McEwan's Brewery
Encyclopedia
McEwan's is a brand of ales
, with the draught beers brewed at the Caledonian Brewery
in Edinburgh
, Scotland and the canned and bottled beers brewed at the Eagle Brewery, Bedford
, England. It is now owned by Wells & Youngs following the sale of the brands by Heineken
in 2011. Its logo depicts a character from a Frans Hals
painting known popularly as The Laughing Cavalier
. It is the most popular ale brand in Scotland, where the brand enjoys a 22 per cent market share. However like most keg ale brands in the UK, sales are declining, by 63 per cent since 2001.
area of Edinburgh. It had built up a successful colonial export trade by the 1860s. By the time it became in public company in 1889, the brewery was valued at £1 million. At the beginning of the 1900s, the brewery had a large share of the market throughout Scotland and a 90 per cent share of the North East of England market, and was exporting to Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. At its peak, the brewery was producing 2 million barrels of beer a year, much of it for export. In 1931 McEwan's merged with William Younger's Brewery (founded in Edinburgh in 1778), becoming Scottish Brewers. The company merged again in 1960, joining with Newcastle Breweries to form Scottish & Newcastle
. McEwan's Export became one of the three core brands of the new company, alongside Newcastle Brown Ale
and Younger's Tartan/Special.
In February 2004 Scottish & Newcastle announced the closure of McEwan's Brewery, at the same time as buying a third of Caledonian Brewery
in Slateford
, Edinburgh. The Fountain Brewery finally closed in June 2005, with production of the McEwan's keg beers being transferred to the Caledonian Brewery and cans of McEwan's Export being produced at John Smith's Brewery. In October 2011 the McEwan's beer brands were sold by Heineken to Wells & Youngs for around £20 million, and canned and bottled production of McEwan's was moved to Bedford. The new owners have vowed to reintroduce McEwan's as a cask ale brand and launch an expanded bottled range to target the premium end of the beer market. Along with the Younger's brands, McEwan's generates £80 million of sales annually in the UK.
"/- " is an old writing convention
for shilling
s. The shilling beers are named after the original cost of a hogshead.
Ales
Ales may mean:Places* Alès, a town and commune in southern France* Ales , a small town in the province of Oristano on Sardinia in ItalyOther* Ale, a fermented alcoholic beverage* Ales , a 1920s Japanese automobile...
, with the draught beers brewed at the Caledonian Brewery
Caledonian Brewery
Caledonian Brewery is a Scottish brewery founded in 1869 in the Shandon area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Caley, as it is known locally, is the only survivor of over 40 breweries that operated in Edinburgh during the 19th century, although a number of independent breweries have opened in recent...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland and the canned and bottled beers brewed at the Eagle Brewery, Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, England. It is now owned by Wells & Youngs following the sale of the brands by Heineken
Heineken
Heineken is a Dutch beer which has been brewed by Heineken International since 1873. It is available in a 4.6% alcohol variety in countries such as Ireland. It is the flagship product of the Heineken company and is made of purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H...
in 2011. Its logo depicts a character from a Frans Hals
Frans Hals
Frans Hals was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He is notable for his loose painterly brushwork, and helped introduce this lively style of painting into Dutch art. Hals was also instrumental in the evolution of 17th century group portraiture.-Biography:Hals was born in 1580 or 1581, in Antwerp...
painting known popularly as The Laughing Cavalier
Laughing Cavalier
The Laughing Cavalier is a famous portrait by the Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals in the Wallace Collection in London, which has been described as "one of the most brilliant of all Baroque portraits"...
. It is the most popular ale brand in Scotland, where the brand enjoys a 22 per cent market share. However like most keg ale brands in the UK, sales are declining, by 63 per cent since 2001.
