DRAM June 2012

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DRAM MAGAZINE

JUNE/JULY 2012

ISSN 1470-241XDRAMDRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

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ALL THE 2012 AWARD FINALISTS • THE ADAMSON FAMILY

DRAM262 Q9 NEWEST_DRAM 253 18/06/2012 18:46 Page 1

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DRAMCONTENTSJune/July 2012

OLYMPIC BOOST FOR BEER SALESBeer always does well over the summermonths and with July’s Olympics it good bea bumper 2012.

NEWSAll the news on pubs, bars, restaurants andhotels.

FEATURES

REGULARS

THE ADAMSON FAMILYJason Caddy talks to father and son teamStuart and Scott Adamson.

SUE SAYSStraight talking from our very own Editor.

WELCOME

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04BRAND NEWSAll the latest brand news.08

33

2012 DRAM AWARD FINALISTSA full listing of all the the award finalists.

What a busy month this has been. I have been outand about all over Scotland checking out the pubsthat have entered the DRAM Awards. It’s been agreat journey, and I’m delighted to say howimpressed I have been. See pages 17-19 for allour finalists. This magazine is out very late in themonth due to the fact that we wanted to get all thefinalists in,and the Sunday Mail Pub of the Yearfinalists weren’t revealed until the 17th. While I’ve been visiting pubs Jason Caddy has beentasked with writing not only our licensee interviewwhich is with Scott and Stuart Adamson of CityHotels Ltd in Fife, but our design features too. Healso visited the Cairn Lodge near Gleneagles to seeits renovation, the newly opened Strata in Glasgowand The Southern in Edinburgh. He has certainlybeen busy too. This month we also take a look at lager and whatsome licensees are doing to capitalise on theOlympics. All sporting occasions lead to anincreased spend on beer, and July ought to be agreat month for beer sales. All the news on our award winners will be in thenext issue, which is set to a be a bumper one.

Susan [email protected]

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DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

DESIGN FOCUSStrata, Glasgow; Cairn Lodge, Gleneaglesand The Southern, Edinburgh.

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Our love affair with all thingsSwedish is undeniable, andnow Swedish-born husbandand wife team Anna andMike Christopherson, thepeople behind the likes ofBoda and Sofi’s inEdinburgh, have added tothe Capital’s Swedishquarter with new outletHemma at 75 HolyroodRoad, formerly The Tun.Says Anna, “Hemma means‘at home’ in Swedish andthat’s what we wanted to

create - a home from homefeel for our customers, withtraditional Scandinavian styleand cosy furniture. I alsotook the two managers toSweden in February wherewe ate our way through 20bars to get the Scandinavianfood offering just right inHemma. In addition we havea wide selection of worldbeers and will be runninglots of community events,given our proximity toHolyrood Park.”

4 DRAM JUNE/JULY12

NEWS

Edinburgh gay bar and club CC Blooms on Greenside Placehas been treated to a £250k restoration by owners MitchStark and Tim Douglas. As well as the refurbishment, thetwo-storey outlet will also open its ground floor level fordaytime trade, with a food offering. The business partners,who acquired CC Blooms in 2008, have stripped it back toits original features, and repointed stone and exposedbrick feature predominantly through the spacious bar areawhich is lit by the now uncovered large windows to the rearwith views across Carlton Hill. The lowered ceilings aregone and three vast archways have now been revealed.Said a spokesperson, “Mitch and Tim remembered openviews to Edinburgh from large windows towards the rear ofthe venue and a more traditional environment withbeautiful historic features, high rise ceilings and delicatecornicing. The couple having been on the scene in Londonwhere they first met, and wanted to capture some of thatbig city style and breathe glamour into the venue. Fifteenyears of clubbing and late night shenanigans had taken itstoll on the venue, so the couple started working towardssecuring the finance to set the record straight and bringthe venue back to its former glory.”

CC Re-Blooms in Edinburgh

Hemma sets up home

James Sutherland, the man behind Edinburgh’s 56North, has teamed up with the Innis & Gunn BrewingCompany to open a bar in the Capital called ‘Innis & Gunnat 32 Potterrow’. The bar has been planned for thesummer months only, whereupon its future will bereviewed. James told DRAM, “I have only committed torun the ‘pop up’ bar for three months to see how we geton with it, and we will review its future at the end ofAugust once the Edinburgh Festival is over. So far thefeedback has been immensely positive, but it’s still tooearly to make a call on its future.” He continues, “Theinterior has also undergone a bit of a makeover, and wehave had a lot of support from the likes of CaledonianBrewery and Stuart Brewing, and as well as beer, wehave a wide whisky selection too, along the back bar. Wealso have a Drambuie Dining Corner as part of the diningarea.”

Have you heard...

ALL THE NEWS ON PUBS, BARS, RESTAURANTS

The Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh will unveil two new restaurants byMichelin-starred brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin in late summer 2012– the brothers’ first in Scotland. The restaurants will form part of a£24m restoration and upgrade, which will also see the 241-room citycentre hotel re-branded as The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel.The two restaurants, The Pompadour by Galvin and Galvin Brasseriede Luxe, continue a partnership between Hilton Worldwide and theGalvin brothers, who run the Michelin-starred Galvin at Windowssituated on the top floor of London Hilton on Park Lane.Chris Galvin said, “It has been our ambition for some time to open arestaurant in Scotland, so to be able to open two distinct restaurantsas part of our great partnership with Hilton Worldwide, is a truly

First Scottish Restaurants forMichelin-Starred Brothers


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¬ Rosemount Taverns has spent £100k on the renaming and refurbishingthe former Jeanie Deans on Glasgow’s St Vincent Street as Barco. Twonew tenants, business partners Richard O’Brien and Ilir Kapidani arenow operating the bar which opened last month,. The new look Barcohas a fresh and contemporary style. Craig Bruce of Rosemount Tavernstold DRAM, “We had to strip the whole place back to basics in order tobring it up-to-date, the floor, ceiling, walls and the bar too. The bar isa mixture of marble and granite, with glass pillars, booths and a greypastel colour scheme.” Richard O’Brien and Ilir Kapidani have bothworked together before at The Shack and The Garage. Richard toldWWW.DRAMSCOTLAND.CO.UK

Thomas Cushley hasbought the formerSannino Pizzeria onGlasgow’s Bath Streetand turned it into acontemporary Italianbar and restaurantcalled San Romano.The newly decoratedinterior, unveiled lastmonth, now boastschandeliers andleather booths.Cushley also ownsthe Independent Bar& Kitchen on QueenStreet, as well asMcGunnigals Irish Barin Coatbridge.Brianna Poole,owner of theDalmunzie CastleHotel inBlairgowrie, isbeing forced to sell the 17-bedroom hotelfollowing the recentsudden death ofher husband Scott.Together theyoperated the hotelfor eight years. Thehotel has beencompletelyrefurbished witheach bedroomindividually styled,including the threetower rooms, whichare the formerLaird’s bedrooms.The baronial-stylebuilding, which wasoriginally built in1884, is set in itsown grounds in theCairngormsNational Park.

Date setfor Torbrex

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The Chaophraya Thai restaurant chain will open its first£2m Scottish venue next month on Glasgow’s BuchananStreet. The makeover will include a gold leaf ceiling andlarge Thai Buddha statues throughout what will be a highlydecorative and opulent décor. Chaophraya (pronouncedChow-pry-a) has restaurants across UK cities Birmingham,Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. Chaophrayamanager, Richard McCandleless, said, “Glasgow is awonderful city and we are very excited to be launchingChaophraya in July. We have a fantastic location onBuchanan Street in the historic Townhouse building withcapacity for over 400 diners across four decadent floors.The four beautiful VIP private dining rooms will be perfectfor those special celebrations and events and with the verybest team. Customers are guaranteed a very warmwelcome and a dining experience that they will remember.”

The Shilling Group in Edinburgh has added to its portfolio of barswith The Fountain on Fountainbridge. The refurbished unit wasunveiled earlier this month and now sits alongside the group’s otherfive Edinburgh outlets which include Bar Kohl, Golden Rule andCarriers Quarters.

