One of Edinburgh's most iconic beer brands will be resurrected today, some 33 years after its last batch was brewed.
Inveralmond Brewery has teamed up with Caledonian Heritable to resurrect Usher's Beer, installing a microbrewery at Ushers of Edinburgh, nestled in the basement of Pear Tree House, the 18th century mansion on the Southside's West Nicolson Street that was once home to the Usher family.
The first pint of Usher's Beer will be pulled today, 183 years after the original brewery was founded, and sampled by Stuart Usher, one of the few remaining descendants of the Usher family, on the site in Edinburgh where his forefathers grew up.
Fergus Clark, managing director of Perth-based craft beer maker, Inveralmond Brewery, said: "This is very much an historic moment for us as a brewery. Every day we put passion and expertise into crafting beer, but to revive one of Scotland's most iconic beer brands is just an exceptional moment in time as beer makers.
"We are very proud of our team today, from those who installed the micro-brewery in Usher's of Edinburgh, to the brewer, to the person who pours the first pint.
"We are all part of reviving history, and that's not something you can say every day but it also much more than this. It is also about the opportunity to create and craft new beers for an ever more discerning public."
Usher's Brewery was founded by Andrew Usher's sons, James and Thomas, in Merchant Street, Edinburgh in 1831.
It was originally brewed in the 19th century and extremely popular during the 20th century. At its height in 1976, the company employed 2,500 people and operated 235 tied public houses.
Paul Hastie, area manager at Caledonian Heritable, said: "Usher's is a key part of Edinburgh's brewing heritage and so we're very excited to be reviving the brand and bring brewing back to this part of the city. We have such a rich history when it comes to beer, we're just delighted to be keeping the Usher's family story and drinks heritage alive."
The commercial activities of the Usher family shaped Edinburgh and the Usher Hall, gifted to the citizens of the city by Andrew Usher, credited as the inventor of blended whisky, stands as a reminder of the family's legacy to the town.
Stuart Usher, who runs historical walking tours around the Scottish capital, said: "The brewery was started by James Usher and then Thomas Usher, his brother, was brought into the firm. He was ultimately the brains behind it and was very successful. There is a real sense of occasion around this moment today for me. It has been many years since I have had a pint of Usher's, but to do it in the building that my ancestors - and the founders of the brewery - grew up in, now that's special."
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