Beer
It’s time to break out those paler ales
Peter Ranscombe runs the rule over the latest releases from beer website Flavourly. DESPITE this Arctic blast over the past couple of weeks, I’m informed reliably that spring is here. As the seasons turn, so too do the styles of beer for which we reach. The porters and stouts of autumn and winter give way…
Read MoreScottish beer lovers wanted to name new brew
Aldi has teamed up with long-term Scottish supplier Williams Bros to give customers the chance to name a brand-new beer which will be sold in stores across the UK. Beer loving Scots have the opportunity to choose the perfect name for Aldi’s next collaboration with Williams Bros and win the very first case of the…
Read MoreWhat’s the craic with Beer 52’s Irish craft ales?
Peter Ranscombe joins drinks website Beer 52 for a virtual road trip around the island of Ireland’s breweries. FEW countries are associated as closely with a single drink as Ireland and stout. Guinness flows through Dublin’s veins, and few beers can claim to match its global brand recognition. Yet Ireland also has a thriving craft…
Read MoreNOTEBOOK – FEBRUARY 2021
Scottish rum, oak-aged gin, and low-alcohol beer are among the latest treats to emerge from Scottish Field drinks blogger Peter Ranscombe‘s notebook. AFTER the Christmas rush of spirits reviews, January offers a bit of welcome relief. Catch your breath, refresh your palate, and give your liver a rest. That break makes February’s new releases all…
Read MoreBrothers launch their Outlandish beers
TWO brothers from Lanarkshire have fulfilled their life-long dream by opening a microbrewery. The first beers from Ronnie and Kenny Lees hit the shelves last month. They set up their Outlandish Brewing Company with help from economic development agency Business Gateway. Ronnie said: “It is great to have someone believe in your business, especially when…
Read MoreNo more plastic rings for Tennent’s lager
SCOTLAND’S other, other national drink is switching from plastic rings to cardboard to hold its cans together. Tennent’s unveiled plans back in 2019 to make the switch from plastic to card. Work is now underway to install the necessary machines at its Wellpark brewery in Glasgow. The move will cost the company £7 million. The…
Read MoreZoom calls inspire Loch Lomond’s lockdown beer
A BEER inspired by lockdown Zoom calls has been created by Loch Lomond Brewery. “Zoom Time” is a New England-style India pale ale (IPA). Fiona MacEachern, Loch Lomond Brewery’s managing director, said: “Zoom Time is very much a nod to the ‘new normal’ of socialising virtually; catching up with friends for a beer being no…
Read MoreBrewers go direct as pubs close
SCOTLAND’S breweries are stepping up direct sales to consumers amid the latest coronavirus restrictions on pubs. Bars cannot currently sell alcohol indoors, with those in the Central Belt closed completely. Alva-based Harviestoun Brewery has lifted the lid on how the latest restrictions are hitting its business. Joint managing director Stu Cook said: “This is a…
Read MoreEdinburgh launches craft beer advent calendar
EIGHT breweries in Edinburgh have joined forces to launch a beer advent calendar. Barney’s, Bellfield, Campervan, Cold Town, Cross Borders, Edinburgh Beer Factory, Pilot, and Stewart Brewing are taking part in the project. Edinburgh illustrator Susie Wright has designed an advent box, which contains 24 cans from the brewers. Ben Wallace, who set up EdinburghBeer.co.uk,…
Read MoreSober October: soda, ‘gin’ and ‘beer’
As ‘Sober October’ gets underway, Peter Ranscombe rounds up some of the latest non-alcohol releases and revisits some old favourites. BETWEEN “Dry January” and “Sober October”, it’s getting harder and harder for a drinks writer to earn a living… so, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. The latest month of abstinence is the ideal…
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