Welcome to the Beer page

What is real ale?

Real ale is a living, breathing drink. Traditionally brewed, unfiltered, unpasturised and unadulterated.

Common keg beer has all the yeast removed in the brewery after a short conditioning time in massive tanks. Carbon dioxide or nitrogen is then added by the pub to make it nice and fizzy.

With real ale the yeast is not removed and goes along with the ale in a cask, where it continues to condition and improve the beer right up until it is served. The yeast also produces a by product of carbon dioxide so no artificial gas needs to be added by the publican. Keg beer usually comes in lager heavy or stout with only big breweries able to compete in this market.

Real ale comes in many more styles for example mild, bitter, golden ales, pale ale/IPA, porter, stout, barley wine, old ale and light bitter. More info on these styles can be found here.

Due to the difference in manufacturing methods smaller local breweries can get into the real ale market. We are lucky to have two excellent breweries within the Renfrewshire area, Kelburn and Houston.

This years provisional Beer Lists:

Scottish Bar

Angus Ales, Tayside

Gowfer's Gold (3.8%)
Mashie Niblick (3.2%)

Ayr Brewing Co, Ayr

Jolly Beggars Best Bitter (4.2%)
Leezie Lundie Pale Ale (3.8%)
Towzie Tyke Premium Ale (4.6%)

Bellhaven, Dunbar, East Lothian

60/- (2.9%)
70/- (3.5%)
90/- (6.5%)
Fruit Beer (4.6%)

Cairngorm, Aviemore, Highlands

Nessies Monster Mash (4.4%)
Trade Winds (4.3%)
Wild Cat (5.1%)

Caledonian, Edinburgh

80/- (4.1%)
Brewers Passion (4.6%)
Deuchars IPA (3.8%)
Flying Dutchman (4.3%)
Mild Mayhem (3.5%)

Fyne Ales, Cairndown, Argyll

Avalanche (4.5%)
Cairn Dhu 60/- (3.3%)
Crannog (4.1%)
Highlander (4.8%)
Hurricane Jack (4.4%)
Maverick (4.2%)
Pipers Gold (3.8%)
Vital Spark (4.4%)

Highland, Birsay, Orkney

Dark Munro (4.0%)
Light Munro (3.0%)
Old Norway (9.0%)
Orkney Best (3.6%)
Orkney Blast (6.0%)
Orkney IPA (4.8%)
Orkney Porter (9.0%)
Saint Magnus Ale (4.5%)
Scapa Special (4.2%)

Houston, Houston, Renfrewshire

Killellan (3.7%)
Peters Well (4.2%)
Texas (4.3%)

Inveralmond, Inveralmond, Perth

Independence (3.8%)
Lia Fail (4.7%)
Ossian (4.1%)
XXX (4.4%)

Isle of Skye, Uig, Isle of Skye

Blaven (5.0%)
Hebridean Gold (4.6%)
Skyelight (3.8%)
Young Pretender (4.0%)

Kelburn, Barrhead, East Renfrewshire

Cart Blanche (5.9%)
****Dark Moor (4.5%) - 2010 Beer of the Festival****
GoldieHops (3.8%)
Misty Law (4.0%)
Pivo Estivo (3.9%)
Red Smiddy (4.1%)

Mad Cap, Annan

Annan Pale (5.0%)
Annandale Gold (4.0%)
Single Madness (5.5%)

Orkney, Quoyloo, Orkney

Dark Island (4.6%)
Dark Island Special Reserve (10.0%)
Northern Light (4.0%)
Red MacGregor (4.0%)

Sinclair Breweries Atlas, Kinlochleven, Argyll

Golden Amber (4.5%)
Nimbus (5.0%)

Stewart, Edinburgh

Copper Cascade (4.1%)
Forth Mist (3.9%)

Strathaven, Strathaven

Claverhouse Red (4.5%)
Old Mortality (4.2%)
Summer Glow (3.9%)

