Williams Bros Brewing Co
Last updated 15 May 2026
The brewery that proved Scottish brewing history was more than just heavy ales. Williams Bros revived Fraoch — a heather ale brewed from a recipe predating the use of hops in beer — in 1988, and it remains one of the most distinctive beers brewed in Scotland. Floral, slightly sweet, and genuinely unlike anything else on the market. The range extends to other historical revivals: Alba (Scots pine and spruce ale), Grozet (gooseberry wheat beer), and Kelpie (seaweed ale). Not all of them work — Kelpie is an acquired taste — but the ambition to brew beer from pre-hop Scottish ingredients is unique and fascinating. Widely available in bottles across Scotland.
Scotland's heritage-revival brewery. Williams Brothers reconstructed Fraoch — a heather-flavoured Pictish ale recipe — and stuck with it for 35 years. Joker IPA is their modern flagship; Alba Pine Ale and Grozet (gooseberry) are the curios. Worth visiting for the history alone.
Tasting the flagship: Fraoch Heather Ale (5%)
Heather flower and honey on the nose — unmistakably herbal, faintly floral. Malt sweetness underneath.
Honey, heather, soft malt. Lower bitterness than a typical golden ale; the heather replaces some of the hop role. Distinctively Scottish.
Medium, slightly drying, lingering heather. Once you've had it you'll always recognise it.
Flavour profile
- hops1/5
- malt3/5
- bitterness1/5
- body3/5
- sweetness3/5
- abv2/5
Drinker-axis profile across the brewery’s core range, scored 0–5.
Rating breakdown
See how we score breweries for the full methodology.
Visiting
New Alloa Brewery, Kelliebank, Alloa
FK10 1NU
- Glasgow
- 50m · ~30 miles · M80 then A91/A907 to Alloa.
- Edinburgh
- 1h · ~35 miles · M9 then A907.
Train from Glasgow Queen Street or Edinburgh to Alloa (50-90 min). Brewery is on the edge of town.
On-site for tour visitors only.
Beers to try
Fraoch Heather Ale
Heritage heather ale · 5% · 18 IBU
Reconstructed from a Pictish recipe. Heather flower, honey, light malt. Unmistakably itself — no other commercial beer tastes like this.
Food pairing: Roast lamb with rosemary, soft cheese, heather honey desserts.
Joker IPA
American IPA · 5% · 50 IBU
Modern flagship. Cascade and Citra hops; pale and tropical. Williams Bros' answer to the craft IPA category.
Food pairing: Fish and chips, burgers, mature cheddar.
Alba Scots Pine Ale
Heritage pine ale · 7.5% · 20 IBU
Brewed with Scots pine shoots and spruce. Resinous, faintly piney, malt-driven. Stronger than Fraoch — a sipping heritage beer.
Food pairing: Game, smoked meats, blue cheese.
Grozet
Gooseberry wheat beer · 5% · 15 IBU
Bog myrtle and gooseberry. Light, tart, summery. The most approachable of the heritage range.
Food pairing: Brunch, soft cheese, fruit-based desserts.
Where to buy
| cask | keg | bottle | can |
|---|---|---|---|
Yes Fraoch and Joker on cask in selected free houses. | Yes Selected accounts. | Yes 500ml bottles widely distributed. | Yes 440ml cans of Joker primarily; Fraoch in bottle mainly. |
Format availability for the core range. Limited / seasonal releases may differ — check individual beer cards above.
Supermarkets: Strong UK-wide supermarket presence. Fraoch and Joker bottles are nationally distributed; Alba and Grozet harder to find outside Scottish Waitrose and specialist retailers.
- Williams Brothers online shopDirect
- Tesco UKSupermarket
Fraoch and Joker bottles.
- Sainsbury'sSupermarket
Joker cans and Fraoch bottles.
- WaitroseSupermarket
Full heritage range in Scottish stores.
- Cornelius Beer & WineOff-licence · Edinburgh
Full Williams Brothers range.
