Friday Fun: A Good Scottish Bevie (Take Two)

[Deleted user]

Beverages have been talked about before, including beer. We thought we'd try something different, and ask your favourite national breweries/distilleries/tea factories. The team at New Verve stuck our heads together and came up with a list of our favourite Scottish brands in the beverage industry

Beer

We have many fantastic breweries in Scotland, ranging from the small and indie to massive international operations, including our famous Tennents brewery - producing Scotland's iconic Tennents Lager since 1885. A recent article in the Scottish Licensed Trade News publication suggested "Scotland “is very quickly being seen as the ‘homeland’ of craft beer”

Every Friday we enjoy a beer before we leave the office, with a selection available of staff favourites as well as a rotation of new beers we've not tried before, here's our favourites (Brewdog being a clear winner):

• Wee Heavy (Belhaven) - Roasted malty sweetness balanced by spicy fruitiness, 7.4% - Matt
• Bitter & Twisted (Harviestoun) - "an easy drinking, cold weather 4.2% beer" - Matt
• Jet Black Heart (BrewDog) - "a 4.7% milk stout with a coffee and chocolate flavour" - Victor
• Nanny State (BrewDog) - "a low alcohol 0.5% beer that still packs a hoppy kick" - Kris
• Make Earth Great Again (BrewDog) - "7.5% spicy saison, with proceeds going to the 10:10 charity " - Daniel
• Joker IPA (WIlliams Brothers) - "my first craft beer, which moved me on from pub standard lager, a 5.0% complex IPA" - myself

Whisky

On the stronger end of the beverage scale, when talking drinks it would be outrageous to forget perhaps Scotland's most famous export - whisky.

Scotland is home to many world famous distilleries - from blends such as Johnnie Walker, to single malts such as Lagavulin and Speyside. The isle of Islay, one of Scotland's whisky regions, is home to 8 distilleries alone!

• "I love nip of Speyside distillery's Monkey Shoulder which is an affordable blended malt" - Victor
• "Bowmore's Number 1 blend, or a cheeky wee 18 year old Glengoyne, distilled down in the Scottish lowlands but using spring water from the gorgeous Highlands" - Matt

Gin

Our managing director Nigel is a fan of a variety of Scottish gins, including some of Scotland's many craft distilleries:

• Kirkjuvagr, hailing from Orkney - Nigel's favourite
• Teasmith Gin from Aberdeen - with tea botanicals!
• Edinburgh Gin - direct from our capital

Tea

• New Verve's resident tea drinker, Victor, loves a cup of Chilli Rooibos, a loose leaf tea made by Eteaket in Edinburgh.
• Kris doesn't have a specific recommendation for tea leaves, although he spent many an evening in the Tchai Ovna tea shop in Glasgow's West End when he was attending Glasgow University

Biscuits

Although not a beverage, we can't talk tea without paring with a good Scottish biscuit:

• A favourite of everyone in the office is Tunnock's Caramel Wafers, which never seem to last longer than a few minutes.
• The world's finest shortbread - Walker's

Your turn

Now that we've touched on a few famous and favourite Scottish drinks (with a bit of food snuck in) - what is your favourite beverage from where you're based?

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[Kat Warner]

Tunnock's Caramel Wafers look dangerously delicious.

I love sitting down with tea and shortbread - it must be genetic!

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

@Kat Warner : They are one of the BEST ! :oD

[Scott Theus]

Northeast Ohio, the area where I grew up that is about 40 miles from Cleveland, is famous for its wineries. They make ice wines, Rieslings, Pinots, and a bunch of other varieties.  Most of the wines are made with French-American hybrid grapes, some are more German (Markko Vineyards is a very traditional German-esce winery.)

And...there is a relatively new craft distillery that has some very good bourbon, brandy, and maple whiskey.  

[BiancaE]

I hail from the outskirts of San Diego, California - craft beer is basically at every corner. That said, I'm a big fan of Coronado Brewing's Mermaid Red ale and AleSmith San Diego Pale Ale .394. Seattle also has Manny's Pale Ale made by Georgetown Brewing, which is one of my favorites!

[Deleted user]

My favourites from State-side:

• Manatee IPA - Bold City
• Lagunitas IPA

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

I am so thirsty and hungry right now.... what a great list ! Top Marks.

Every time I visit the UK I am straight into a local pub to boost the Untappd list plus I never miss an opportunity to buy a pack of these bad boys!!

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

@[deleted]: Lerwick Brewery looks amazing ! Especially their "60o North" brew. Been in the bucket list for a while. Had an experiences with their brews??