Sulwath, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway

Black Galloway (4.4%)
Woosy Wabbit (4.7%)

Tin Pot, Bridge of Allan

70/- (4.0%)
80/- (4.0%)
Beetroot & Black Pepper Pot (4.3%)
Thai Pot (4.0%)

Tryst, Larbert, Stirling

Black IPA (5.0%)
Blathan (4.0%)
Carronade IPA (4.2%)
Porter (4.0%)
Raj IPA (5.5%)

Williams, Kelliebank, Alloa

Harvest Sun (3.9%)
Joker IPA (5.0%)
Midnight Sun (5.6%)

English Bar

Anglo Dutch, West Yorkshire

Spike's on 't' Way (4.2%)
Sweet Jane (4.0%)
Tabatha the Knackered (6.0%)

Ashover, Derbyshire

All Saints (5.5%)
Light Rale (3.7%)
Liquorice Alesorts (5.0%)
Poets Tipple (4.0%)

Black Sheep, West Yorkshire

Best Bitter (3.8%)
Golden Sheep (3.9%)

Blue Monkey, Derbyshire

BG Sips (4.0%)
Evolution (4.3%)
Original (3.6%)

Bridestones, West Yorkshire

Pennine Best (4.0%)
Pennine Pale Ale (5.0%)

Clark's, West Yorkshire

Classic Blonde (3.9%)
Rams Revenge (4.6%)

Daleside, North Yorkshire

Bitter (3.7%)
Old Leg Over (4.1%)

Derventio, Derbyshire

Anubis (4.4%)
Chariot (4.3%)
Cleopatra (5.0%)
Emperors Whim (4.3%)
Maia Mild (4.0%)
Venus (5.0%)

Elland, West Yorkshire

1872 Porter (6.5%)
Angel Easy (4.6%)
Bargee (3.8%)
Nettlethrasher (4.4%)

Goose Eye, West Yorkshire

Barm Pot Bitter (3.8%)
Over and Stout (5.2%)

Hambleton, North Yorkshire

Bitter (3.8%)
Nightmare (5.0%)
Stallion (4.2%)

Howard Town, Derbyshire

Bleak Claw (3.8%)
Dark Peak (6.4%)
Glotts Hop (5.0%)

Ilkley, West Yorkshire

Olicana Best (4.0%)
Olicana Gold (3.9%)
Olicana Original (4.3%)

Kelda, Yorkshire

Kelda Gold (4.0%)
Kelda Pale (3.8%)

Kelham Island, South Yorkshire

Easy Rider (4.3%)
Kelham Best Bitter (3.8%)
Pale Rider (5.2%)

Leeds, Derbyshire

Best Bitter (4.3%)
Leeds Best (4.3%)
Leeds Pale (3.8%)
Midnight Bell (4.8%)
Pale Ale (3.8%)

Little Valley, West Yorkshire

Moor Ale (5.5%)
Stoodley Stout (4.8%)
Withens IPA (3.9%)

Marston Moor, Derbyshire

Brewers Droop (5.0%)
Cromwell's Pale (3.8%)

North Yorkshire, North Yorkshire

Golden Ale (4.6%)
Lord Lee's (4.7%)
Prior's Ale (3.6%)

Osset, West Yorkshire

Excelsior (5.2%)
Pale Gold (4.0%)
Silver King (4.3%)

Rooster's, North Yorkshire

Good Cheer Beer (3.7%)
Huntsman (3.7%)
Silver Lining (4.3%)

Rudgate, North Yorkshire

Battleaxe (4.2%)
Ruby Mild (4.4%)
Well Blathered (5.0%)

Salamander, West Yorkshire

A Monkeys Uncle (4.5%)
A seasonal beer (%)
Golden Salamander (4.5%)

Saltaire, West Yorkshire

Blonde (4.0%)
Cascade Pale Ale (4.8%)
Rye Smile (3.8%)

