Harviestoun Brewery’s Schiehallion lager has taken Gold in the Classic Pilsner category at the World Beer Awards – the only Scottish winner in that class.
As SLTN went to press, the Clackmannanshire brewery’s all-female team, master brewer Amy Cockburn and brewer, Lisa Matthews, were lining up against category winners from around the world for a final that would ultimately crown the planet’s best craft lager.
Harviestoun, which is based in Alva, near Stirling, has been making craft beer in Scotland since 1983, long before it became a popular trend.
Master brewer Amy said: “We’re over the moon to have won this top gold award for Schiehallion. The success and global reputation of this very special craft lager is owed to the unrelenting passion and craftsmanship of everyone in the Harviestoun brewing team.
“When you name your beer after a mountain like Schiehallion, your beer better be breath-taking too. Ours has an elegant head, fresh crispness and a lingering grapefruit finish, which is all thanks to a lot of uphill work from our entire brewing team.
“As a pioneering producer and modern craft classic, we’ve been brewing since the early 1980s and have been crafting beer long before it became a popular trend, but we’re continuing to innovate and develop our product range.”
As part of this year’s celebrations to mark 40 years of a ‘modern craft classic’, Harviestoun will be releasing a new limited edition lager and a limited edition 40-year-old expression of Ola Dubh.
The development of both products is being led by Amy and Lisa, who insist on using only soft local water from Glenturret, barley from down by the Forth and the brewery’s own unique yeast.
“All at Harviestoun respect and celebrate the provenance that they have inherited and are developing this special business with energy and imagination,” they declared.
Harviestoun currently employs 12 people, including Amy and Lisa, and is well represented in some of the UK’s leading hospitality establishments, including Gleneagles, Cameron House, The Caledonian, The Balmoral and Turnberry.