Have you heard...

AND HOTELS TOO!

Edinburgh Larder Ltd has openeda new bistro on Alva Street calledEdinburgh Larder Bistro. It’s thesister outlet to The EdinburghLarder Deli/Café on BlackfriarsStreet, and began trading in mid-June. The basement property nowhas white painted exposed stone,green paintwork, and someintricate iron work. ManagerStuart Shearer told DRAM, “Weacquired the lease for what wasHowies Cellar from building ownerJohn Christie back in February andwe closed it for three months fora complete refurbishment. Ourfood offering will concentrate onlocal Scottish seasonal produce.”

unique opportunity. TheCaledonian, A WaldorfAstoria Hotel is set tobecome a superb luxuryaddition to Edinburgh, andwe want to showcase thevery best of both Scottishingredients and talent tomake The Pompadour byGalvin and GalvinBrasserie de Luxe destinationrestaurants that appeal to locals and visitors to Edinburgh.” The Pompadour by Galvin will revive the glamour of the dining room asa luxurious French culinary experience, while Brasserie de Luxe, with itsstreet access, will be styled on a Parisian brasserie, with a crustaceashowcase at its heart, and a large circular bar for diners.

The Inn at Torbrex, onTorbrex Lane in Stirling is setto re-open shortly. It wasbought by Ross Henderson,owner of The Birds and theBees, also in Stirling, back inJanuary, when it closed for amajor overhaul. Ross toldDRAM, “It will finally open inlate June, after being closedsince January. We stripped itright back to the four wallsand have built an extensionhousing a brand new kitchen,toilets and full disabledaccess. What was a drinkingpub will now be a food-led,family-friendly ‘malt, ale anddining pub’, much like theBirds and the Bees. There isalso a function roomupstairs.” And, as Rossexplains, The Inn contains awealth of history. “It was aLaird’s House for thesurrounding lands, then itbecame a coaching inn,before being converted into aHQ for the Home Guardduring World War 1. It re-opened as a pub 40 yearsago,”

JUNE /JULY12 DRAM 5



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¬ Rosemount Taverns has spent £100k on the renaming and refurbishingthe former Jeanie Deans on Glasgow’s St Vincent Street as Barco. Twonew tenants, business partners Richard O’Brien and Ilir Kapidani arenow operating the bar which opened last month,. The new look Barcohas a fresh and contemporary style. Craig Bruce of Rosemount Tavernstold DRAM, “We had to strip the whole place back to basics in order tobring it up-to-date, the floor, ceiling, walls and the bar too. The bar isa mixture of marble and granite, with glass pillars, booths and a greypastel colour scheme.” Richard O’Brien and Ilir Kapidani have bothworked together before at The Shack and The Garage. Richard told NEWS

The Sub Club, now the world's longest running underground dance venue, has announced the departure of co-owner Paul Crawford, who will leave the businessin the weeks ahead to pursue pastures new. The club’s management will continue under the operating team of Mike Grieve and Barry Price, alongside RickyScoular, the club’s new Operational Director. Mike Grieve said, “Paul has been an integral part of the Sub Club for 20 years and we are all going to miss himmassively. During his time he has been instrumental in the development of the ‘Subbie’ into one of the most recognisable and respected clubs on the planet andthe reputation the club enjoys is in no small part down to Paul's efforts. From a personal point of view it's been an absolute pleasure to spend so much of myworking life shoulder to shoulder with him.”Ricky Scoular said, “I have big shoes to fill, but I’m absolutely delighted to join the Sub Club team. I can’t wait to be an integral part of it all.”

ARRAN DISTILLERYDOUBLES NET PROFITIN ONE YEARFollowing on from thenews that Diageo is toinvest a billion inScotland, one of thecountry's smallerindependent distillersArran Distillery has alsorevealed that it has morethan doubled its net profitin the space of a year.Arran has reported aturnover of more than£3m, an increase ofalmost 14% on theprevious year.Now in its 16th yeartrading, this is the firsttime that Arran hasexceeded the £3m salesmark. Net profits for theyear stood at £250,000,marking an increase of113% on last year’sresults.Euan Mitchell, ManagingDirector of ArranDistillery, said, “Theconfidence of an industrygiant to invest showsdemand for the drink,both in the UK andoverseas, is set tocontinue to grow.“By forging more pathsinto emerging marketsthis represents greatnews for us as manyconsumers will begin bydrinking blended whiskyand then eventually moveon to try single malts,which is where we’ll reallysee the benefit.”

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DIAGEO COMMITS TOSCOTLAND AND TO WHISKYDiageo, the world’s biggest drinks company hasjust announced it is to invest £1bn in its Scotchwhisky production over the next five years. Amajor new malt distillery will be built as part ofthe investment, alongside a programme of majorexpansion at a number of Diageo’s existingdistilleries. Detailed plans will also be developedfor a second new distillery which will be built ifglobal demand for Scotch is sustained atexpected levels.The plans will create, say the company “hundredsof jobs.” Announcing the investment Diageo ChiefExecutive, Paul Walsh said, “This is a pivotalmoment in the development of the Scotch whiskycategory for Diageo. Over recent years ourbrands have achieved remarkable, sustainedglobal growth. Scotch whisky is Scotland’s mostcelebrated manufactured export, led by brandslike Johnnie Walker, resonating with consumersfrom Boston to Beijing.“We expect that success to continue, particularlyin the high growth markets around the world,which is why we are announcing this majorinvestment in Scotch whisky production,committing over £1bn in the next five years, toseize that opportunity for global growth. Thisbuilds on the foundations we have already laiddown over recent years through sustainedinvestment in both production assets and inmaturing Scotch inventories.“Scotch whisky is a significant manufacturingexport industry in the United Kingdom, drivingdomestic investment and job creation throughour success in exporting to high growth marketsaround the world. We look forward to workingwith both the UK and Scottish Governments torealise the full potential of our investment plan,and to continue growing global Scotch exports.”Across Scotland the investment will create overa hundred new Diageo jobs, largely high valuejobs in rural areas of Scotland. It is also expectedthe investment will create an average of 250

SUB CLUB ANNOUNCES NEW OWNERSHIP

JUNE /JULY12 DRAM 7

construction jobs for each year of the investmentperiod and in wider Scottish economy there willbe a knock on effect which will generate around500 further jobs. Diageo also intends to make itscontribution to efforts to tackle youthunemployment by taking on around one hundredapprentices and graduate trainees over the termof the investment, and the company will alsoencourage its suppliers and constructioncontractors to focus on youth job creation andapprenticeships.Mr Walsh added: “I’m particularly pleased ourinvestment will generate significant numbers ofnew Diageo jobs, as well as boosting the localconstruction sector and stimulating job creationthroughout the Scottish economy. We aredetermined to use this investment to make acontribution towards helping people into trainingand work through our apprentice and graduateplacement scheme and by using the opportunityto encourage suppliers to take on apprentices towork on the investment projects.”In the last five years Diageo has reported 50%growth in net sales of its Scotch brands withtotal net sales approaching £3bn this financialyear. Scotch represented 23% of Diageo’svolume, 27% of net sales and a third of grossprofit in the financial year 2011. In the first halfof the financial year 2012, Diageo’s Scotchcategory saw 8% volume growth and 14% netsales growth.Over the five year period Diageo plans to investover £500m in the construction of the distillationand warehousing capacity. This increasedproduction capacity also requires Diageo tocommit £500m in working capital for thematuring spirit which will be laid down over thenext five years. The exact total investmentfigures may vary over time depending on theprogress of specific projects, but the overallcommitment is expected to total over £1bn overthe five years.


BRAND NEWSVodka

First Drinks has addedpremium Icelandic vodka,Reyka, to its portfolio, and thebrand will be seeded in select,premium bars across the UK.

