Category:Scottish beer styles

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Many English styles of beer have been available in Scotland for as long, or nearly as long, as they have in England. However, there is also a somewhat distinctive Scottish style of brewing. These beers are darker and sweeter than the corresponding English beers, and they are also less heavily hopped, since hops do not grow in Scotland and had to be imported at some expense. See Scotch and Scottish Ales (All About Beer Magazine) and Scottish Ale: Tips from the Pros (Brew Your Own Magazine).

Shillings and Bobs

Scotland also has a unique terminology for its beer. In the nineteenth century, publicans and brewers would refer to beers by the price per barrel in shillings or "bob", as in sixty shillings (written as "60/-") for a light, low-alcohol beer. This terminology died out in the rest of Britain but was revived by Scottish brewers in the 1970s to describe their cask ale, and is now generally used for all traditional Scottish ales, which other than alcoholic strength tend to be fairly similar in character.

The generally recognized divisions of Scottish ales are:

Name (Shillings) Strength (%ABV) Also known as
60/- <3.5% Light
70/- 3.5-4% Heavy
80/- 4-6% Export
90/- >6% Wee Heavy

Pages in category "Scottish beer styles"

The following 14 pages are in this category, out of 14 total.

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