Glen Spean Brewery launches first range of beer
THE newest addition to Lochaber’s food and drink scene officially opened for business last week.
Glen Spean Brewery Company launched its first beers at Garrison West in Fort William last Tuesday as guests were treated to a night of tastings, music and merriment.
The event gave guests the chance to meet the Glen Spean Brewing team as well as sampling the first batch of beer from the Spean Bridge business.
Based in an 18th-century farm steading in Spean Bridge, the team of three – Ian Peter MacDonald, James Leggatt and Lucy Hicks – has spent the past six months developing the beer, and getting the process, taste and consistency to their satisfaction.
Mr MacDonald said: ‘We set up the Glen Spean Brewing Company to create a beer local to us here. It was conceived about a year ago and since then we’ve converted the old barn at the back of our house in Tirindrish.’
The thick stone walls and slate roof of the old steading means that temperatures are more easily stabilised and has allowed them to add an insulated fermentation room for even greater control of temperature management.
Mr MacDonald continued: ‘Because it’s an old barn, it’s ideal for making beer. Whether in 1820, when they were using it to put cattle in, they knew that 200 years later people would be making beer there, I’m not sure!’
The team recruited the help of Glasgow-based designer Ewan Leckie to help align the brand’s identity with the rich history of the area.
‘We are particularly proud of the beer’s Lochaber provenance and we’ve reflected this in our logo and label design,’ said Mr MacDonald.
‘The Highbridge IPA features a dramatic photograph of the old Highbridge and the white horse captured by MacDonnell of Tirindrish, from where we now brew the beer, and given to the Prince at Glenfinnan two days later,’ Most of the brewing and fermentation equipment used to make the beer at Glen Spean Brewery originally began life in Glenfinnan, where it was deployed for about 10 years by the Glenfinnan Brewery.
‘About a year ago we met John Fish and he said, “I’m thinking of selling the Glenfinnan Brewery”. And that’s how the trouble began,’ Mr MacDonald added.
‘It was remarkably fortuitous for us. We took kit from Glenfinnan, did it up, gave it a new lease of life and then converted an old building to put it in. We really appreciate their support.’
The brewery is making cask ale at the moment and will be bottling over the next month.