Nature meets luxury at Rufflets in St Andrews

Morag Bootland gets back to nature with a relaxing stay at Rufflets Hotel, St Andrews. SCOTLAND is experiencing the little known phenomenon that I’m told is known as ‘summer’. So, when the opportunity to head to St Andrews arose I was over the Queensferry Crossing before you could say ‘seaside’. The reason for my visit…

Read More

Futtle makes beer with organic Scottish hops

FIFE brewery Futtle is launching a beer tomorrow that was made using organic Scottish hops. The hops were grown in the kitchen garden at the Rufflets Hotel in St Andrews. Head gardner Logie Cassells harvested the hops on 21 September and they were used to brew a beer that day. Lucy Hine, brewer and co-founder…

Read More

Scots brands at No 10 and parliament

SCOTTISH coffee and beer brands are making waves at the heart of government. Perth-based Mhor Coffee will be served at the next cabinet meeting, while one of Arran Brewery’s beers was recently poured at the Stranger’s Bar in the Palace of Westminster. Tricia Fox, who founded her online coffee retailer with her husband during the…

Read More

Drinks news round-up: Beer, gin, and more

Peter Ranscombe pours another measure of drinks news. ALCOHOL-FREE beer maker Jump Ship Brewing is launching a £300,000 crowdfunding campaign to build its own brewery at Rosemain Steadings in Midlothian. Managing director Sonja Mitchell, who launched her brand in 2019, will create three jobs at the brewery, and a further ten posts over the next…

Read More

Enjoy an indulgent evening at Belhaven x Archerfield Winter Sessions

This winter, Scotland’s historic Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar is partnering with the talented culinary team at nearby Archerfield to stage the Belhaven x Archerfield Winter Sessions: a new event series celebrating the best of East Lothian beer and food. I was lucky enough to sample the event in the magical setting of Belhaven Brewery, after…

Read More

Drinks news round-up: Barra, Curling, and more

Peter Ranscombe serves up another helping of drinks news. ISLE of Barra distillery has unveiled the new bottle for its Atlantic gin. The bottle is made from 78% recycled glass, meaning no two bottles will look the same. The company is also cutting its supply chain’s carbon footprint by selecting Allied Glass to make the…

Read More

REVIEW: Adnams – Sea Fog IPA and Ease Up IPA

Drinks blogger James Robertson reviews two new beers from Suffolk brewer Adnams. I WAS lucky enough to taste a couple of new beers from Adnams a couple of days ago. The earliest record of beer being brewed at Southwold in Suffolk is in 1345 – Adnams is celebrating its 150th birthday in the same place.…

Read More

Flavourly’s small batch originals

Drinks blogger James Robertson reviews the latest batch of craft beers from Flavourly. ONLINE Edinburgh-based specialist Flavourly has launched a range of high-end small-batch craft beer created exclusively by some of the UK’s top breweries. The “Small Batch Originals” comprise six 440ml beers from Wiper & True, Brew By Numbers, Siren Craft Brewery, Tempest Brewing,…

Read More

Inverness to get first distillery in nearly 40 years

Plans have been unveiled to build Inverness’ first distillery in nearly four decades. Water from the River Ness will provide some of the power for the Uilebheist distillery, which is named after the Gaelic word for “monster”. The site will also house a brewery, with both fermentation and distillation expected to begin later this year.…

Read More

Anima: Taking beer and food matching to the next level

Peter Ranscombe reviews craft beers made by Anima in Italy’s Piemonte wine region. THINK Piemonte, think wine. From powerful reds like Barolo and Barbaresco made from nebbiolo grapes through to elegant whites like Gavi and Roero and the gentle spritz of moscato d’Asti, Piedmont has a world-class reputation for its wines. But how about its…

Read More