Calton Hill Brewery
63 Calton Road, Edinburgh EH8 8FJ
This brewery, owned by John Muir, was the first in Britain to brew lager in 1835. Muir had enjoyed lager while on a visit to Germany and decided to try brewing it himself on his return to Scotland. This style of beer requires a different type of yeast from traditional Scottish beer, and he had this sent to him in Edinburgh by a German friend. The difference between lager and the traditional dark Scottish beer, combined with the challenges presented by the need to store the lager at a cool, even temperature in the days before refrigeration, meant that it did not become widely established at this time. However, lager brewing was revived towards the end of the nineteenth century, by which time the technology had moved on. The original brewery buildings are now flats.
Label for Muir & Son’s Sparkling Edinburgh Ale.
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2 Responses to “Calton Hill Brewery”
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I have a metal oval sign under glass in a golden metal frame – which says: MUIR & SONS – PALE & MILD ALES around the oval with red background. The centre has the ‘M’ tradmark – followed by CALTON HILL BREWERY EDINBURGH – on a pale yellow/cream background.
I would be really interested in seeing this as there are very few examples of surviving breweriana from this brewery. I believe the firm were already brewing prior to 1815 but in 1904 their brewery well water supply was polluted by the neighbouring New Street Gas Company. Although they were twice awarded compensation from the gas company by the courts between 1904 & 1911 their business never fully recovered and the firm was liquidated and property sold in 1916.
Any chance you could post photo of this sign?