Hearts fan brews his own club beer to help raise clash for ailing side

Jack Mathieson

31 Jul 2013 11:06

CRAIG DUNLOP came up with the idea of his home brew knowing fellow supporters would get behind the fundraising idea.
Jambos fan Craig Dunlop with his first batch of the home brew Jambos fan Craig Dunlop with his first batch of the home brew

HEARTS fans are drinking to the future of their cash-strapped club with a home brew beer which was created to help the survival campaign.

The first batches of Rudi’s Skac-ale have now been brewed and bottled.

And fans who put in advance orders for the amber ale have given the new tipple a resounding thumbs-up.

Creator Craig Dunlop said yesterday: “I am really pleased with it and other supporters seem to be as well.

“The hop variety was Dr Rudi, which gives it a nice citrus flavour, and I am getting comments like ‘beautiful’ and ‘immense’ from the people who have tried it so far.”

A launch night for the new brew, and further fundraising activity, is now planned at popular Jambos haunt, Brauhaus, in the capital’s Lauriston Place, on Thursday August 8.

Fans who pledged in advance to donate £15 to the club will be able to pick up six 500ml bottles of the beer, with the labels in the colours of Hearts’ home and away kits.

The club begins their Premier League campaign away to St Johnstone on Sunday.

Lifelong supporter and home brewer Craig, 25, of Sighthill, hit on the idea of making a new beer to encourage fellow Jambos to plough money into the empty Tynecastle coffers.

He saw it as “an opportunity to do something I love to save something I love”.

He floated the idea on an internet forum and was immediately inundated with orders.

So he got to work with his fermenting buckets and mash tun and has now produced around 20 gallons of the thirst-quenching ale.

He can’t sell the beer but fans who made a donation will be able to enjoy their own carry-out.

Craig, whose favourite tipple is Goose Island IPA, wanted to create an amber ale with a malt backbone.

He based the brew on an earlier success story, tweaking the formula to give it more of a Hearts flavour to try to inspire donations to the club’s cause.

Rudi’s Skac-ale is named after former club hero Rudi Skacel as well as the type of hop, and has 5.1 per cent alcohol content in tribute to the club’s Scottish Cup Final hammering of city rivals Hibs last year.

Stirling University marine biology undergraduate Craig would like to go into the brewing industry so he was determined the end product would meet fellow fans’ expectations.

He said: “It became quite a high-profile venture, so it did put me under a little bit of pressure.

“I am quite a perfectionist when it comes to beer, and I didn’t want to put out anything sub-par.

“But it is pretty much what I was hoping for.”

He added: “The whole thing has gone absolutely crazy. I have been in bars and people have come and spoken to me and asked for bottles.

“The whole thing has taken on a life of its own.

“And hopefully it won’t have done my ambition to go into the brewing industry any harm.

“I have only had one bottle myself so far but I am happy with it, and I have enjoyed every minute of the experience as well as helping a cause close to my heart.

“It would be great if it inspired other people to do their bit for the club.”

Craig’s home brew has, after costs, raised £275 for club coffers so far.

Taken from the Daily Record