Direct delivery: Williams Bros Brewing Co online shop
Food pairings
Heritage beers pair with heritage food — game, lamb with rosemary, hard cheese. Joker is the modern outlier — pair like a standard IPA.
| Beer | Food | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fraoch | Roast lamb with rosemary, soft goat's cheese, heather honey ice cream | Heather in the beer echoes heather in the food. Lamb that's grazed on heather is the perfect match. |
| Joker IPA | Fish and chips, burgers, mature cheddar | Standard modern IPA pairings — works. |
| Alba Pine Ale | Venison stew, smoked beef, blue cheese | Resinous pine pairs with game and smoke. |
| Grozet | Brunch, soft cheese, gooseberry crumble | Light and tart — works with breakfast and dessert ends of the day. |
How it’s brewed
Heritage brewing using ingredients that haven't been in mainstream commercial Scottish beer for centuries — heather, pine, gooseberry, elderberry, seaweed. Joker IPA is the modern counterpoint.
Medium-craft — ~6,000 hl/year
~1.1 million pints
Heather (Fraoch), Scots pine shoots (Alba), gooseberries (Grozet), elderberries (Ebulum), bladderwrack seaweed (Kelpie). Plus traditional malts and hops on Joker.
- Heritage ales
- Heather/herb-flavoured beers
- Pre-hop Scottish styles
Head brewer
Co-founder with brother Bruce. The brothers recreated Fraoch in 1988 from a fragmentary historic Pictish recipe — heather ale is their lifework as much as their business.
Approach: Revive forgotten Scottish recipes; balance heritage with modern technique. Joker IPA is the concession to contemporary craft.
Timeline
- 1988Williams Brothers founded by Bruce and Scott Williams in Glasgow.
- 1992Fraoch Heather Ale relaunches — first commercial production in 200+ years.
- 1996Alba Scots Pine Ale launches — second heritage revival.
- 2004Move to Alloa (former Caledonian Brewery site).
- 2008Joker IPA launches — becomes the modern flagship.
- 201830th anniversary; full heritage range now in production.
Awards
- World Beer Awards Gold (Fraoch)2013
- SIBA Scotland Gold (Joker IPA)2016
- Scottish Beer Awards — Brewery of the Year2014
Live music & events
The Kelliebank brewery in Alloa runs occasional events and open days that include live music, particularly around the summer and the Christmas period. Williams Bros also has a presence at the Edinburgh Fringe and various food festivals where live music is part of the programme.
Check what’s on →- Fraoch at room temperature is the canonical experience. Modern Scottish craft drinkers serve it cold; the original was unrefrigerated. Try both — the room-temperature version is more characterful.
- Alba Pine Ale is brewed once a year. If you see it on shelves in autumn, buy several — by spring it's hard to find.
- The heritage range pairs with Scottish food. Fraoch with heather-lamb in particular is a national-cuisine pairing nobody talks about.
- Joker IPA is the entry point for someone unfamiliar with heritage styles. Don't lead with Fraoch if you're introducing the brewery — let people work up to it.
- Williams Brothers doesn't market itself like BrewDog. The branding is dated; the beers are excellent. Look past the labels.
Where to eat nearby
Excellent Scottish gastropub; Williams Bros range often on the bar.
Basic Alloa options; nothing destination-level. Stirling 15 min away has better choice.
Best time to visit
Williams Brothers doesn't have a public tap room. Tours run on advertised dates (check website). The Fraoch heather flavour is most resonant when actual heather is in bloom — August / September.
Weather: Not relevant — limited public access at the brewery.
Williams Bros Brewing Co FAQ
+What is Fraoch Heather Ale?
An ancient Pictish/Scottish beer style flavoured with heather flower instead of (or alongside) hops. Williams Brothers reconstructed the recipe from fragmentary historical sources and released the first commercial version in 1992 — the first such beer in 200+ years of brewing.
+Can I visit Williams Brothers brewery?
Yes — on selected tour dates with booking. There's no permanent public tap room; check the website for the next tour schedule.
+Where can I buy Fraoch?
UK-wide: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose all stock bottles. The online shop has the full heritage range including limited annual releases (Ebulum elderberry, Kelpie seaweed).
+Is Williams Brothers the same as Innis & Gunn?
No — different breweries. Williams Brothers is independent; Innis & Gunn owns Harviestoun. They're sometimes confused because both are Scottish craft.
Other Clackmannanshire breweries
At a glance
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Last updated 15 May 2026