Valhalla Brewery
The Valhalla Brewery in Unst, Shetland, Scotland, was the northernmost brewery in the United Kingdom.[1] It was opened by the husband and wife team Sonny and Silvia Priest in December 1997, and originally based in a large shed in Baltasound, in the centre of Unst. In 2012 the brewery moved to a building at the former RAF Saxa Vord radar station, near Haroldswick. This larger premises allowed the brewery to double production to 144,000 litres a year.[2]
The Brewery was named after Valhalla, the Hall of the Norse god Odin, where all fallen Viking warriors are met with a horn filled with good ale. It brewed 6 different types of beers, the first was the "Auld Rock", a dark ale brewed with malt and hops. The other types are Simmer Dim, Sjolmet Stout, White Wife, Old Scatness and the newest one Island Bere brewed from bere barley.[3] The brewery closed in spring 2017 due to the ill-health of the owners.
In 2018, the brewery was opened under new management in the former Olnafirth Primary School, Voe.[4][5]
References
- "Islanders blaze celebratory trail". The Scotsman. 4 June 2002. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- "Brewery looks beyond island shores". Shetland News. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- "Understanding the living heritage of bere barley for a more sustainable future". www.hutton.ac.uk. The James Hutton Institute. 11 July 2017.
- "Shetland brewery to open in a former primary school Press and Journal". www.pressandjournal.co.uk. Aberdeen Journals Ltd. 25 July 2018.
- "Valhalla Brewery - Home". www.facebook.com. Valhalla Brewery. 5 July 2018.