Newcastle Brown Ale facts for kids

Newcastle Brown Ale is a type of brown ale that was first made in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

It was created in 1927 by Colonel Jim Porter. After a few years, the company that made it merged with another, which helped the drink become popular across the United Kingdom. Sales were very high in the early 1970s. It became popular again in the late 1980s and early 1990s. By the late 1990s, it was one of the most widely sold drinks in the UK.

In the 2000s, most sales were in the United States. However, it still sells many bottles each year in the UK. The place where it is made has moved several times. In 2005, it moved from Newcastle to Dunston, Tyne and Wear. Then in 2010, it moved to Tadcaster. In 2017, it moved to the Heineken Brewery in the Netherlands. Since 2019, a different version is also made in California and Illinois for the American market.

In the UK, Newcastle Brown Ale is often seen as a drink for working people. It has a long history with the factories and industries of the North East of England. In other countries, it is seen as a popular imported drink. It was one of the first drinks to be sold in a clear glass bottle.

History of Newcastle Brown Ale

Tyne Brewery around 2006, where the drink was first made. You can see the same spot today.

How it Started in Newcastle

Newcastle Brown Ale was first made by Lieutenant Colonel James ('Jim') Herbert Porter. He was a brewer at Newcastle Breweries. He created the recipe in 1927. Porter had worked on the recipe for three years with a chemist named Archie Jones.

The drink was first made at the Tyne Brewery in 1927. This brewery had been there since 1890.

The blue star logo was added to the bottle in 1928, one year after the drink was launched. The five points of the star stand for the five original breweries in Newcastle.

In 1960, Newcastle Breweries joined with Scottish Brewers. Newcastle Brown Ale then became a very important product for the new company, Scottish & Newcastle.

By 1997, the company said it was the most widely sold drink in both pubs and shops in the UK.

Moving Production to Gateshead

Even though money was spent on a new bottling plant in 1999, the company announced in 2004 that the Tyne Brewery would close. The goal was to make all their drinks at the Federation Brewery in Dunston, Gateshead. This new company was called Newcastle Federation Breweries.

The very last bottles of Brown Ale made in Newcastle came off the line in May 2005. The company made sure the taste did not change after the move.

The old Tyne Brewery site was bought by Newcastle University, Newcastle City Council, and a local development group. This area became part of the Newcastle Science City project. The old brewery buildings were taken down starting in 2007.

Moving Production to Tadcaster

In 2007, the bottling of Newcastle Brown Ale moved to the John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.

In 2008, Heineken bought Scottish and Newcastle in a deal with Carlsberg.

In 2010, the Dunston brewery closed. Production of Brown Ale then moved fully to the John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster. The company said this was because fewer people were buying beer in general.

In 2015, a special caramel coloring that had been used since the drink started was removed. Instead, roasted malt was used to make the drink dark.

Moving Production to the Netherlands

In 2017, Heineken moved some production from Tadcaster to the Zoeterwoude Brewery in the Netherlands. The company said this would help them deliver the drink faster to places like the U.S. In 2019, they started making a different version in America. They stopped bringing in Brown Ale from Europe for the US market. Newcastle Brown Ale is still made in Tadcaster for the UK and some European countries. It is also made in the Netherlands for other countries.

How it's Made and Sold

Newcastle Brown Ale is made with special kinds of malt, called pale malt and crystal malt. It uses fewer hops than other traditional English drinks.

It is one of the most popular bottled drinks in the United Kingdom. It sells about 100,000 hectoliters (which is a lot!) each year. In 2005, when it moved to Dunston, it was sold in 41 countries. Sometimes, more than half of what is made goes to the U.S. In 2010, over 640,000 hectoliters were sold in the United States.

In Canada and France, you can find the drink in different sized bottles and cans. It is also available in British-themed pubs in Australia and New Zealand. It is popular in Canada, too, where it is often served on tap in pubs.

Names and Nicknames

In 2000, the name of the drink was changed in the UK to "Newcastle Brown." The word "Ale" was taken off the label. This was because market research suggested that the word "ale" sounded old-fashioned. The old name was put back in 2004 because the change did not help sales.

In the North East of England, people sometimes call Newcastle Brown Ale "Dog." This is a playful nickname. It is also known as "Broon," which is how "brown" sounds in the local Geordie accent. In other parts of the UK, it is often called "Newkie Brown."

How it's Served

The Geordie Schooner glass

In Britain, Newcastle Brown Ale is usually sold in 550 ml bottles. People often drink it from a special 12-ounce Wellington glass. This glass lets you pour the drink slowly to keep a frothy top. In the United States, it is sold in 12-ounce servings. In 2010, a special glass called the "Geordie Schooner" was introduced for people in America. This glass has a special bottom that helps keep the bubbles in the drink.

Connection to North East England

Newcastle Brown Ale is strongly connected to its home area, north east England. The name itself helps with this. Also, the company used to sponsor the Newcastle United football team. The blue star logo on the bottle even shows the River Tyne. This connection made the drink seem like a symbol of the "hardy, working class traditions" of the area.

In 2000, Newcastle Brown Ale was given special protection under European Union laws. This meant its name was protected because of where it came from. However, in 2007, this protection was removed. This happened because the brewing of the drink moved away from Newcastle to Tadcaster.

Different Kinds of Newcastle Brown Ale

Special Editions

When another company tried to buy Scottish and Newcastle, people in Newcastle started a campaign called "Keep Us on Top!" To show support, the Newcastle Brown label was turned upside down until the takeover attempt stopped.

In 2005, the last 3,000 bottles made in Newcastle had special labels. They said "121 years of brewing history, last bottles produced at Tyne Brewery April 2005." These were given to the brewery staff.

In 2006, a special set of 2.5 million bottles were made to celebrate the football player Alan Shearer. He had just broken the scoring record for Newcastle United. These bottles had black and white stripes and Shearer's picture. They were sold to help raise money for Shearer's special farewell match.

In 2007, a special bottle was made for the local rock band Maxïmo Park. The band designed the label. This special edition was released when the band had a concert in Newcastle. Also in 2007, a special bottle was made to celebrate the drink's 80th anniversary.

In 2013, Newcastle worked with Taxi Magic to make a Black Ale called Newcastle Cabbie. This was part of a campaign to prevent drunk driving.

Other Newcastle Brands

• Newcastle Exhibition is a type of draught beer (4.3% ABV) that started in 1929. It is often found around the Newcastle area.
• Newcastle Amber Ale was a lighter drink available until the 1980s.
• Newcastle Star was a stronger bottled drink (7.5% ABV) sold from 1999 to 2006.

Heineken USA has also launched other seasonal drinks. These include Newcastle Summer Ale (in 2010), Newcastle Werewolf (a fall ale), and Winter IPA (in 2011). In 2012, they introduced Newcastle Founders Ale.

In 2012, Summer Ale (4.4%) and Founder's Ale (4.8%) were also sold in Tesco stores across the UK. In winter 2012, Newcastle Winter Ale (5.2%) and Newcastle Nocturnal Ale (4.5%) were also launched in Tesco stores.

See also

In Spanish: Newcastle Brown Ale para niños