Media Release: Wheelie crafty ale for parties

A SCOTTISH craft brewery has developed a wheelie colourful and quirky way of getting its beer to a party.

Staff at the Speyside Craft Brewery in Forres, Moray, have put a new twist on the demand for portable bars by installing all the equipment needed to pour a perfect pint in a bright yellow wheelie bin.

The container has also been fitted with bigger wheels to help it negotiate rougher terrains, such as a beach, garden or woodland.

Portable bars are becoming available in the drinks industry, but none of them offer the fun and flexibility of Speyside Brewery’s ‘wheel ale’ offering. The brewery’s young MD, Seb Jones, said the idea came when he investigated the market.

“We were looking for something that enabled us to provide our beer in perfect condition under any circumstance, and nothing was out there,” he said.

“What we wanted was something that had the beer, chiller and taps stored within a unit that can be wheeled into anywhere.

“They’re some out there but they’re expensive and use castors which means they can only run on hard level floors.

“We have a lot of customers who have casks for events parties and gatherings, such as a birthday, fishing outings or shoots. None of those currently on the market would be any good for these so we invented our own and called it a beer wheelie.

“It’s so much more convenient, and will add a bit of fun.”

Designer and builder of the beer wheelie, Forres engineer Gerry Wells, said it was a real challenge.

“The space in the wheelie bin is really tight and the equipment needed in it quite substantial, so it was a bit of a squeeze,” he said.

“The main thing was to make sure that changing a barrel would be easy for customers, which I think we achieved.

“I’ve never been faced with anything like this before, but it was great to tackle something so different. Seb had a clear idea of what he wanted from the start so that helped. I’m really quite proud of the finished product, it’s the first thing I’ve designed and built that I’ve applied for a patent on.”

All of the brewery’s beers can be dispensed from the beer wheelie, and replacing an empty barrel is simplicity itself.

The colour of the bin was chosen to reflect the brewery’s corporate colours, but Seb admitted that there could be an unexpected use.

“It’s coloured-coded to normally hold clinical waste, but that does mean it can easily be smuggled into a hospital to help revive the flagging taste buds of a hospitalised real ale fan” said Seb.

The beer wheelie can be hired for any event by contacting the brewery on 01309 358082.

Speyside Craft Brewery was founded in November 2012 by former chemistry student, Seb Jones (29), and is said to have been the first commercial brewery in Moray, the heart of Scotland’s malt whisky country, for a decade.

It employs six staff and distributes its beers across the UK.

MEDIA RELEASE issued by Speyside Craft Brewery. You too can share your stories (aka press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email here for more information.

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Contact: Seb Jones

Email: seb@speysidecraftbrewery.com