Samuel Smith Brewery - The Old Brewery    
     Old Brewery Pale Ale

The folks at Samuel Smith claim that their brewery is the oldest brewery in Yorkshire, England - and I am not one to argue.

The Old Brewery - Tadcaster, Yorkshire.

  Samuel Smith's brewery is located in the village of Tadcaster, Yorkshire, and can trace its history back to 1758, when a brewery, remembered as "The Old Brewery" was established. The Old Brewery was founded by members of the Hartley family, although the story at this point is a bit vague, (know more - drop us a line). A local butcher and cattleman by the name of Samuel Smith, put up the money for his son John to buy this brewery. The Old Brewery was bought in 1847, by John Smith, and there began a tradition of brewing Smiths (actually two Smiths) that extends to this day. John renamed his brewery the John Smith Brewery (not, as would be assumed, the Samuel Smith Brewery), and it was under this appellation, that it was operated by various Smith family members. In the mid-1800s, under the charge of William Smith, the John Smith Brewery operation was moved to a larger facility, right down the street in Tadcaster. The Old Brewery/former John Smith Brewery building was then bought in 1887, by William Smith's nephew Samuel Smith, who as family tradition goes, renamed the Brewery after himself. Well, he couldn't keep the name John Smith Brewery, anyway. Regardless of the name of the owner, the brewery is still simply referred to, even today, as The Old Brewery.

Named after The Old Brewery itself - Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale. This is one darn good beer - nice, malty, full-bodied. Give it a try.


  Being one of the few remaining independent brewers in the Great Britain, Samuel Smith can remain true to its brewing heritage, still making beer the old fashioned way. This includes fermenting in what are known as a "stone Yorkshire squares," which are huge square vats made of local slate.  Water is drawn from a well drilled in 1758, and one of the yeast strains dates from the 1800s. The brewery is also quite proud of the fact that they use only natural ingredients - no artificial and no raw adjuncts. This adherence to history and craftsmanship extends to the cooper's shop, where oak barrels are made and repaired.
   And, if you happen to be in the Tadcaster area, keep watch for decidedly old-fashioned delivery method used to deliver "Sam" Smith beer to the local area. Five times a week the brewery hitches up a team of grey Shire dray horses for the work. Now that's how it should be done.
  Merchant du Vin of Seattle, Washington, has imported Samuel Smith beers to the United States since 1978. According to one of their latest brochures, Merchant du Vin imports some 15 varieties of Samuel Smith ales, lagers and ciders for our enjoyment.
  Check back here often, as we try to sample each one.

 

 

As an Oatmeal Stout should be - rich, creamy and, well, stout. A great beer for a cool evening in the garage pub.

   The Other Smith Brewery

It is a convoluted story, but there are two "Smith" breweries in Tadcaster - one name Samuel and one named John. The story that appears above is fairly accurate, I think. But then again, it may need revision. Anyway, Samuel Smith Brewery, still independent, is the smaller of the two, while the John Smith Brewery is part of the Heineken clan. I am currently on the look out for a John Smith beer here in North America.

Not shying away from the brewing of only ales and strouts, Samuel Smith offers a variety, a large variety, of other beers including their Pure Brewed Lager. Clean and crisp Smith's Pure Brewed Lager is a refreshing beer on a hot day. Making it more interesting than many lagers, Smith's has just a touch more sweetness than one would find in a lager.

Likewise not shying away from out-of-the-ordinary ales, Samuel Smith makes a darn tasty Organic Strawberry Fruit Ale. Even folks who are not all that keen on drinking beer will like this offering - refreshing and a bit tart.