The new £7.5m Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery has this week completed its full core range of craft beer, declaring these are the first beers brewed in Inverness for 34 years.
Uile-bheist, meaning “monster” in Gaelic, opened in February as a combined whisky distillery, brewery and visitor experience, powered by an “on-site sustainability centre” which draws water for production and energy from the River Ness.
Head brewer Andrew Hodgson has put the finishing touches to its first range of five craft beers, which are now being sold in Uile-bheist’s tap room in the Highland capital, as the business awaits the casking of its maiden single Highland malt.
The final beer in the range – Uile-bheist’s 5% Dark Horse Stout - was completed earlier this week. The other beers are Highland Storm Session IPA, Forest Dweller West Coast IPA and unfiltered White Witch New England IPA, and the signature Uile-bheist Lager.
Owner Victoria Erasmus said: “This is a real milestone for the business and our brewing operation.
“The initial goal was to make a core range of exceptional beers which showcase our craft and skill. Because we are a true small batch craft brewery, our emphasis will always be on quality.”
Uile-bheist said that, in keeping with its emphasis on sustainability, managers are adopting an “80-20” principle, which means that 80% of the product will be sold to outlets within a 20-mile radius of Inverness.
The drive to keep its carbon footprint through transport as low as possible means the beers will be available on-site and in Inverness hotels, with the remainder being sold in partner businesses in Ullapool, Perthshire and the Cairngorms National Park.
The base malt for all five beers and the Uile-bheist whisky is Bairds, locally sourced from a malting facility at Longman Road, Inverness, 1.9 miles away from the new distillery and brewery.
Some experimental canning for local markets will take place later this summer, Uile-bheist said, with the focus now on perfecting recipes and scaling up capacity.
Water used in production at Uile-bheist is treated by fluorescent light after being sourced from the Ness, with the only grid requirement at the facility being electricity, partly provided by solar installations, the business noted.
Ms Erasmus said: “We are mindful of our carbon footprint. We pride ourselves in trying to be as sustainable as possible, in how our products are produced and the energy used.
“By selling into local businesses, we will also be reducing our transport carbon footprint.”
Mr Hodgson, who worked previously at Tempest Brewing Co and Black Isle Brewery, said the beers are a “celebration of styles synonymous with small-batch craft brewing”.
He added: “The craft beer market is what it is today because people realise more and more what beer can be. Personally, in a busy market, I think you have to be making beer that you enjoy and are happy with, rather than fixating on satisfying trends.
“The core range is representative of the classic styles that have made the craft beer market what it is today but with the benefit of being served fresh, straight from a tank only a mile or so away, in the centre of a busy city. That is what makes our product unique."
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