Whisky

ALL THE LATEST BRAND NEWS

JURA HITS THE SHUTTER TOO

Jinro sells more than double Smirnoff

Finlandia Vodka added the newFinlandia Blackcurrant Vodka toits range of premium Flavoursavailable in the on trade lastmonth. The new variant joins therange of Finlandia Flavours.Finlandia Blackcurrant will bepackaged in the ‘melting ice’bottle design that was launchedlast year.Bacardi Brown-Forman Brandshas also announced it will belaunching a new smaller bottlefor Finlandia Classic andFinlandia Grapefruit. Designed tohelp licensees capitalise on thesocial occasions and sportingevents taking place in thecoming months, the 35clbottles are available now in the on-trade.

Following the launch of theMasters of Photography: AnnieLeibovitz Edition, The Macallan,has launched a photographycompetition ‘The Last Word’.Photography aficionados will beable to upload a portrait they havetaken with one word - ‘The LastWord’ - capturing the mood oftheir photograph. The MacallanMasters of Photography website,is a global platform which will bothprofile the photographs submittedand allow users to vote on theportraits – entrants to thecompetition will also be able toshare their work through Twitter,Facebook and google+ and there

will also be a dedicated Pinterestboard.Each week one portrait will bechosen as ‘The Last Word of theweek’ which will becomeMacallan’s Facebook profilepicture for the following week. The Macallan Masters ofPhotography series featuresexclusive collaborations, conjoiningthe art of whisky making with theartist’s interpretation of the worldof The Macallan. This year, AnnieLeibovitz has interpreted the foursingle cask variants released forthe first time and created fourpowerful images, using Scottishactor Kevin McKidd.

The Macallan launches ‘The LastWord’ photography competition

Jura single malt whisky, in partnership withOlympus, is launching an online photographycompetition (www.jurawhisky.com/communityspirit)to find images from across the world that bestembody the theme of ‘community spirit’.Three budding amateur photographers are beingoffered the chance to win an unforgettable trip tothe island of Jura. The island is famed for its smalland close-knit community of less than 200, unitedby the island they love and the warmth of itspeople. The walls of the Distillery Visitor Centre areadorned with photos of Diurachs (the Gaelic namefor the people of Jura) past and present, who haveall played their part in contributing to the island’s famous community spirit.Amateur photographers are invited to submit photographs that best tell a story ofcommunity spirit. These images could include photos of groups or individuals thatevoke the spirit of the neighbourhood in which they live, or even photos of festivalsand events that conjure the character of a particular place.Each one of the three winners and their partners will enjoy a week’s all-expenses stayin the exclusive Jura Lodge and a VIP tour of the Jura distillery and island. Thewinners will also receive an Olympus PEN E-PL3 camera to create a lasting mementoof their visit to Jura, and a photography workshop on the island from award-winningphotographer David Nightingale (www.chromasia.com). For more information visitwww.jurawhisky.com/communityspirit. The competition closes on Friday, 3 August.

8 DRAM JUNE/JULY12

Smirnoff, the world's top selling vodka, has a fair bit togo if it wants to top the best selling spirit in the world...Korean, rice-based liquor soju brand Jinro sells 61.4m9-ltr cases compared to Smirnoff's 24.7m cases! Soju the drink of choice for South Korean's is basically asweeter version of vodka. The figures released byEuromonitor and Drinks International, also revealed thatLa Martiniquaise's Poliakov vodka and Ciroc have joinedtheir "Millionaire's Club". Brands have to sell one million9-litre cases to gain entry.



10 DRAM JUNE/JULY 12

BRAND NEWSBeer

Liqueur

Belhaven Best haslaunched two new TVadvertising campaigns,which aims to strengthenits position in the market.The new campaign forBelhaven Best “Tae a pint”is inspired by Robbie Burnsand celebrates theScottish heritage of thebrand. Euan Venters,group managing directorat Belhaven told Dram,“We wanted to incorporateeverything that makesScotland special which I’msure people will love.Instead of shortbread andtartan we wanted tohighlight some of the key

areas in Scotland, with amessage that showspeople Scotland at itsbest.” The secondcampaign is for BelhavenBlack, which is shorter inlength and has a moredramatic tone, simplystating the magnificence ofScotland in black andwhite. Both adverts kickedoff during the first matchof the Euro 2012. SaysEuan, “I am sure bothadverts will be a topicalpoint of conversation,paired with the greattiming of the Euros. Pubsare still a great place towatch football.”

Chambord backs new TVseries ‘Revenge’

Cider

Bacardi Brown-Forman has announced its first everTV advertising campaign for Chambord with asponsorship of E4’s newest US drama, Revenge,which began last month. The drama is set in themodern day millionaire’s playground of the Hamptons,and there are 22 one-hour episodes. Thesponsorship deal aims to grow Chambord blackraspberry liqueur’s brand awareness and usageamong 25-34 year-old women and increase thebrand’s visibility. Charlotte Ashburner, senior brandmanager for Chambord said,“’Revenge’ is perfectlyaligned with our brand and I am delighted to haveChambord showcased with this fabulous female-focussed show. The series has been a huge hit in theUS and I don’t doubt that its glamour, excitement andfast pace will strike a chord with our Chambordconsumers in the UK.”

ALL THE LATEST BRAND NEWS

Kopparberg has launched a multi-million pound advertising andmarketing campaign entitled ‘un-established since 1882’. Drawingon Kopparberg’s Swedish heritage, the ads, which debuted on TVand cinema last month, were set and shot in Stockholm. Theycapture the spirit of being ün-established by showing the viewercontrasts of tired stereotypes versus contemporary Swedish bandsshowcasing their talent in an unconventional way. As part of the ‘un-established since 1882’ campaign, Kopparberghas also pioneered a new partnership with Spotify and Last.fmwhich will be the very first time these two music platforms haveworked together on a project led by a brand. Together they havecreated an app - the ‘Kopparberg Festival Player’ - which is uniqueto Kopparberg.

STRONGBOW PEAR CIDERROLLS OUT IN DRAUGHT

Kopparberg promotes ‘un-established since 1882’

Heineken UK is to launch a new4.8% ABV Strongbow Peardraught into the ontrade from themiddle of nextmonth. Says JohnGemmell, TradingDirector – On TradeNorth at Heineken,“As the clear marketleader, Strongbow isbest placed to drivegrowth in thecategory andStrongbow Pear -the first everydayPear cider availableon draught - will helplicensees tocapitalise on a majoropportunity to buildincremental sales by stocking aPear cider that lives up to theStrongbow name by delivering

the ultimate in great taste andeveryday refreshment.” Stylish

premium fonts,POS and bespokeglassware will alsobe available foroutlets and thelaunch will besupported by aheavyweight multi-media campaignfrom August. The move comesalmost three yearsafter the companydropped Bulmersdraught Pear.Magners is alsorolling out MagnersPear draught. The

first installations have alreadytaken place with Cargo inEdinburgh one of the firstplaces to get it in.