Summer Wine, Yorkshire

Elbow Grease (3.8%)
Holmfirth IPA (4.2%)
Invictus (4.5%)

Theakston's, North Yorkshire

Best Bitter (3.8%)
Old Peculier (5.6%)
XB (4.5%)

Thornbridge, Derbyshire

Ashford (4.2%)
Halcion Green Hop (7.7%)
Hark (4.8%)
Hopton (4.3%)
Jaipur IPA (5.9%)
Kipling (5.2%)
Light Ale (2.9%)
Lord Marples (4.0%)
McConnells (5.0%)
Murmansk (7.4%)
Saint Petersburg (7.7%)
Seaforth IPA (5.9%)
Wild Swan (3.5%)

Timothy Taylor, West Yorkshire

Best Bitter (4.0%)
Dark Mild (3.5%)
Golden Best (3.5%)
Landlord (4.3%)
Ram Tam (4.3%)

Foreign Bar

Belgian

De Ryck Special: (5.5%)
Verhaege Echte Kriek (6.8%)
Zennebrouwerij Zinnerbir (6.0%)

Netherlands

Affligem Blond (7.5%)
Affligem Donker (7.5%)
Christoffel Blond (6.0%)
De Prael Johnny (5.7%)
De Prael Mary (9.6%)
De Schans Van Vollenhoven Stout (7.0%)
De Ranke XX Bitter (5.3% ??)
Ooievaar Bier (7.5%)

Belgian & Dutch Bottled Beers

La Trappe Quadruple (10.0%)
De Ryck Kriek Fanatastiek (4.9%)
Hanssens Kriek (5.0%)
Lindemans Cuvee Rene Kriek (5.0%)
Mort Subite Oude Kriek (6.5%)
Hanssens Ariberry (5.0%)
Girardin Frambozen (5.0%)
Botteresse Sur Les Bois - Blonde (??
Christoffel Nobel (10.5%)
Gulpener Korenwolf (5.0%)
La Trappe (Witte) (5.0%)
Silenrieux - Joseph (6.0%)

Real Fruit Beers

3 Horne Kandinsky (Date) (8.0%)
3 Horne Bananatana (Banana & Sultanas) (7.0%)
3 Horne Besselaer (Blackcurrants) (7.0%)
3 Horne Wiegeleir (Apricot) (8.7%)
3 Horne Mongootje (Mango) (7.0%)

Czech Republic Draught

Bernard Svetly Lezak (4.7%)
Bernard Svetly Pivo (5.1%)
Bernard Cerne Pivo (5.1%)

German Draught

Fruh Kolsch (4.8%)
Jever Pils (4.9%)
Mahrs Ungespundet Kellerbier (5.2%)
Neuzeller Porter (TBC%)
Reissdorf Kolsch (4.8%)
Schumacher Alt (4.8%)
Uerige Alt (4.8%)

German Bottles

Andechs Weissbier Hell (5.5%)
Auguistiner Adelstoff (5.4%)
Bolten Ur-Weizen (5.2%)
Keesman Herren Pils (4.5%)
Faessla Zwergla (6.0%)
Hirschbrau Neuschwansler (5.4%)
Hirschbrau Weisser-Hirsch (5.3%)
Munshoff Lagerbier (4.8%)
St Georgen Landbier Dunkel (4.9%)
Unertl Muhdorfler Weissebier (5.2%)

France

Belzebuth (Jeanne d'Arc) (13.0%)

The Foreign Legion Beer listings and programme can be downloaded by clicking this link.

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Opening times

Wednesday – 5pm to 11pm
Thursday – Noon to 11pm
Friday – Noon to Midnight
Saturday – Noon to 9pm

Entry costs £5 with concession £3 available on Wednesday and Thursday.

Festival location

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Latest updates

on 22nd Feb 2010

The 2010 Beer Festival website is live.

on 2nd April 2009

The Beer Listings are up.

Click here to view them.