One Scottish
Christmas beer is
made in a brewery
that has changed
little since Victorian
times
vf cM.EDON/4/V
SCOTLAND
"Christmas is predictably a very busy time of year in
our business, but traditionally the New Year is an even
bigger holiday in Scotland, with Edinburgh's Hogmanay
party now being renowned across the world", says
Marie Moser, Marketing Manager for Heineken-owned
Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh.
"We make an annual range of 12 'guest beers' for
the trade. This December, we will brew 'Elf' Esteem,
a special tawny-coloured, easy-drinking winter beer
with an enticing trace of natural orange and molasses.
This gives a rich, smooth texture and satisfying finish,"
says Marie. "The label shows several elves busying
themselves around it, which adds to the Christmas
atmosphere."
Marie underlines that Elf Esteem, like all Caledonian's
beers is still brewed by hand using whole hop flowers
(rather than hop pellets or oil). This takes place in their
working Victorian brewery - the last survivor of more
than 40 that operated in Edinburgh during Victorian
times. "Many of our brewing techniques are unchanged
since then," she says.
FINLAND
In Finland, beer has a special place in the Christmas
tradition, especially as it is the perfect companion for
traditional Finnish Christmas menus.
"At Christmas, Finnish consumers seek premium
products and variations to their everyday groceries,"
says Niklas Kosio-Kanttila, Commercial Marketing
Manager for Hartwall, based in Helsinki. "During
Christmas, people are looking for experiences and
special treats, which really suits high-quality premium
beers."
Niklas explains that the Christmas season's speciality
beers have become widespread in Finnish beer
selections and their share of the beer trade is still
growing. "Especially with beer, drinking habits change
during the holiday season and people look to speciality
beers for new experiences and enjoyment," he says.
"During the winter season, consumers like more full-
bodied dark beers alongside the lighter lagers, so Lapin
Kulta's authentic Christmas speciality beer meets this
need perfectly.
"Branded under our main lager brand, Lapin Kulta is
brewed in Finnish Lapland and has a strong Lapland
heritage, it is made of pure, natural raw materials from
Lapland," says Niklas.
For the Christmas festive season, Hartwall is launching
a rich and dark coppery Lapin Kulta Christmas beer. It
is a very balanced product that embodies Lapin Kulta's
refreshingness and a full-bodied, rich malty flavour.
"Lapin Kulta Christmas beer is made from premium
speciality malts," says Niklas. "The malt mix used in the
beer gives it the strong rich taste. You can also detect
a hint of caramel malt, which balances the bitterness
of hops. The beer smells fruity and mildly of hops, is
a dark copper colour, and when it is poured it forms
a thick, soft and clean white head. We will produce
400,000 litres this winter," he concludes.
