Manor House Breweries in England and Scotland

by Gary Corbin and Laura Guimond

A Tale of Two Breweries:
The Traquair House at Innerleithen, Peeblesshire, Scotland
Stanway House Brewery, Stanton, Cheltenham, England

Another article in a series about the breweries, pubs and beers that we encountered in our recent trip to Britain and Ireland.

Traquair House

Near the end of May, 1996, on the way south from Scotland to England, we visited the Traquair House, an old manor house converted to a B&B. Traquair’s importance in the U.K. brewing world stems from its historical roots as a manor house brewery, its pre-CAMRA (1965) reintroduction of “real ale” to the commercial market, and last but certainly not least, as host of the annual Scottish Ale Festival. The Brewmaster had taken the day off, having worked into the wee hours the previous weekend on the Festival, so we conducted our own self-guided tour.

In the 1960’s, Traquair’s operators discovered the remains of the tiny 18th century brewhouse, located in the basement underneath the chapel. They restored it and eventually expanded it from its original single room (about 12’x20’) to two. The original copper and mash tun were still in use (or, at least, on display), and it was obviously a working brewery, although smaller and more rustic than most microbreweries in Oregon.

Bottles of the ales were on sale in the tea house at the entrance to the property, though we opted for a draft pint in the nearby Traquair Arms pub. The Traquair Bear Ale is deep copper in color, with an unusually rocky head for a cask-brewed beer. It has a sweet, citrusy, slightly winy aroma, and the flavor sweet and malty, with a bit of tartness from hops. Both sweetness and tartness lingered through the complex finish, with some woodiness and cidery or winy elements evident. You can try Traquair’s House Ale at Higgins restaurant in downtown Portland. We recommend it!

Stanway Brewery

Stanway, nestled in the tiny Cotswolds village of Stanton, is another restored-manor-house brewery, dating from the 17th century. Master Brewer Alexander Pennycook restored the tiny brewhouse, which boasts the only log fired coppers in England. One of these coppers is currently in use, but requires that one climb a 20’ ladder to peer over the top – which of course we did. (Even more than most UK breweries, this one would never pass OSHA standards.) The remainder of the brewery consists of modern equipment.

While driving through Broad Campden, Gloucestershire, we had chanced to meet Alexander in the Baker’s Arms pub one morning (we were definitely in relaxation mode by now), and tried his Stanney Bitter there. Before taking the first sip, we were warned by Alex himself that he was “a real hophead.” That was an understatement! This brew, at 80 IBU and 4.5% alcohol, challenges the hop tolerance of a Pacific Northwest IPA lover. Its thick, white, creamy head and clear, gold color make it a beautiful beer. Its medium body and maltiness are overcome by the extreme hop bitterness. Interestingly, hop aroma was slight, but the hop flavor was strong in the finish.

As we sipped his ale in the pub, Alexander invited us to his brewery’s open house later that afternoon. Who could turn down an invitation like that? There we tried his Lords-a-Leaping Ale (4.5%), brown and sweeter but still 60-70 IBU. To most mere mortals, it’s is an aggressively hopped IPA, but Alexander described it as “bland”!

Alexander claimed not to be much for the business side of things, and proved it by “forgetting” (with a big grin) to charge people for the pints he poured them. At one point, with the addition of a local buddy of his, we were his only visitors, so he excused himself to use the restroom. As he exited, a group of Belgian tourists entered. Torn for a moment, he recalled our OBC credentials, and asked us to take care of the visitors! So, what the heck, we poured them a pint and gave them a tour. Judging from the “bitter beer faces” we saw, these folks got more IBU’s in a single glass of Stanney Bitter than they get in a week from their own country’s excellent brews.

Stanway’s ales are new even to the English market, so it is doubtful you’ll find them in the U.S. But when you go to England, you’ll want to tour the Cotswolds; and while you’re there, give Alexander Pennycook’s beers a try.