BELHAVEN LAUNCHNEW AD CAMPAIGN

Heineken has bought Belgium cider brewer Strassen.The acquistion highlights the companies focus oninternational cider sales. Strassen will become thecompanies R&D centre.




helps that it is being backed by a £2m ‘Summer Bottled’marketing campaign. As well as press and TV campaignsthey are also utilising YouTube and aligning the brand withvarious DJs.But all eyes will be on Heineken at the Olympics. It is the

official lager supplierand is the only brandedlager, and Heineken willhave exclusive pouringrights. And they do thistype of activity incrediblywell. You only have tolook at how theysupported the HeinekenRugby World Cup, andthe Olympics is a farbigger occasion. SaysJohn Gemmell,Heineken UK’s TradingDirector North, “It’s amomentous summerfor Heineken in the UK.We kicked off with theChampions League andHeineken Cup,culminating in thesponsorship of London2012 and theParalympics. This ofcourse is a greatopportunity to do someglobal brand building,not just in London, butalong the route of theOlympic torch relay andbeyond. We won’t betaking our eye off theball in Scotland either,as the official pouringbeer at Hampden, andwe will be supportinglicensees around thestadium that stockHeineken. Plus, the

Olympics will undoubtedly be an opportunity for all licenseesto think about their proposition during the games.”The other beers in the Heineken stable are also getting in onthe act this summer.Foster’s has launched a Good Call Centre in response to aFacebook petition calling for a ‘real-world’ helpline that offerstongue-in-cheek advice to daily dilemmas from TV agony

Type ‘2012’ into google and you’ll be presented withvarious harbingers of doom banging on about the endof the world, and the Olympic Games. One is a dead

cert. The Olympics may eclipse pretty much everything,although there’s a bumper summer of various sportingevents scheduledacross the globe, andfor licensees this offerslots of opportunity tosell beer. After all, beerand sport do go hand inhand.Despite beer salesdeclining a further£2.2bn in 2011, totake the overall marketvalue from £17.7 bn(roughly £1.77 bn inScotland) in 2006 to£15.5bn (roughly£1.55bn in Scotland) in2011, there is stillroom for optimism.Lager dominates thiscategory and hastherefore seen agreater loss than, say,ale or stout. A report byindustry analysts Mintelsuggests there's stillplenty of appetiteamong youngerdrinkers for innovationin lager. Johnny Forsythof Mintel says, “Some28% of UK lagerdrinkers are interestedin sweet-tasting lagers -this rises to 57% ofthose aged 18 to 24.Indeed, while olderconsumers view lagerin quite a traditionalway, younger drinkerssee it as more of a 'blank canvas’. The beer market hasbeen trying to appeal to a broader audience, more recentlyto females with products such as lite beers. Beer is alsobelatedly catching on to the importance of flavourinnovation.”One such example of flavoured innovation is the recentlylaunched summer lager from Molson Coors, Carling Zest. It

BY JASON CADDY

Great Britain: Carling

Australia: Foster’s

Argentina: Quilmes

China: Tsingtao

Netherlands: Heineken

Estonia: Viru

Italy: Birra Moretti

Namibia: Windhock

USA: Miller Genuine Draft

Mexico: Corona

Germany: Becks & Fustenberg

Denmark: Carlsberg & Tuborg

Spain: Sol & San Miguel

France: Kronenbourg

Japan: Asahi

Olympic countries and their beers

Olympic boostfor beer sales

JUNE /JULY12 DRAM 13


Donal Hurrell, General Manager at Edinburgh’s ThreeSisters, said, “Upstairs at The Three Sisters is The BeerHall, with waitress service and steins of beer and foodplatters which customers have to book. We’re doing this forthe UEFA cup and for major sporting events at the Olympics.

We’ve also just invested in a giantoutdoor LED screen which isgoing to make watching sportsuch a quality experience.”Jim Anderson of The Anderson inFortrose writes passionatelyabout beer every month in DRAM.He thinks that there are manysimple and inexpensive ways thatlicensees can exploit this time ofyear. He says, “It’s summer soeveryone reaches for a lager,

right? I think that the Olympics is a great driver for sales ofworld beers as most of the countries competing have a beerassociated with it. We do something similar with the SixNations where we feature beers from competing countriesand introduce some flavour and sparkle into an otherwisehumdrum beer selection. It’s a natural fit, and there areplenty of yellow fizzy selections which mean that you don’t

have to go down the road of dark beer, whichpeople can be afraid of.”John Gilligan, sales managing director atTennent Caledonian believes that there is a lot tobe positive about and insists on support basedon individual licensees’ needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. He said, “There’s a lotcreativity already out there among Scottishlicensees, and we are happy to meet individualcustomer needs instead in terms of support. Ihave been impressed by what I have seenalready when out in the trade and the effortsbeing made to make occasions out of theOlympics.”And the new advertising campaign fromTennent's Export has an international flavour too.It's the most amusing campaign from the brand

in years.So if you arethinking abouttying in theOlympics withyour beer offeringour guide on theprevious pageshould be useful.

uncles Brad and Dan.Miller Brands is rolling out ‘Czech Mates’, its experientialactivity for its Czech beer Kozel. The new phase of thesampling activity began a few months ago, and will beorganised in key cities around the UK.Czech Mates takes the format ofan interactive game whereby Kozelambassadors challengeconsumers to answer questionsabout their mates.As part of the activity, eachparticipant has to answer threequestions correctly to win a 2-for-1 Kozel beer token, which isredeemable at the bar.Lucy Jordan, Director ofCustomer Marketing for MillerBrands, said, “World Beers, like Kozel, represent a realopportunity for retailers to maximise profits as the categoryis in strong growth.” Licensees will also receive a customer-focused support package, including POS and newglassware.”Miller Brands is also launching a new TV advertisingcampaign for Miller Genuine Draft. The activity, which kicksoff this month, features a new creative that will buildon the ‘Tonight, It’s Miller Time’ campaign, and alsoincludes sponsorship of MTV.There are some great creative ideas coming fromlicensees too. Carl Glanville manager of SharkysInternational Bar, Montrose, “We are a Belhavenleased pub and they are providing us with a lot of in-bar stuff in support of Spain at the UEFA cup and wehave San Miguel of course. We have loads of worldbeers - some 30 - and the staff are alwaysencouraged to push them and pair them with food.For example our Buffalo burger goes superbly withAmerican beer Samuel Adams.Downstairs is all kitted out in Olympics paraphernaliaand this room has an international flavour to itanyway, as we invite our foreign customers to pinforeign notes to the back wall. Other than that weare also doing ourown pub Olympics.We have Beer Pong,and we’re aligningdifferent beers withdifferent athletes,like pushingJamaican Red Stripewhen Usain Boltruns.”

Olympic boostfor beer sales

14 DRAM JUNE/JULY12



Do you have a passion for mixology?

• Mixxit Manager • Mixxit Ambassador

How would you like to work as a Mixologist on some of the most iconic brands in the world?

If you are entrepreneurial, passionate and driven with the desire to conduct specific Mixxittraining across the full portfolio of the Edrington Group and Jim Beam brands, then we mayhave an exciting opportunity for you.

Both these roles will provide a unique and very exciting opportunity to work across the OnTrade and Off Trade throughout the UK, where you will be responsible for managing thepromotion and development of Maxxium’s Brands Building strategy.

If you feel you can answer yes to all of the following:

Do you have:

• Drinks Category Knowledge • Cocktail Knowledge • The Ability to Train Others• Fantastic Communication and presentation Skills • The Ability to Develop strong relationships

Then apply directly by sending your CV to [email protected].

Competitive package including Salary, Company Car and other industryleading benefits are on offer to the successful candidates for thesepermanent roles.

Two Very Rare and Exciting Opportunities


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BENROMACH AWARDFOR SUCCESS THE FORT

BROUGHTY FERRY

BOWMORE WHISKY BAR OF THE YEAR BON ACCORD

GLASGOW

BII SCOTLAND CUSTOMER SERVICEAWARD 2012 GRILL AT 29

GLASGOWTHE GRILL ON THE CORNER

GLASGOWLE MONDEEDINBURGH

CAPTAIN MORGAN’S SPICED AWARDFOR BEST LATE NIGHT VENUE CHAMBRE 69

GLASGOWMAGGIE MAY

GLASGOWSUGAR CUBE

GLASGOW

AWARDS FINALISTS 2012Congratulations to all our award finalists. The standard ofentry has been extremely high this year and our judges havenot had an easy time deciding on the finalists but here is thefull list. congrats.

