Caledonian Brewery, a 145-year-old traditional brewery in Scotland, and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, which owns and operates 151 casual dining restaurants in 18 states, have partnered to create a one-of-a-kind new craft beer, BJ’s Hoppy Scotsman™ ale, to be sold exclusively at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse locations through the month of June.
BJ’s Hoppy Scotsman is a one-of-a-kind brew that perfectly balances the rich flavors of Scottish malts and yeast with American hops. The brewers from BJ’s collaborated with Caledonian Brewery, which opened in 1869 and is the oldest operating brewery in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Caley, as it’s known locally, still uses Victorian-era brewing equipment to brew its beers, including all of Newcastle’s limited-edition seasonals.
“Partnering with historic European breweries like Caledonian that use traditional methods and ingredients is one of the many ways we give our beer drinkers a unique experience at our restaurants,” said Alex Puchner, Senior Vice President of Brewing Operations, BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. “BJ’s Hoppy Scotsman lives up to its name. It’s a very hoppy ale that’s not too bitter and pairs well with many of our great menu items.”
Caledonian Brewery is owned by Heineken, Newcastle’s parent company. The brewery was built in 1869, when Edinburgh was of the foremost brewing centers in the world. This was due to the abundant supply of local barely and mineral rich water from Edinburgh’s ‘Charmed Circle’ of brewery wells.
The brewery has won countless awards for its handcrafted beers, and brewmaster Keith Garson worked closely with BJ’s to ensure the BJ’s Hoppy Scotsman collaboration met Caledonian’s exceptionally high standards.
Caledonian Brewery is one of the oldest breweries in the U.K., and they still make beer the way they made beer 150 years ago,” said Quinn Kilbury, brand director for Newcastle Brown Ale. “The magic of the Caley and its brewers is what makes Newcastle’s limited-edition beers as great as they are, and BJ’s recognizes the value in partnering with such a well-regarded international brewery.”
BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. currently owns and operates 151 casual dining restaurants under the BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery®, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse®, BJ’s Pizza & Grill® and BJ’s Grill® brand names. BJ’s Restaurants offer an innovative and broad menu featuring award-winning, signature deep-dish pizza complemented with generously portioned salads, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, pastas, entrees and desserts, including the Pizookie® dessert. The Company operates several brew pubs in addition to using independent third party brewers to produce and distribute BJ’s critically acclaimed craft beers. The Company’s restaurants are located in California (64), Texas (30), Florida (17), Arizona (6), Colorado (5), Nevada (5), Ohio (4), Washington (4), Oklahoma (3), Oregon (3), Kentucky (2), Virginia (2), Arkansas (1), Indiana (1), Kansas (1), Louisiana (1), Maryland (1) and New Mexico (1). Visit BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. on the Web at http://www.bjsrestaurants.com.
