Black Isle Brewing Company / Black Isle Brewery

Black Isle Brewing Company / Black Isle Brewery

The Black Isle Brewery started in 1998 when I set out to make top quality beers that could stand among the best in the country and to do it using organically produced barley and hops. The labelling and packaging is deliberately contemporary and styled to, in some small way, help dispel the sometime commonly held notion that 'organics' is all about slightly cranky, no-knickered, tepee dwellers living off brown rice and lentils. Our sales have grown 50% each year and we now sell the length of the country either directly or through wholesalers. The Brewery has a share in Hootananny, a new Scottish Ceilidh Bar in Inverness with live traditional music every night of the week. We also have shop here at the brewery that we plan to develop over the next few years. There are 5 full-time and 2 part-time staff some of whom you'll see on the brewery tour and we keep the whole process in-house from a grain of malted barley right through to the finished product. Although the bottling and labelling is very labour intensive it does have its advantages, including the freshness of the beer, quality control and flexibility, and the added interest for those who tour the brewery. We are passionate about the association between food and beer. Beer is healthy and it's good for you. It's full of vitamin B and reduces the risk of heart disease thereby helping you live longer and it should be considered a vital part of any diet. I'll drink to that!