OMNI TAVERNSEDINBURGH

SIMPSINNS LTDAYRSHIRE


BALLYGRANT INNISLAY

WHISKI ROOMSEDINBURGH


DOG FRIENDLY PUB OF THE YEAR BEN NEVIS

GLASGOWBUNGOGLASGOW

THE BLUE GOOSE EDINBURGH

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA THE GRILL ON THE CORNERGLASGOW

LE MONDEEDINBURGH

SUGAR CUBEGLASGOW

FOSTER’S MANAGER OF THE YEAR ARCHIE DENNYSTANDING ORDER

JAMES KELLYMINT & LIME

JAMIE RAYARTTO HOTEL

KOPPARBERG NEW BAR OF THE YEAR

THE BLUE GOOSEEDINBURGH

THE FINNIESTONGLASGOW

STRATAGLASGOW

THE KRAKEN RUM COCKTAILBAR OF THE YEAR

BOND NO 9EDINBURGH

THE FINNIESTONGLASGOW

THE LONGHOUSEKILMARNOCK

MIXXIT BAR APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR


MOLSON COORS CHAMPION BEER PUB OF SCOTLAND

THE DRAKEGLASGOW

THE ANDERSONFORTROSE

HOLYROOD 9AEDINBURGH

GASTRO BAR OF THE YEAR THE LEFT BANKGLASGOW

NICKSGLASGOW

SALTIRE TAVERNS SALES REP OF THE YEAR

TOM CLARKSONFORTH WINES

GEMMA LEISEGANGWEST BREWERY

LAURA SUTHERLANDBACARDI BROWN FORMAN

TENNENT’S QUALITY AWARD THE FORT HOTELBROUGHTY FERRY

THE THREE JUDGESGLASGOW

THE KITTYBREWSTERABERDEEN

SUNDAY MAIL PUB OF THE YEAR

BOND NO 9EDINBURGH

CERES INNFIFE

COMMERCIAL BARWISHAW

FORT BARBROUGHTY FERRY

THE OLD ANCHORINN LARGS


There will also be a lifetime achievement award presented at the dram awards. theawards take place on july 2nd, at the grand central hotel in glasgow.


For enquiries contact 01506 602 516

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

THE ADAMSONFAMILY

They say that the family that eats togetherstays together. The Adamson’s, the familybehind City Hotels (Dunfermline) Limited, has

gone one better by working (and even sometimesjamming) together.The business was started by Stuart Adamson in1992, during which time he’s grown his pub andhotel portfolio from one to eight freeholds (four ofwhich are leased out), with an annual turnover inthe region of £3.5m. I met MD Stuart together with son Scott, FinancialDirector, at The City Hotel in Dunfermline,managed by Scott’s wife Emma, and it soonbecame obvious that the sense of family is key tothe continued success of the business. It was alsoclear from the word go that Stuart is a characterwith immense passion for what he does,animatedly rattling out his undiluted opinions, andwhose strong vision has shaped the company’spersonality. Scott is quieter, yet no less eager toshare his thoughts and ideas. Stuart’s wife Maryand other son Craig are also Directors, anddespite some initial reservations, it didn’t takelong for the man at the top, initially lukewarmabout being interviewed, to really get into hisstride.As well as the 1000-covers-per-week City Hotel inDunfermline, the company also owns andoperates The Pitfirrane Hotel and SomewhereElse Lounge Bar in the town, and The CaledoniaHotel in Rosyth. The business leases

DUNFERMLINE PUB COMPANYCITY HOTELS LTD IS HEADEDBY THE COLOURFUL STUARTADAMSON. JASON CADDY METWITH HIM AND SON SCOTT, TOFIND OUT MORE ABOUT THISFAMILY-RUN FIFE PUBCOMPANY.



ADAMSONF LY

Dunfermline’s Tappie Toories and The Bruce, plusCleo’s (which is in the middle of an £80krefurbishment) and CJ’s Pool House in Rosyth.Stuart brings both passion and many, and varied,skills from his previous life, working in electricalsales based in the Middle East. He explains, “Istarted the business back in 1992, after Ireturned from Saudi Arabia, where I was workingas a sales agent for electrical companies – I aman electrical engineer to trade. But the licensedtrade, moreover the hospitality industry, wasalways something that I fancied. A small hotelcame on the market called The Carmichael,between Blairgowire and Pitlochry, and I decidedto go for it, all the while keeping my electrical workgoing. The previous owner was in trouble and Iwas in a position to buy it from the receivers atauction. I caught the auction bug straight away,and have been on the lookout ever since. There’salways a bargain to be had.”He continues, “It was tough going to begin with,but we did well, as we were young, enthusiasticand hungry for success, and we were able tobounce off any setbacks and roll with things. Wewere also fortunate in being close to Glenshee,and it snowed, so we had both summer andwinter trade.”It then became obvious quite rapidly that he hadmade the right decision as the business was thenin a position to acquire outlet number two. SaysStuart, “Then I went on to buy The Maltings, justoutside Dunfermline in Cairneyhill, a 12-roomhotel that I knew just had terrific potential as ithad been built to last, and I took the businessfrom a turnover of £200k to £450k in just a fewyears, before we sold it in 2000. It was one of theonly places in the area that had Coors and CoorsLight, and we got fantastic support from thebrewer. When we first took over The Pitfirrane itwas the same story, as we were doing 90/10

split with Tennent’s and Carling, now it’s more like70/30, going from two to five kegs of Carling perweek. Molson Coors has always been verysupportive.”And it soon becomes clear that Scott hasinherited his father’s economic sense, amongstother things. He says, “We manage our debts asa company, and didn’t gomad when the banks werethrowing money atbusinesses left right andcentre during the boom.We plough much of ourprofit right back into thebusiness, and have beenfortunate enough not tohave required lending forrecent acquisitions in atime when it’s difficult tosecure bank backing.”He continues, “Our latestventure is the CaledoniaHotel at Rosyth – formerlyThe Cochranes Hotel - a36-bedroom hotel with itsown bar, lounge and gym.It requires a £100kongoing investment,although with the armycarrier contracts secured,and the new Forth Bridgecrossing swelling the workforce in the area, I thinkthat we have hit the jackpot once again.”So is there any kind of formula to the success thatthe business replicates? Stuart thinks so. Hesays, “Simplicity is our formula: a good location inan area that we know well, as we are in our ownwee cocoon here and we don’t usually exceed aten-mile radius. Then I like to recycle when itcomes to any refurbishments that we do and

STUART ADAMSONABOVE AND SON SCOTTPICTURED LEFT.


always manage costs very closely. Knowing yourcustomers and what they want is also essential.With my food offering, for example, we are talkingtraditional pub food - lasagne, steak pie, macaronicheese and chips. We did go down the Rosetteroute at The Pitfirrane but it wasn’t for us, as youare at the mercy of your chef – and chefs can befickle and temperamental. They can also bemercenary.”Stuart also knows what doesn’t work. He explains,“Live music was disastrous for us in the past asthe bands were expensive and invariably poor.Although it has been making a comeback andopen mic nights are now proving successful. Weas a family also play instruments and jam withlocal man Stevie Agnew,son of Nazareth bassistPete Agnew. I play variousinstruments, as doesCraig, and Mary sings!”The economic climate hasresulted in less waste andwhat Stuart sees as theinevitable creativity thatcomes from austerity. Hecontinues, “Now, and insuch uncertain times,licensees have to besavvier than ever before,and I am seeing more andmore recycling in bardesigns in the likes ofGlasgow and Edinburgh.Whereas once upon atime they wouldn’t thinktwice about ripping outthe interior and starting from scratch, nowdesigners are retaining quality bits and realisingthat the distressed look can be achieved relativelyinexpensively.”He also has very definite ideas on the kind of tonemanagement and supervisors should set for therest of the staff. He says, “Management can havefun and do a good job. It’s all about observationand creating an environment in which you’d like tobe in, and striking a balance between a frosty faceand going over the score by fussing too mucharound them. That said I encourage staff to beinquisitive and find out if they’re on holiday andwhere they come from as well as any otherfeedback. With the opening of a Wetherspoons inthe town, next door to one of our pubs, it’s moreimportant than ever that we keep ahead of thegame.”It’s clear that Stuart and Scott’s thoughts neverreally stray very far from the business, despite the

