Brewing up success in Ayr

Jul 16 2010 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

Brewing up success

THAT’S a jolly good pint.

So said judges at a top ale festival when they gave the thumbs up to the Ayr Brewing Company’s Jolly Beggars Ale.

Bosses at the Miller Road brewery are toasting their success after scooping a bronze award at the Scottish Real Ale Festival in Edinburgh.

And it’s the latest triumph for the fledgling company.

The plant is Ayr’s first brewery in 80 years.

Anthony Valenti and his brother-in-law Paul Rossi brewed their first pint in October last year.

In that short time, they’ve produced around 50,000 pints, teamed up with Ayr College to produce labels and managed to get their top quality ale served up in pubs all over the UK.

Anthony said: “Things have been going great, it’s really taken us by surprise. We’ve been brewing like mad to meet demand.

“We are absolutely delighted to win this bronze medal for our Jolly Beggars Ale.

“We are still in our first year of production so to win this prestigious award at this early stage is extremely encouraging.”

The Ayr Brewing Company is part of a young, vibrant and recession-resilient local brewing sector, which has managed to buck the downward trend of the larger global brewers, according to the annual report of the Society of Independent Brewers.

Anthony added: “Local beers are relatively low in alcohol content and are generally served in the controlled environment of a pub where drinking is part of a social occasion, rather than an end in itself.”

“Local brewers support their local communities by employing local people, both in the breweries and in pubs and other related businesses.

“They are advocates for sustainable development, employing "green" technologies and reducing food miles".

Jolly Beggars Best Bitter and another ale, the Leezie Lundie Pale Ale, are just two examples of drinks with a local twist.

Paul said: “We wanted a Burns link but not too obvious so we have chosen less well known names that hopefully we get people talking.”

The Ayr Brewing Company is currently supplying pubs in Ayrshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the North of England.