History
William McEwan opened the Fountain Brewery in 1856, in the FountainbridgeFountainbridge
Fountainbridge is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, a short distance west of the city centre, adjoining Tollcross to the east, Bruntsfield to the south, Dalry to the west and Haymarket to the north....
area of Edinburgh. It had built up a successful colonial export trade by the 1860s. By the time it became in public company in 1889, the brewery was valued at £1 million. At the beginning of the 1900s, the brewery had a large share of the market throughout Scotland and a 90 per cent share of the North East of England market, and was exporting to Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. At its peak, the brewery was producing 2 million barrels of beer a year, much of it for export. In 1931 McEwan's merged with William Younger's Brewery (founded in Edinburgh in 1778), becoming Scottish Brewers. The company merged again in 1960, joining with Newcastle Breweries to form Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle plc was a "long alcoholic drinks" company with positions in 15 countries, including UK, France and Russia. It was headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. In the last 20 years, S&N expanded significantly from its home base to become an international business with beer...
. McEwan's Export became one of the three core brands of the new company, alongside Newcastle Brown Ale
Newcastle Brown Ale
Newcastle Brown Ale is a beer produced by Heineken International. It was introduced in 1927 by Newcastle Breweries. In 2005, brewing was moved out of Newcastle upon Tyne for the first time, to Dunston on the other side of the River Tyne, and in 2010 moved entirely to Tadcaster, North Yorkshire...
and Younger's Tartan/Special.
In February 2004 Scottish & Newcastle announced the closure of McEwan's Brewery, at the same time as buying a third of Caledonian Brewery
Caledonian Brewery
Caledonian Brewery is a Scottish brewery founded in 1869 in the Shandon area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Caley, as it is known locally, is the only survivor of over 40 breweries that operated in Edinburgh during the 19th century, although a number of independent breweries have opened in recent...
in Slateford
Slateford
Slateford is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is east of the Water of Leith.The former village of Slateford lies on the Lanark Road where it crosses the Water of Leith 1/4 of a mile south west of Slateford Station. The name "Slateford" comes from local rock found in the area and...
, Edinburgh. The Fountain Brewery finally closed in June 2005, with production of the McEwan's keg beers being transferred to the Caledonian Brewery and cans of McEwan's Export being produced at John Smith's Brewery. In October 2011 the McEwan's beer brands were sold by Heineken to Wells & Youngs for around £20 million, and canned and bottled production of McEwan's was moved to Bedford. The new owners have vowed to reintroduce McEwan's as a cask ale brand and launch an expanded bottled range to target the premium end of the beer market. Along with the Younger's brands, McEwan's generates £80 million of sales annually in the UK.
Beers
- McEwan's 60/- (3.2% ABVAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
) is a dark pale alePale alePale ale is a beer which uses a warm fermentation and predominantly pale malt. It is one of the world's major beer styles.The higher proportion of pale malts results in a lighter colour. The term "pale ale" was being applied around 1703 for beers made from malts dried with coke, which resulted in a...
also known as 'Light'. It is described as having a light roast flavour and a touch of sweetness. It was available in cans and bottles until 2004, but is now only available in pasteurised kegKegA keg is a small barrel.Traditionally, a wooden keg is made by a cooper used to transport items such as nails, gunpowder., and a variety of liquids....
s. - McEwan's Best Scotch (3.6% ABV) is a bitterBitter (beer)Bitter is an English term for pale ale. Bitters vary in colour from gold to dark amber and in strength from 3% to 7% alcohol by volume.-Brief history:...
. It is the second biggest-selling ale brand in the North East of England, with over 6.5 million pintPintThe pint is a unit of volume or capacity that was once used across much of Europe with values varying from state to state from less than half a litre to over one litre. Within continental Europe, the pint was replaced with the metric system during the nineteenth century...
s sold each year, although it has been in a state of managed decline since at least 1998 according to its owners. It was available in cans until 2004, but is now only available in pasteurised kegs. During the 1980s and early 1990s it was marketed in Tyneside as "The one you've got to come back for" when together with Newcastle Exhibition it commanded 30 per cent of the North East of England draught ale market. From the mid to late 1990s the slogan ran: "A native of the North East". McEwan's 70/- and 80/- have both been sold in the past in England as Best Scotch, although the beer is currently different to those two beers. - McEwan's 70/- (3.7% ABV) is a session bitter. It is described as 'a rich, smooth and creamy ale with a subtle hop aroma'. Outside of Scotland it is sold as Younger's Scotch Bitter and Younger's Tartan Special.
