Jaw Brew Brewery
Hillington Park
Who are they: Jaw Brew launched its first beer from Hillington Industrial Estate in July 2014 with an aim of producing a craft beer for the drinkers of Glasgow to be proud of. The first two styles of beer were such a success that the company quickly added other innovative beers to their portfolio. Mark Hazell and his wife Alison started the brewery after Mark got fed up with his career in IT after 30 years. A keen amateur brewer, Mark decided to take the big step of getting a premise and creating Jaw Brew's own brand of beer. The location also meant they could use the soft water from the Loch Katrine water supply system introduced to Glasgow in Victorian times, which is a key ingredient of the beers. Four years on the team here have won several awards and have grown a loyal following to their beers.
Interesting fact: This time last year the team here launched the first ever Scottish beer to be made from leftover bread. The beer was created by using unsold morning rolls in a bid to reduce food waste in Glasgow. Jaw Brew partnered with legendary Scottish bakery Aulds by using surplus rolls that are baked fresh each morning to create Hardtack blonde beer. This was all set up by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Zero Waste Scotland to showcase a "circular economy" for the city. The local independent brewery, based at Hillington Park, found the bread could be mashed without adding fermentable sugars to create a beer that is only 2.2 per cent alcohol and packed with flavour.
The Brand: The name Jaw Brew was inspired by the brewery owners' family home on the shores of Bardowie Loch, locally named The Jaw. Upon researching the origins of the name, it was discovered that jaw in auld Scots meant "a wave or rush of water" or "to pour". Further to this, there is reference in a poem from 1706 reading "wha’ll jaw ale on my drouthy tongue" sealing the deal in using this name. The logo is composed of a wave within a whale’s jawbone arch such as the one at Bragar on the Isle of Lewis – the home town of some of the company's family.
The beer: They started with Drift golden ale, which is a balanced bitter and rich wheat-free ale that Jaw Brew describe as a “beerified biscotti” and Drop, a session pale ale which is light, fruity and extremely refreshing. Over the years they have added several brands to the family. If I had to choose my favourite, then I would go for the Fathom, a complex dark ale with aromas of espresso coffee chocolate and treacle. This leads to rich malt flavours in this complex beer which is wheat free and at relatively low strength at four per cent ABV.
Why visit: They are pretty tight for space here as every inch of the brewery is utilised for making the beer itself. That being said, they have a small shop and if you call ahead they are always happy to give you an insight into what they do here.
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