Tempest Brewing Co
Last updated 15 May 2026
A Borders brewery making beer with ambition that belies its rural location. Tempest was founded by a New Zealander (hence Long White Cloud, named after the Maori name for New Zealand) and brings a Southern Hemisphere hop-forward approach to Scottish brewing. Long White Cloud is a benchmark NZ-style pale ale — tropical, aromatic, and assertively hopped. Brave New World (IPA) and All The Leaves Are Brown (brown ale) show range. The Tweedbank tap room is a proper destination bar with a food menu, regular events, and a rotating selection of experimental brews that don't make it to distribution. Easily the best brewery in the Borders.
The Scottish Borders' standout craft brewer. New Zealand brewing influence (co-founder Annika is Kiwi) shows in the hop choices — Long White Cloud is named for the NZ Maori name and uses NZ hops. Mexicake is the cult beer; the rest of the range is consistently strong.
Tasting the flagship: Long White Cloud (5.6%)
NZ tropical fruit hop — passionfruit, gooseberry, white grape (Nelson Sauvin signature). Soft malt underneath.
Bright and tropical; medium-light body; clean bitter snap. Nelson Sauvin gives a unique white-wine character that no American hop replicates.
Medium-long, clean, faintly fruity. Bitterness fades into lingering tropical hop.
Flavour profile
- hops4/5
- malt2/5
- bitterness3/5
- body2/5
- sweetness2/5
- abv3/5
Drinker-axis profile across the brewery’s core range, scored 0–5.
Rating breakdown
See how we score breweries for the full methodology.
Visiting
Tweedbank Industrial Estate, Galashiels
TD1 3RS
- thu
- 16:00–22:00
- fri
- 16:00–22:30
- sat
- 13:00–22:30
- sun
- 13:00–20:00
- Glasgow
- 1h 30m · ~75 miles · M73, M74, A721, A68.
- Edinburgh
- 1h 10m · ~40 miles · A68 south to Galashiels.
Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank — 1h. Brewery 5 min walk from station.
Free on-site parking.
Beers to try
Long White Cloud
Pacific pale ale · 5.6% · 40 IBU
Nelson Sauvin and Motueka hops. Tropical and white-wine character no American-hop beer matches. The flagship.
Food pairing: Fish and chips, oysters, sushi, soft cheese.
Mexicake
Imperial stout · 10.5% · 50 IBU
Mexican spices, coffee, cocoa, gentle chilli heat. Bottle-conditioned and ages well. Cult-favourite beer.
Food pairing: Chocolate desserts, aged blue cheese, smoked beef.
- World Beer Awards Gold (Flavoured Stout)
Brave New World
IPA · 7% · 60 IBU
American-hop IPA — pine, citrus, full body. Bigger than Long White Cloud, less subtle.
Food pairing: Burgers, BBQ, spicy curry.
Marmalade on Rye
Rye amber ale · 5% · 30 IBU
Rye gives a spicy edge; marmalade-bitter citrus note from the hops. Unusual category but well-executed.
Food pairing: Roast pork, cheese on toast, mature cheddar.
Where to buy
| cask | keg | bottle | can |
|---|---|---|---|
Yes Borders, Edinburgh, and Northern English cask accounts. | Yes Craft taps across the central belt. | Yes 330ml bottles for Mexicake; 500ml for the core. | Yes 440ml cans of the core range. |
Format availability for the core range. Limited / seasonal releases may differ — check individual beer cards above.
Supermarkets: Patchy — Tempest leans on independent off-licences and online. Waitrose Scotland occasionally carries Long White Cloud; otherwise specialist retail.
- Tempest online shopDirect
- Honest BrewOnline retailer
Strong Tempest selection year-round.
- Beer HawkOnline retailer
- Salt Horse EdinburghBottle shop
Tempest reliably stocked.
- Waitrose ScotlandSupermarket
Long White Cloud cans intermittently.