odd round of golf. Both Scott and Craig also havethree children, so they keep granddad busy, too.Stuart has obviously always been a keen observerof how different operators respond to customers’needs and match these against the needs of theirrespective business. He says, “Edinburgh andGlasgow are an entirely different market to Fifewith more cultural associations and tourists, andwe understand what our customers want and weare doing well. I also want a quality of customer,but it’s about flexibility. I always go for workingclass clientele - and give them something decent.We get a lot of repeat business and feedbackabout our friendly and comfortableaccommodation, and I am always happy to deal

with genuine customercomplaints, although Ihave to say that the‘where there’s blamethere’s a claim’ culturehas made me morewary.”And over the yearsStuart has made it hismission to make thebusiness as self-sufficient as possible.“We do all the design,maintenance andoutfitting in-house,” heexplains. “Maintenanceis especially importantat time of recession,and you have to keep ontop of things likeblocked drains, holes in

walls and broken toilets. We have a team of threededicated guys who take care of all of this. This iswhere I am concerned for the single operator whocan’t absorb costs with discounts from brewersand doesn’t have the money to re-invest inhis/her business. Customers want to supportthem, but they will inevitably go elsewhere, if thebasics aren’t right. And the toilets are veryimportant as where the girls go, the boys willfollow.”Stuart may be nearing retirement age, but it’sclear that his passion burns as brightly as ever,and he’s always on the lookout for a ‘bargain’. “If Iretire it will be all or nothing,” he says. “No halfmeasures.” He continues, “I do like to chill andpotter around the garden, but at the moment Istill have lots of ideas I’d like to implement, and Iam also happy to listen to others and adopt theirideas if I think they are right. I like change. It is thelifeblood of growing a successful business.”

22 DRAM JUNE/JULY12



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DESIGN FOCUS: STRATA B

24 DRAM JUNE/JULY12


The cold front associated with what was Glasgow’sweather-themed Strata, has now been replaced by awarmer looking and altogether more colourful interior

design by DBD. 2PT - and its three directors Euan Bain, VinnieRoarty and Sean Cairnduff - is the company behind the new-look Glasgow Queen Street outlet. Between them they decidedto stick with the name, and breathe new life into the propertythat’s been closed for a number of years and was just a shellwhen the outfitters, Primero, rolled in to undertake a four-week refurbishment. Vinnie Roarty showed me around on the opening day late lastmonth, as a representative from Heineken took the staffthrough some pretty intense beer training. He said, “It’s quitea responsibility to take on premises with such a reputation,and we want to uphold this so training and quality areparamount. We also decided to keep the name as there willbe many people among our clientele that will be able to relateto what it used to be like. We also didn’t want to build up anew brand, and the main difference in the design is that it’sfriendlier and warmer with industrial/warehouse touches hereand there.”All of the design tweaks have been cosmetic with the three-part structural layout remaining intact. There’s the main areaincluding bar and window seating, a secluded back area foroverspill as well as private function hire, and a mezzanine. Aswell as inheriting the name, they also plan on keeping thefunction hire element for both the mezzanine and the backarea. So how significant have the changes been? The only twodesign remnants left behind are the white tiles on the bar-front which, Vinne tells me, are a design classic that thedesigner insisted they keep. They are white porcelain with araised bump, almost like a square of liqueur chocolate. Thesecond is the beautiful exposed stone wall on the wall oppositethe bar. The bar top is all wooden and brand new, and a new

BY JASON CADDY



back bar is showcased with a relatively simplistic back bar designagainst a dark green/grey painted wall. The gantry boasts aseries of utilitarian-style metal shelves which complement theindustrial look of the ceiling with its exposed ventilation and metalwire tracking. To the right of the bar and high on the wall aremirrored shelves with all sorts of vases and pots on display thatadd a splash of colour.As well as the painted walls and pillars, there’s some woodpanelling and a splash of grey here and there. The original woodenfloor boards have been sanded up and finished with a naturalstain, while a carpet finishes the back room. The furniture downstairs and in the mezzanine is an interestingmix of banquettes in green velour and distressed leather, with ahorseshoe-shaped one in the apex of the window as you enter.There are also high posing tables next to the bar and the free-standing wooden tables have been stained in a kind of mushroomcolour, and this has been paired with a variety of dining chairs,from plain black wood, to upholstered turquoise and lime. The light source comes from large bell-shaped frame pendant withthe exposed, and increasingly ubiquitous, filament light bulbs.There are also some wall lights which contribute to the overallwarming of the bar. There’s quite a bit of natural light shiningthrough the front windows, but this is compromised along the sideof the bar as it looks out onto a dingy alley. The mezzanine is fairly plain in design terms with theaforementioned tables and chairs and view over both the bar andthe separate function area. The latter will certainly be a talkingpoint with its snug feel and various vases and a wall-mountedwooden plinth displaying a thought provoking quote. There are alsosome large Georgian window style mirrors sitting alongside greywalls and green/blue tiles. I’m sure that they’ll have no problemhiring this area out as it’s ideal for lots of different occasions.

26 DRAM JUNE/JULY12


Aurora Hotels’ boss Steven McLeod has breathed new lifeinto The Cairn Lodge & Hotel Auchterarder with anextensive £3m refurbishment. It was Steven’s own design

vision, and he had very clear ideas on how to do the Victorianproperty justice in his restoration. He explains, “The Cairn is anicon in Auchterader, although I think that it’s always beenconsidered as a bit of a poor relation to Gleneagles. I didn’twant to do a quick paint job and open the place with a lowaverage room rate. The Cairn deserved better than that, so Iwent for luxury and comfort, as I feel sometimes the latter iscompletely sacrificed for design’s sake. Customers need toappreciate something better than home, and want to feelcomfortable with it. Because the Cairn has been aroundforever, a lot of people have an opinion on it, so I listened to alot of feedback too. One particular gripe was that the hotel wastoo cold, so I installed a few luxury gas fires. I also wanted agrill over a formal restaurant, so customers didn’t feel as ifthey were going to be robbed to sit in beautiful surroundings.”The whole project took around two years to complete, and TheCairn now boasts 10 rooms, plus bar and grill, and a separatelodge, which is currently being refurbished into either self-catering accommodation, or as an additional four rooms. It

opens later this month.As you drive up to the Cairn, you can immediately spotattention to detail, from the new fountain at the foot of theentrance stairs to the candles that light your way as you climbthem to the main entrance. Once inside the glass-frontedatrium leading to reception, you’re hit by a sense of opulencewith a heavy emphasis on monochrome, with twinkling lightsand mirrored walls. There’s also a small grand piano in the farright corner of the square space, opposite the reception desk,while the near corners to the entrance have a cluster of whitechairs orbiting a black table.To the right hand-side of the reception is the bar, which is quitecompact, comprising a bar in a nook along the back wall, anda seating area, with gas (real effect) fire on a low white marbleplinth with a mirrored flume, and surrounded by silver oriental-looking vases. Again, this room is dominated by black and white– silky black wallpaper, black carpet and white furniture. There’salso quite an interesting ceiling lighting feature which looks likethe space craft Superman travelled to earth from Krypton in.These lights have been used throughout the grill too, and wereimported from Italy. The bar, which is housed in its own weenook, has a marbled bar top and a mirrored back bar. There


DESIGN FOCUS: THE CAIRN LODGE & HOTEL BY JASON CADDY


28 DRAM JUNE/JULY12

are also three white leather bar stools facing a wall in the onlycorner opposite the bar and these walls have been panelled inwhite wood. Back to the reception and straight on, you come to the largestarea in the Cairn, the 75-cover Grill. The Italian lighting hasbeen scaled-up in here and really stands out in a space that isessentially divided into four areas. There’s a smaller squareseparate area as you enter leading into the main body of theKirk, off which is an area at the back occupied by a whiteleather banquette that has been encrusted with Swarovskicrystals, and a cosy corner with real (effect) fire at itscentrepiece. Steven is particularly proud of the seating in this area and thecomfort factor was key in their design, and these high backedchairs are ones you can sink into. They also tick the style box.In keeping with the rest of the design, they’re black and white,and a bit sparkly, and all paired with black tables. The carpetthroughout is black and the walls have been decorated in amixture of plain white, and white padding in the whitebanquette corner.I also got a tour of most of the ten rooms, and I have to say,they have a WOW factor, and each is unique in shape andlayout, but with certain design constants – such as the largebeds, Egyptian cotton sheets black fur throws and blackcarpets which, like all of the other fabrics and curtains, weresourced by a Stirling-based company called Guardian SoftFurnishings. The company was also responsible for thechandelier lighting in the rooms. Company director CorinneMuir, said, “It was great working with Steven, as his visions arealways superbly on the ball. I think that he is taking hotel designto a brand new level, and he knows exactly what it is that hewants to achieve. We also had a bit of fun with the design, likeblinging up some of the seating with Swarovski crystals.”The bathrooms also merit a mention. They are quite somethingand, like the rooms, come in lots of different shapes and sizes.Again, there are standards - a white minimalist and cleandesign, with Duravit fixtures and fittings.If Steven is right and The Cairn was known as the poor relationto Gleneagles, what he has done in the last two years shouldknock any such notion into a cocked hat.