- McEwan's 80/- (4.2% ABV) is also known as 'Heavy'. The most popular of McEwan's ales. The cask conditioned version was controversially withdrawn from the market in 2007. A replica, Diggers 80/-, was launched in response by small Edinburgh brewery Stewart BrewingStewart BrewingStewart Brewing is an independent craft brewery based on the out-skirts of Edinburgh in Loanhead, Midlothian. It was established in 2004 by Steve Stewart....
. It has returned in cask for June 2011. Formerly brewed at 4.5% ABV. A version continued to be brewed at 4.5% ABV for the TeessideTeessideTeesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...
market for some time after the ABV was lowered elsewhere. It is sometimes sold in the UK outside of Scotland as Younger's IPA. - McEwan's Export (4.5% ABV) is described as being 'full-bodied with a sweet roast flavour'. It originated in the 1860s and is the third highest selling McEwan's brand. It is the most popular premium draught ale in Scotland, is among the top five ales in the United Kingdom take-home market, and it is the second most popular premium canned ale. In export markets it is sold as McEwan's India Pale Ale and its ABV can vary slightly from 4.3 to 4.7 per cent.
- McEwan's 90/- (5.5% ABV) also known as 'Wee Heavy', it is believed to have been last brewed around 2006.
- McEwan's Champion Ale (7.3% ABV) is an example of a type of Burton ale, known as an Edinburgh ale. It is described as having 'an intense flavour combining caramel, roast, sweet and fruity notes'. Widely available across the United Kingdom in 500ml bottles, it is the best-selling Scottish premium bottled ale, and a top twenty bottled ale across the UK, selling around 9,300 hectolitres in 2010. It is brewed to a higher ABV (8%) for export markets under the name McEwan's Scotch Ale. Export of the beer to the USA has already been discontinued, and recently it has also stopped being exported to Canada.
- McEwan's Lager Cold (3.6% ABV) The highest-selling of all McEwan's brands. It was introduced in the 1970s as lagerLagerLager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
became more popular. Originally called simply "McEwan's Lager", the canned variant was discontinued in 2003. The draught version remained available, but largely disappeared from the public domain due to the rise in popularity of S&N's other lagers. However, when SABMillerSABMillerSABMiller plc is a global brewing and bottling company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's second-largest brewing company measured by revenues and is also a major bottler of Coca-Cola. Its brands include Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell...
delisted Miller Beer, a popular licensed brand in the Scottish market, S&N found themselves with a gap in their lager portfolio, so in November 2008 it was re-launched under the name McEwan's Lager Cold. Four notable TV commercials for McEwan's Lager - with soundtracks by popular Scottish rock bands including WinWin (band)Win were a Scottish pop band from the 1980s.After the dissolution of The Fire Engines, David Henderson formed Win with Ian Stoddart , ex-Fire Engine Russell Burn , Emmanuel "Mani" Shoniwa , Simon Smeeton and Willie Perry in 1983. A more determinedly pop act than The Fire Engines, Win were soon...
and HipswayHipswayHipsway were a Scottish pop/rock band.The band was formed in Glasgow in 1984 by ex-Altered Images guitarist Johnny McElhone on bass, and featuring Grahame Skinner , and Harry Travers . Skinner and Travers had been members of the band Kites with Paul McGrath and Ian McGreevy before Hipsway formed...
- were released in the mid-1980s.
"/- " is an old writing convention
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
for shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s. The shilling beers are named after the original cost of a hogshead.
Sponsorship
During the 1980s and 1990s, McEwan's sponsored six football clubs and one rugby league club:- Carlisle UnitedCarlisle United F.C.Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
– 1982 to 1988 (as 'McEwan's Younger') - DarlingtonDarlington F.C.Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
– 1984 to 1987 - RangersRangers F.C.Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
– 1987 to 1999 - Notts CountyNotts County F.C.Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
– 1991 to 1994 (Away games only) - Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
– 1991 to 1995 (Away games only) - Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
– 1991 to 1996 - St Helens RLFC – 1995 to 1999