Cloning Newcastle Brown? Just call it Newcastle Brown!

danlad · 10-17-2009, 04:32 PM

Bit of a rant, but I found this a bit bloody cheeky.

In 2000 Newcastle Brown Ale was accorded EU protected designation status, like Champagne, so that it could only be called Newcastle Brown Ale if brewed in Newcastle. Bit of a fanfare made about it, bit of pride in the beer, must have been a lot of effort to get the EU accreditation too.

Anyway, fast forward to 2009 and they've just closed the last brewery in Newcastle. What? Surely that means no one can call it Newcastle Brown anymore?? No! They quietly dropped the protected status in 2007. They must have been planning the closure for years and were covering their arses for when they finally did.

So go ahead and call your homebrewed beer a Newcastle Brown Ale. You've more pride in it then the brand owners Scottish and Newcastle do.

Rick500 · 10-17-2009, 04:39 PM

Bit off-topic, but man, I wish I was in Edinburgh right now.

Hope to visit again next year. I'm going to go look at my vacation pics now...

Scut_Monkey · 10-17-2009, 05:47 PM

Why put a law into place only to change it 7 years later? They must have been drunk on newcastle brown ale.