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DESIGN FOCUS: THE SOUTHERN BY JASON CADDY

The Fuller Thomson portfolio of bars definitely has a commonthread running through it, with uncomplicated, unpretentiousand functionally designed interiors. New kid on the block, The

Southern, in Edinburgh, upholds this tradition after a re-imaging ofthe design and an outfit that took around six weeks to complete.Working with Glasgow-based 3D8, and Ambience, who managedthe full re-furbishment, Gary Thomson and Gordon Fuller devised adesign incredibly sympathetic to the building’s original features,with a few splashes of new, although mainly cosmetic, and with onlyminor structural alteration. It opened last month.The South Clerk Street bar, just behind The Meadows, has longfigured in the local area’s sipping history, so any tinkering that tookplace with the design had to be done respectfully. Explains barmanager James Stuart-Gammie, “I think it’s fair to say that the barwas quite dark and dingy before the refurbishment, but there wasnonetheless a lot of affection for the place in the local community.Now it’s a lot airier and brighter, yet sympathetic to the originaldesign with the cornicing and other original features retained, likethe windows. The feedback we got from regulars and newcomersalike has therefore been extremely encouraging.”Jackie Latimer is creative director at 3D8. She added, “Theresidential location of The Southern played a major role in the waythat the design went, and we wanted to deliver a greatneighbourhood bar that had enough of an eclectic feel to appeal toall kinds of people. One major inspiration was the Ace Hotel in NewYork City, and the bar attached to it, called The Breslin. It’s a veryunpretentious design, with modest material pallets, although wewere blessed with a terrific interior on which to work at TheSouthern. “From the outside The Southern is rather understated, with a blackpainted frontage and plain wooden sign and this sets the tone forwhat is to come. Inside, the main difference to the layout in whatis a long, narrow space, is the removal of what was a raised area

to the left, which now houses a fireplace with a mirror hangingabove it, and some high tables. Natural light pours in through theoriginal sash windows and this is welcome given the dark greenwalls, black wooden panelling a metre or so high from the floor,paired with black wooden original flooring. Opposite this is anotherraised area containing some more seating with a view out of theopposite window, with slightly smaller stools.Further in to the space, on the left hand-side is a collection ofpictures, from the drinks-related to the obscure, and slightlybeyond this is the bar. It is the original, that was just sanded downand painted, but with the now standard Fuller Thomson back barbeer dispenser. The bar has been stained in dark wood with plainshelves for spirits directly behind the bar, with another shelf to theright housing snacks in jars, like nuts. The blackboards are anothertraditional nod in the design.Opposite the bar in an alcove up some stairs is perhaps myfavourite part of The Southern. There are two areas, bothoverlooking the bar. One has a circular table with a pendant lighthanging above it, surrounded with orange chairs. This leads intothe second area which has more sedate dark green leatherbanquette, square tables and stools.Given the absence of natural light the further in the bar that yougo, this is more than compensated for by the bright pendant lights,which are essentially glass oblong boxes containing a few bulbsmaking the light quite stark, there are also some spotlights hereand there to illuminate the cluster of pictures and the blackboard.In between this and the bar are high copper topped ‘posing tables’with wooden stools, and beyond all this, on the very far wall is aserver to the kitchen. There’s nothing revolutionary about the design, but that was neverin the original brief, and its simplicity will attract locals looking fora relaxing drink or bite to eat and win over some new trade with it,no doubt.

30 DRAM JUNE/JULY12




Ido love this time of year going out and aboutchecking out the entries for this year’sawards. This year every venue received two

visits. One from two mystery shoppers, andanother visit from the judges. I would like to saya huge thank you to my fellow judges and themystery shoppers. Their contribution to thisyear’s awards was invaluable. It’s alwaysnecessary to visit a pub, even if the entry wasfirst class.

What didn’t impress me though was thecellars in some of the pubs that we visited. Ifind it hard to believe, in this day and age,cellars are still not being kept at the righttemperature, and are still not food freezones! In one Edinburgh pub they weredrying the staff’s apron wear in the cellar...ifit is warm enough to dry clothes, it isdefinitely not the right environment to bestoring beer!

The Mortimer family hosted the first Donna Ballat the Hilton recently, in memory of DonnaBallantyne Mortimer, who died a year ago. Theyraised a massive £400K for the KilbrydeHospice. That was amazing. The event, a sellout, was obviously a massive success and it wasgreat to see so many from the trade theresupporting the family. I am sure that Donna wasthere in spirit, and I think she would have beenso proud of the Mortimer clan.

Congratulations to Sir Willie Haughey andwife Lady Susan - the couple that foundedCity Refrigeration. They attended the Donnaball, which was on the same weekend as theQueen’s birthday honours announcement. Sohe took some ribbing from a few people, notleast Sir Tom Hunter. But his newknighthood took a back seat as he steppedin to act as auctioneer at the event.

It seems that charity cycle rides are the order ofthe day. Not only did Pernod Ricard organise acharity event, but Diageo did too. (see roundup).Now I hear that Uncle Bob Taylor is organsing anindustry cycle ride to raise cash for the charityset up by Mark Goldinger’s wife. So if you areinterested in taking part why not give Bob a ring.

I paid a visit to The Longhouse in Kilmarnockrecently. It is the latest venture fromBuzzworks. It was about 6.30pm and every

table was taken! Once again they have asuccess story on their plate. Kilmarnocknow has a place to shout about,

Technology is fabulous. Except when it doesn’twork. I managed to have a full four days withoutemail recently. Because I was out of the office itpiled up... and my mailbox was full. At the sametime I left my phone at a friend’s and didn’tmanage to get it back for a couple of days... doyou know it was bliss! No one could get me, andI didn’t feel the the need to keep checking myemails. I think it would be a good thing to havea phone and email free few days at least everymonth. My staff would love it!

The recent Norovirus outbreak atGleneagles must be a nightmare for the PRfolk there, not to mention the poor guestsand staff - more than 100 folk wereaffected. But the heading ‘Killer Virus’ whichran in a few newspapers was a bit over thetop. Technically it is right, you could die, butif you take into account that some 23 millionpeople in the US get it every year, and 200die - usually very young or very old... lessthan 0.001% it puts it into perspective whatwas far more concerning was theLegionnaires outbreak - 2 out of 41!

The best news this month was the fact thatDiageo are investing £1bn in Scotland over thenext few years. This will mean at least 100 extrajobs at the company alone, but there will be lotsof knock on effects for associated businesses.Something to cheer about!

Something else to cheer about is the factthat Pub Month is not that far away.September is the month allocated forcelebrating all that is good and great aboutthe Scottish pub industry. Check out theDaily Record and Sunday Mail websites forinformation on how to take part. I am hopingthat as many of you as possible are going toget behind this great initiative.

