What better way to celebrate British unity that with a better bit of bitter? MARION SAUVEBOIS finds out why one pub has adopted some Scottish craft beers and ales

AFTER Scotland chose to remain part of the UK in an historic referendum, patrons at the Beehive are duly celebrating their northern neighbours’ loyalty over a pint of ale from the limited Bitter Together range.

Following the momentous vote which brought the country to a near standstill as the results trickled through for each constituency, Andy Marcer, the Old Town pub’s landlord hatched a new concept – serving hard-to-source Scottish craft beers and ales.

“Bitter Together sprang to mind really,” said the 55-year-old, who has been the landlord of the public house on Prospect Hill for 22 years.

“I think if the vote had gone the other way I would definitely have done this in much bigger style with signs like ‘Last chance before import duties’.

“I thought either way people will want to celebrate or just drown their sorrows. It’s all tongue-in-cheek.

“We specialise in real ales and craft beers but it’s the first time we’ve done anything like this. It just occurred to me the day after the Scottish vote. I thought ‘Why not do something?’.

“We had a refit and reopened about two and half weeks ago and we thought we would increase the range of real ales.”

Although an experienced proprietor with an extensive knowledge of craft beers, Andy soon found himself in unfamiliar territory when setting about unearthing hidden gems for amateurs and connoisseurs alike in Swindon.

Thanks to a Scottish supplier by the name of Bruce, the one-of-a-kind brews were secured and the Beehive is now offering nine unique beers and ales from the four corners of Scotland for a limited time only – an initiative aptly named Bitter Together Scottish Take-Over.

“The pub is owned by Greene King so I got the brewery on board,” said Andy, who admits to frequenting the pub as a college student from the age 17 (“those were different days”).

“We had a refit and so it was a new range for a new pub.

“But it was actually difficult trying to find Scottish beers supplied locally.

“Most of the breweries are small with national distribution in Scotland but not all the way down here. I emailed some of my contacts and they told me about the Big Beer Co in Bristol, owned by a Scottish guy called Bruce. As soon as I found out I could get some locally we did it.

“I just wanted enough to last two or three weeks. I picked from what was available and with a couple of exceptions they were all new to me.”

The selection process was certainly pleasant although the tasting was “purely in the interest of quality control”, Andy swears.

“I wanted to do something a bit different,” he explained. “It seemed like the right time to do it.

“It’s about quality and finding ales you would not be able to find everywhere. When we reopened I took all the mainline brands like Guinness or Strongbow off and replaced them with the craft alternative. So many pubs are samey and you get the same old drink everywhere.”

The draught beers are being phased in two or three at a time and replaced by the next batch as soon as they have run out. This means patrons will never be quite sure what to expect on their visit to the Beehive.

Top of the list of ales introduced is Belhaven, a popular variety north of the border. Rich and smooth, the reddish-coloured drink was once described by an Austrian Emperor as ‘the burgundy of Scotland’, or so the story goes.

With a medium malt backbone giving way to refreshing bitterness, a citrus and slightly spicy hop aroma, Alechemy is bursting with summer flavours – and is probably Andy’s personal favourite.

Highland Brewing’s Orkney Session is one of a kind and was, in fact, created especially for the Orkney Folk Festival.

The company’s Scapa Special and number four on the Beehive’s beer menu, is a made with maris otter pale ale malt and a blend of four hops from America, Germany, New Zealand And Slovakia, each selected for its spiciness.

Highland Brewing’s Scapa Bere, crafted with Orkney Bere Barley also features in the limited Bitter Together range.

A taste of the borders, Tempest’s Emanation has a muted aroma with nut and citrus undertones.

Fruitiness is also the trademark of the brewery’s Cascadian, a medium-bodied hoppy ale with sweet tropical flavours including lychee, peach, mango and lemon.

Again, for those with a penchant for fresh and juicy aromas, Cromarty’s Atlantic Drifts boasts undertones of Mango, tangerine and grapefruit with a dry, bitter finish.

More unusual is Williams Brothers’ Seven Giraffes which pours deep gold with aromas of elderflower and citrus hops, followed by sweet caramel.

The Belhaven Dark – or Scotland’s answer to Guinness – is also on draught and will be the only beer to remain as a permanent fixture on the drinks list.

The vice president of Swindon’s Caledonian club has given the venture his wholehearted approval and has sampled the varieties on offer on several occasions.

“He seems to really like the Belhaven. It’s what he would have in Scotland. I’m confident I’ve chosen the right ales now.”

This incursion into the growing world of independent breweries for unique flavours has led the landlord to scrap all mass-produced household brands such as Guinness and Fosters.

Although only available for a short time – the casks are expected to run dry by the end of the month – Bitter Together could be the beginning of a series of guest ales ranges from as yet unknown British breweries. “It’s something I had always wanted to do and we want to continue to serve harder-to-find ales and go to more micro-breweries.”

The Beehive is located at 55 Prospect Hill. For more details call 01793 523187 or go to bee-hive.co.uk