Beer Guide to the 1970s (part twenty)

You must know the drill now. Three breweries linked only by their alphabetic proximity. Though, oddly enough, two of today's set were fairly close geographically, both being in Scotland.

Just the one survivor, again. Though one of the others did close very recently. Both of the Scottish brewers were sad losses, being the last long-established brewers in what were once proud brewing towns: Alloa and Edinburgh.

Lorimer
Edinburgh,
Scotland.

Founded:    1865
Closed:    2023
Tied houses:    

A subsidiary of Vaux, their one cask beer often turned up in the parent company’s pubs. Often as the only cask beer. I’m not sure how available it was in Scotland. I can remember drinking it in Kendal in the Lake District. It would latter become the Caledonian Brewery, be taken over by Heineken and closed. Best Scotch was a pleasant enough beer, a fairly light Bitter.


Maclay
Alloa,
Scotland.

Founded:    1830
Closed:    1999
Tied houses:    34

The last surviving independent in the famous brewing town of Alloa was Maclay. A fairly small outfit, producing the classic Scottish range of Light, Heavy and Export. Plus the occasional Scotch Ale. Their brewing records are possibly the dullest I’ve come across. As all of those were parti-gyled together in various combinations. Using the same recipe from the 1950’s to the 1980s. At coloured up post-fermentation. Which is why 60/- looked like Dark Mild. They abandoned brewing in the 1990s to become a pub company. I rather liked their beers. Especially the Mild.


McMullen
Hertford,
Hertfordshire

Founded:    1827
Closed:    still open
Tied houses:    200

I suppose I shouldn’t bear a grudge against an independent brewer. But McMullen piss me off by insisting on calling their AK a Light Mild. It’s a fucking Light Bitter. Or Mild Bitter. Not a fucking Mild Ale. Can’t say their beers ever excited me, but they were OK.