Congratulations to Brian Maule. He just namedChef of the year at the recent CIS Awards. Anaccolade long overdue. No wonder he wascelebrating on the Saturday night at the DonnaBall. And as Chef Murphy of The Grand Centralsaid, “This award couldn’t have gone to a nicerguy, He puts an incredible amount of work in.”

SUESAYS

Top to bottom: Rena and James Mortimer;Sir Willie Haughey and wife Lady Susan;and Brian Maule with John Sharkey. Allpictured at the Donna Ball. For more picssee Roundup.



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No doubt about it, today's trendy beer is India Pale Ale,and it seems that every brewer has to make one. Astyle of beer born of failure of traditional pale ale to

reach Anglo-Indian colonists in drinkable condition, the robustcharacter of IPA was a result of basically three elements:long attenuation time, large hop quantities and high alcohollevel. The first two elements were devised as a means ofpreventing the beer from souring during its long oceanjourney around Africa. The last one was to take advantage ofa 5p-per-barrel excise tax drawback (plus ça change . . .). This tweaking of the failed pale ale formula is credited to thefellow who first turned the new export ale into big bucks,John Hodgson of London, and it is his surviving recipe that isthe basis for most modern IPAs. You see, IPA gradually fell from the drinker’s grace andeventually drifted away after it was introduced to thedomestic British market, probably in the same dumbed-downfashion as Indian cuisine was. I say probably, because -- unlikeauthentic Indian cuisine -- there are no surviving examples ofthe IPA that was being drunk at the time of its export to India.As soon as IPA became extinct, we had very little frame ofreference for its flavour. So, in order to re-construct IPA, the modern brewer mustlook back at the Hodgson recipe and scattered memoranda.We know the recipe called for extended attenuation of a paleale, which certainly would have made for a drier-tasting andmore-stable beer because of the lower levels of unfermentedsugars. The tax break would have made for a strong beer,above 6%ABV. So far, our re-constructed IPA is a dry, strongtop-fermented, copper-coloured beer. (“Pale” at that timemeant “as opposed to dark porter,” not “like MichaelJackson’s target complexion.”) We also know that the recipecalled for more hops, especially those added to the ale justbefore the cask is sealed. This technique is known as “dryhopping,” and results in a beer that is initially sharp with hopbitterness as well as protected for a time from spoilage bythe humulon content of the hops, registering above 40IBU(International Bitterness Units). But the beer that left the UK was not the beer that arrived inIndia. What was IPA like when it actually reached the lips ofthe colonial punter? That’s the stuff of intense speculationamong exciting people like me who love to debate things likethat. “Surely the months spent in oak casks under warm,rollicking conditions would have influenced the beer’s flavourand colour,” I preach to a pub full of stifled yawns and closely-examined fingernails. “The beer would most likely havedarkened a bit and mellowed as the hops lost their bitternesswith age,” enthusiastically replies the only other personamong our group who hasn’t fallen asleep. So which is it for today’s IPA brewers? Do they try to give usan authentic, 19th-Century Indian drinking experience? Dothey literally interpret Hodgson’s recipe in order to presentthe beer as it would have tasted as it left the brewery? Or do

BEYOND THEPALEBY JIM ANDERSON

they simply pick and choose their favourite characteristicsand end up with something that’s an IPA in name only? In America, my generation’s first exposure to IPA would havebeen through Ballantine India Pale Ale in the 70s. This quirkybeer was the product of a famous brewery started by a Scotnamed Peter Ballantine, and has been elevated to god-likestatus among Beer Geeks in the USA. Within the curious,short green bottle lay an amber, bitter ale of 7% whosearoma was pungent with the earthy perfume of wood aging.Later, we’d begin to see bottles of Bass Ale with the letters,“IPA” in fine print on the label, but this was of a much differentand familiar character – as clean and mechanical asBallantine’s was rustic and natural. As part of a general frenzy of interpreting classic British beerstyles in the 80s, craft brewers on the American West Coastbegan to experiment with IPA formulas. These were more-or-less based on Hodgson’s recipe, albeit with modern, high-alpha hops and no wood aging. Anchor Liberty Ale is anenduring classic among those early efforts. Its sharp, citrussting has become a signature among craft-brewed American-style IPAs from the Americas to Australasia to Scandinavia tothe UK. A few years later, the restless and experimental nature ofbrewers from that savage land resulted in more-extremeversions of IPA, such as Oregon’s Rogue I2PA (9.5%ABV,75IBU). With due respect to the history of the style, thesenew beers were dubbed Imperial India Pale Ale, and havegrown so popular that IIPA has become a legitimate style inbeer competitions. Meanwhile, back in the UK, things were going much in theopposite direction. Insipid beers like Greene King IPA(3.6%ABV and ~26IBU) and Caledonian Deuchars IPA(3.8% and ~30IBU) profited from their in-name-onlyconnection to IPA whilst helping destroy it as an identifiablestyle by exhibiting virtually none of the classiccharacteristics of IPA. A bit like fastening a Bentley marqueto the bonnet of a Fiat Punto – don’t be shocked when themovie star refuses to get in.Yet, all is not lost -- British microbrewed versions such asThornbridge Jaipur IPA (5.9%ABV, ~45IBU) and Stringer’sIPA (5.5%ABV, ~45IBU) are fine efforts to return to thestyle’s origins, and only Britain’s fear of beer over 4.9% iskeeping these beers from some serious trending.But in an age in which deconstruction masquerades ascreativity, IPA as a style has boiled down (requisite bad beerpun) to little more than a sound-bite of bitter, strong ale. So,it’s only natural, isn’t it, when Scottish Brew Dog andAmerican Flying Dog breweries challenge one another to acompetition to see who can brew the bitterest IPA withoutusing hops -- the one ingredient that defines IPA. After all, ifyou call a Punto an IPA, it must be an IPA, right? JimAnderson is co-owner of The Anderson in Fortrose, and likesa few IBU with his ABV.



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36 DRAM JUNE/JULY12



DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETINGPUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITEDUPPER FLOOR / FINNIESTON HOUSE / 1 THE STABLES YARD / 1103 ARGYLE STREET / GLASGOW / G3 8NDt. 0141 221 6965 e. [email protected] web. www.dramscotland.co.ukEditor: Susan Young • Chairman: Noel Young • Production: Brad CunninghamAdvertising Executives: Martin Cassidy, Emma McDonald • Editorial: Jason Caddy • Administration: Cheryl CookePublished by Media World Ltd. Subscriptions: DRAM is available by subscription for all other qualified personsinvolved in the Scottish Licensed Trade at the rate of £48 per annum including the DRAM Yearbook.The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. Any transparencies orartwork will be accepted at owner’s risk. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in anyform without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be madeto the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. © MediaWorld Limited 2012. Printed by Meigle Colour Printers Ltd.

ROUND UP

Diageo staff raise £65K for charityOver 200 Diageo employees, including DavidMcGowan, (2nd from the left) participated ina 972 mile cycle ride that was broken up into14 stages to raise over £65,000 forcharities Help for Heroes and To Walk Again.The total height climbed on the ride of30,000ft is comparable to that ofMt.Everest. Despite some sore saddles theevent was a great success and the team arehoping to exceed £100,000 in total.

38 DRAM JUNE /JULY12

Donna Mortimer Ballantyne Charitable Trust Ball The Hilton Hotel in Glasgow was the venue for the inaugural ‘Donna Ball’ or togive the event it’s official title the Donna Mortimer Ballantyne Charitable TrustBall - it raised a massive £400K for the Kilbryde Hospice. A tremendousamount, I’m sure you will all agree. Congrats to everyone involved.

From left to right:Sophie Ballantyne,Marion White, Michelle Mone,Jackie Mortimer, Susan Haughey,Annette Mortimer, Susie McGuire,Lynn Mortimer, Christine Sherry andLesley M Wiggins.

bottom, left to right:Fiona Brownand friend, James and RenaMortimer, Jill and Mark Hollinshead,Nicola Young and Colin Beattie, Pauland Diane Burns, Susan Young andAlistair Roy.




DRAM June 2012

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