Direct delivery: Tempest Brewing Co online shop
Food pairings
Tempest beers pair with everything except gentle food — they're hop-forward or flavour-intense. Match the intensity.
| Beer | Food | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Long White Cloud | Sushi, oysters, soft goat's cheese | Nelson Sauvin's white-wine character is the unusual pairing key — works with seafood that wants Sauvignon Blanc. |
| Mexicake | Chocolate fondant, aged Stilton, smoked beef brisket | 10.5% imperial stout with spice — needs big food to match. |
| Brave New World | Burgers, hot wings, mature cheddar | Classic IPA pairings. |
| Marmalade on Rye | Roast pork belly, cheese on toast, mature cheddar | Rye spice pairs with caramelised meat. |
How it’s brewed
Hop-forward modern craft with a strong NZ accent. Imperial stouts are an occasional indulgence rather than a core focus.
Mid-craft — ~7,000 hl/year
~1.2 million pints
New Zealand hops on the flagship range (Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Riwaka). American hops on the IPAs. Single-origin coffee and Mexican mole spices on Mexicake.
- NZ-influenced pale ales
- Imperial stouts
- Hop-forward IPAs
Visit the brewery
Brewery tap room at Tweedbank, Galashiels. Open Thursday to Sunday with food. Edinburgh outpost in Bonnington (different opening hours).
- Tap room: Yes
- Parking: Yes
- Dog-friendly: Yes
- Wheelchair access: Yes
- Family-friendly: Yes
- Food on site: YesFood trucks Friday and Saturday; smaller menu other days.
90 min
Brewhouse tour, 4 tastings, branded glass. Saturdays only.
Head brewer
Co-founder with Annika in 2010. Brewing background plus a stint in New Zealand explains the hop choices.
Approach: Hop-forward but balanced. Mexicake is the outlier — proves they can do imperial stout when they want to, but the everyday work is well-made pales and IPAs.
Timeline
- 2010Founded by Annika and Gavin Meiklejohn near Kelso.
- 2013Long White Cloud launches — becomes the flagship.
- 2015Move to Tweedbank, near Galashiels. 10× capacity.
- 2017Mexicake imperial stout becomes a cult release.
- 2022Tempest opens an Edinburgh tap.
Awards
- World Beer Awards Gold (Mexicake)2019
- SIBA Scotland Gold (Long White Cloud)2018
- Scottish Beer Awards — Brewery of the Year2020
- Take the Borders Railway from Edinburgh — the brewery is 5 min walk from Tweedbank station. No need to drive.
- Mexicake bottle-conditions exceptionally. A 2-year-old bottle is noticeably more complex than a fresh one. Buy three, drink one, store two.
- The Edinburgh tap room (Bonnington) is a sit-down tasting bar rather than a venue — quieter than the Tweedbank brewery, better for serious tasting.
- Combine with Abbotsford (Walter Scott's house) — 10 min from the brewery — for a half-day Borders trip.
- Tempest pulls in collaboration brewers regularly. Check the website before visiting; there's often a guest collab on tap that doesn't make it to bottle.
Where to eat nearby
Borders gastropub style; Tempest on tap.
Independent bookshop with one of the Borders' best cafés. Worth a detour.
Walter Scott's house café — lunch with views over the Tweed.
Best time to visit
Late spring to early autumn. Borders weather is more reliable than Highland weather, and the surrounding country (Abbotsford, the Eildon Hills, Melrose Abbey) is at its best May–September.
Weather: Borders weather is generally drier than the west coast but cold winters. The tap room is indoor; the Tweedbank station walk is exposed in a south-easterly.
Tempest Brewing Co FAQ
+Where is Tempest Brewing?
Tweedbank Industrial Estate, near Galashiels in the Scottish Borders — 5 minutes walk from Tweedbank railway station (Borders Railway from Edinburgh).
+Is Tempest still independent?
Yes — Tempest remains independent and family-owned by Annika and Gavin Meiklejohn.
+What is Mexicake?
A 10.5% imperial stout brewed with Mexican spices (cocoa, chilli, cinnamon, coffee). Cult-favourite Tempest release; bottle-conditioned and ages well in a cellar.
+Where can I drink Tempest in Edinburgh?
Tempest's own Edinburgh tap is in Bonnington. Salt Horse and The Hanging Bat both carry Tempest reliably.
Other Scottish Borders breweries
Where to stay near Tempest Brewing Co
Hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering within easy reach of Tempest Brewing Co's tap room.
Booking links are affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
At a glance
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Last updated 15 May 2026