Gaelic Ale by Highland Brewing is a deep amber-colored American ale, featuring a rich malty body. Cascade and Willamette hops add a complex hop flavor and aroma. This ale is exceptionally balanced between malty sweetness and delicate hop bitterness. It has a universal appeal and is our workhorse, accounting for about half of our total production.

This was our first beer and was originally named Celtic Ale in honor of the Scots and Irish who originally settled the Appalachian region. We had to change the name – unbeknownst to us, Bert Grant Brewery had trademarked “Celtic Ale." The term "Gaelic" more commonly refers to the language of the Celtic peoples in Scotland and Ireland and particularly to the Scottish Highlanders. The dark amber color is similar to a Scottish Ale but the flavor and body is more in the style of American Amber.

A unique Highland creation, Oatmeal Porter this robust beer is black in color, very malty with hints of chocolate-roasted flavor and a well balanced hop character.

This style was born on the docks of the Thames of London where dock workers or porters delighted in the strong dark ales brewed by the local pubs with roasted malts. This gave rise to the name by which this style is still known. A porter was traditionally served with oysters, the least expensive food available to the dock workers. Highland Brewing has taken this style a step farther with the addition of a judicious amount of flaked oatmeal which helps attain the smooth silky character of our porter.

A full-bodied India Pale Ale. This beer is golden in color with a moderate malty character with full hop flavor true to the classic ale that has traveled on sailing ships from England to India.  Bold and brazen.

This is Highland’s version of the classic British beer which was designed to survive the long journeys from England to India on sailing ships. The higher alcohol content and much higher hop level provided the longevity necessary for the casks to arrive in India in a most drinkable condition. It is very often serious beer drinkers’ favorite style. Being “Just a wee bit different,” we chose Kashmir, a controversial section of the Indian subcontinent in the north and matched it with a Madras-inspired plaid from the south.

Raspberry lambic was previously a rarity, only produced for a few weeks in the summer. Frank Boon’s Brewery was the first, in the summer of 1976, to revive raspberry lambic preparation. More than 300 grams of fresh raspberries in each litre of lambic give Framboise BOON its fresh, fruity flavour. The young lambic supports the flavour from the raspberries, but it is the latter which dominate, not the lambic. It is the real raspberries which provide the rich flavour. The rosé fruit beer Framboise BOON has an alcohol volume of 5% The 1986 Vintage of Framboise BOON was awarded the “best beer of the year” prize by the “Malt Advocate” US trade journal in 1995!