The notion for the Loch Ness Brewery has been around since 2005 but it wasn’t until 2011 that the Highland brewery poured its first pint.

The idea for a brewery kicked off when Stephen and Allan Crosslands took over the Benleva hotel in Drumnadrochit on the shores of Loch Ness with a view to turning it into go-to real ale pub, with the idea for a brewpub fermenting for years in the background. A second-hand brewkit was bought and a few forms filled, but the demands of running a hotel took over and not much happened for a three or four years. It wasn’t until a chance conversation at the bar with customer George Wotherspoon, who also shared a love of good beer, that the brewery proper started to progress.

With little hands-on knowledge of brewing, the team relied on enthusiasm and hard graft to learn the craft of brewing, and they spent the next few years serving out informal apprenticeships at other breweries, helping out on brew days and cleaning up the mash tuns afterwards.

Safe to say it was time well spent. Loch Ness Brewery now have a couple of supermarket and large export deals under their belt, while their team of four brewers brews twice a day to keep up with demand. A substantial expansion is on the cards for 2017.

Like their very existence, Loch Ness’s latest brew came from another chance conversation at the Benleva hotel when Martin Bullard, keyboardist of veteran rockers Smokie, came in to the bar. One pint led to another and soon the brewery was working with the band on a collaboration brew. The beer, George reveals, took a few “tasting sessions” to get nailed down, but Loch Ness Brewery plan to launch their newest beer SmokieNess next month. As well as SmokieNess, Loch Ness are also planning to age their devilishly good Prince of Darkness imperial stout in Springbank casks for the better part of a year. They’ll be spectacular, though may not even make it out of Drumnadrochit.

But with the leaves turning colour and temperatures falling and Hallowe’en coming, a quirky brew to get your hands on is their SpookyNess (4.3%), a spicy dark ale brewed with ginger and due to be hitting the shelves of Aldi as part of its winter beer festival, which starts today.

SpookyNess pours a dark reddish brown, and you get warm ginger and soft spices on the aroma. These carry though to the beer itself, which has solid flavours of rich roasted malt, some dried fruits and burnt golden syrup. It finishes refreshingly bitter and dry.

Five other great Loch Ness beers

DarkNess stout (4.5%)

Flavours of coffee, chocolate and roasted malt in this rather fine dark beer. Slight smokiness and traces of berries and vanilla before a long bitter finish

LightNess extra pale ale (3.9%)

Kicks off with a light aroma of citrus hops. Bittersweet, clean and crisp with grapefruit and toasted malt flavours. Finishes with a bit of a bitter kick. A good session ale.

LochNess 80/- (4.4)

A classic Highland heavy, this 80/- pours a deep dark ruby and has flavours of roasted malt, chocolate, toffee biscuit and orange citrus, before a good, solid bitter finish.

WilderNess bitter (3.9%)

Loch Ness’s first beer is an easy-drinking amber ale. Greets you with a tropical fruit nose, sweet berry and caramel malt body, and a soft and refreshingly bitter finish.

Loch Ness Gold cider (5%)

OK, so it’s a cider, but it’s still worth a shout. Light on the sparkles but big on the sweetness, Gold has a tangy opening, dry finish, and flavours of vanilla, wood and pear in between … and apples, too, obviously. Has a 7% big brother, Loch Ness Vintage, that’s also worth a try.