefully) Santa’s Swallie will feature at the Stockholm Beer Festival in early October this year, courtesy of our friends at Brewery International AB. First run in 1992, the Stockholm Beer Festival is now ranked as ‘the world’s largest and most important beverage festival of its kind!’. We are hoping to attend the show and are crossing our fingers for some medals this year.

SIBA: Local breweries committed to going green

Small breweries up and down the country are committed to environmental responsibility, according to the SIBA Local Brewing Industry Report 2010. Top of the list was a desire to reduce the use of energy and water. Now how much of this is an ethical approach to production and how much is an attempt to reduce costs is a moot point, but there does seem to be a genuine groundswell of support for green issues in the small brewery sector.


This is followed through with a commitment, where possible, to sourcing local ingredients and a drive to streamlining logistics and transportation. Interestingly, and despite what is maybe a perceived consumer trend, organic ingredients did not form a major part of brewers’ plans going forward.

Ossian crowned golden champ!

We are pleased and proud to announce that Ossian has been crowned Champion Golden Ale of Scotland 2010 by CAMRA at the 24th Aberdeen & North East Beer Festival in early June. The honour was collected personally by Fergus and Ken. To mark the occasion, a ‘top crown’ has been produced to augment the pump clip.

OFFICIAL: Beer is good for you.

Thank the Lord and pass the (low calorie) biscuits….. beer, when drunk in moderation, can help you lose weight, cut alcohol consumption, and more generally, help supplement a healthy lifestyle. So says new research released by CAMRA following on from a groundbreaking report by the Beer Academy entitled 'Beer the Natural Choice?', and authored by Isla Whitcroft, a leading health journalist. Now you know.

Tying the knot down under

Our colleague and chum Graeme Hirstwood has tied the knot with his wonderful wife Sarah. The loving couple got married at Soldier’s Point just north of Sydney on 24 August 2010. Ken and Fergus were at his stag ‘do’ in Edinburgh and lived to tell the tale. Everyone at the brewery wishes Graeme and Sarah every future happiness together.