Our flagship beer - the one Rob brewed first and still the beer we brew the most. Scapa Special is a classic pale ale with wide appeal. Ever so balanced, the skill that Rob has so well honed, this beer has biscuity malt upfront and delicate but ascending hops in the middle and end.

The label depicts the voluntary scuttling of the interned German fleet in Scapa Flow, 1919. Once the anchorage of the British Home Fleet, today Scapa Flow is a world class diving destination. Three malts and five hops - from Britain, Germany and the US - make Scapa Special a classic pale ale.

BREWSHEET

Style: Pale ale
Malts: Maris Otter, Wheat, Crystal
Hops: Bobek, Willamette
Alcohol By Volume: 4.4%
Size: 500ml

AWARDS

Where do we begin...

Orkney Blast

Regular price £3.30

THE BEER

The name and label are derived from Orkney’s WW2 forces newspaper which was printed by The Orcadian. Pale and golden in colour, Orkney Blast has fruity, spicy hops and a strong malt body with a finish that builds and builds. It doesn’t drink its strength so take care!

BREWSHEET

Style: Strong ale
Malts: Maris Otter, Wheat, Crystal
Hops: Citra, Goldings, HNB
Alcohol By Volume: 6.0%
Size: 500ml

AWARDS

SIBA National 2020 - Cask IPA - Gold

SIBA National 2020 - Overall cask champion - Bronze

SIBA Scotland 2015 - Premium Strong Beers - Silver

SIBA Scotland 2014- Premium Strong Bitters - Bronze

CAMRA Falmouth Beer Festival 2013 - Strong Ales - Silver

SIBA Scotland 2013 - Premium Strong Bitters - Silver

Orkney IPA

Regular price £3.00

THE BEER

Literally all our beer has been upon the waves, albeit only for an hour or so (on a calm day!) on the ferry from Orkney. India Pale Ales (IPAs) of old were heavily hopped to survive their journey to the colonies. This is Rob’s interpretation - believing the hops may have mellowed by arrival.

BREWSHEET

Style: IPA
Malts: Maris Otter, Best Pale, Wheat
Hops: Chinook, Dana, Summit
Alcohol By Volume: 4.8%

AWARDS

CAMRA Champion Beer of Scotland 2018 - Overall winner

CAMRA East Malling Beer & Cider Festival 2015 Beer of the Festival - Runner Up

CAMRA Paisley Beer Festival 2014 Strong Bitter - 3rd

CAMRA Paisley Beer Festival 2013 Strong

International Brewing Awards 2011 - Overall winner (cask)

Island Hopping

Regular price £2.95

THE BEER

Orkney comprises of 70 islands, 17 or 18 of which are inhabited. Each unique in its own way, locals and tourists travel internally by both sea and air. We use all pale malt and lots of New Zealand hops to create this hoppy but still sessionable low strength beer.

BREWSHEET

Style: Session
Malts: Maris Otter, Wheat
Hops: Nelson Sauvin
Alcohol By Volume: 3.9%
Size: 500ml

AWARDS

International Brewing Awards International Cask Conditioned Ales 2015 Class 2 - Gold

SIBA Scotland 2014 Overall Champion of Competition - Gold

SIBA National Beer Competition 2014 Champion Standard Bitters - Gold

Voe (440ml can)

Regular price £3.00

THE BEER

A roasty yet hoppy sweet oat stout. A Voe is a small creek or bay.

BREWSHEET

Style: Oat milk stout
Alcohol By Volume: 5.0%

Contains Lactose (MILK)

Burn the Boats (440ml can)

Regular price £3.20 Sale price £3.00

THE BEER

Ekuanot IPA, 5.0% ABV. To burn your boats could have many meanings. For us it means to fully commit to what we're doing - striving to build a world class brewery making world class beers in Orkney.

THE BREWSHEET

Style: IPA
Malts: Best Pale, Munich, oats
Hops: Eukanot (mostly)
Alcohol By Volume: 5.0%

Unfiltered, un-fined and un-pasteurised, may pour hazy. Store upright and pour gently.

Serve cold and drink fresh.

Buying a full case? Save on shipping by ordering a full case by clicking here.

Muckle IPA (440ml can)

Regular price £3.60 Sale price £3.00

Unfiltered, un-fined and un-pasteurised, may pour hazy. Store upright and pour gently. Drink fresh!

THE BEER

Muckle means big and this is one mighty IPA. Breathe in the hops like you'd breathe in the fresh Orkney air! We put a lot of hops in Muckle but there's a pervading sweetness as well - it's a balanced IPA. Unfiltered, unfined and unpasteurised to ensure you get the full flavour. May pour hazy.

BREWSHEET

Style: IPA
Hops: Simcoe, Citra & Mosaic
Alcohol By Volume: 6.6%

Buying a full case? Save on shipping by ordering a full case by clicking here.

AWARDS

A few, including overall SIBA keg champion 2019!

Double Down (440ml can)

Regular price £3.20 Sale price £3.00

Double Down was the first beer that we both brewed and canned in Orkney, back in the Covid days when we'd just invested in our canning line.

This is the third (and probably last) batch of this beer and we think it's the best one yet!

4.5% ABV

Hopped with Amarillo, Simcoe and Mosaic.

Buying a full case? Save on shipping by ordering a full case by clicking here.

Peedie Taster Box

Regular price £37.00

MIXED TASTER BOX

Our most popular item, and for good reason!

Not sure what to try, or want to try a wide range of our beers? This one is for you.

No clicking around the website and checking your basket to get the best shipping rate, choose this taster box for a great range of Swannay beer and a branded glass. All boxed and ready to go.

Bottles and cans, pale and dark, low strength and high strength - beers of all styles are included and will vary depending on availability.

The beers you'll get (updated 11/01/23):

2 * Scapa Special (500ml bottle)

2 * Island Hopping (500ml bottle)

2 * Orkney IPA (500ml bottle)

2 * Orkney Blast (500ml bottle)

1 * Double Down (440ml can)

1 * Burn the Boats (440ml can)

1 * Muckle (440ml can)

1 * Ola Lager glass

Cheaper than buying individually (we've discounted the glass).

Swannay Cans Taster Box

Regular price £39.90 Sale price £36.00

A full box of 12 cans from our current selection.

Beer selection as of 11/01/23

3 * Burn the Boats (440ml can) 5% ABV

3 * Double Down (440ml can) 4.5% ABV

3 * Muckle (440ml can) 6.6% ABV

3* Voe (440ml can) 5% ABV

Rob Hill Classics Taster Pack

Regular price £36.60

THE ROB HILL CLASSICS

Some of Rob's original and still some of Swannay's best selling beers!

3 * Scapa Special (500ml bottle)

3 * Orkney IPA (500ml bottle)

3 * Island Hopping (500ml bottle)

3 * Orkney Blast (500ml bottle)

The Scapa Special Box

Regular price £32.45

SCAPA SPECIAL BOX

Our most popular beer, and for good reason!

Eleven Scapa Special 500ml bottles, plus a branded Scapa Special pint glass, boxed and ready to go.

The story (as written at the end of 2020):

Scapa Special was the first beer Rob brewed at Swannay and in normal times is the one we make the most of. Most pubs in Orkney have Scapa Special on hand pump and in the summer months some sell 100s of pints per week - to locals and visitors alike.

For the first time ever in our history, in 2020 we had to brew a half batch brew size of Scapa Special to balance up the reduced demand and our requirement for stock freshness.

The demand did not dry up completely and some Orkney pubs have managed to take a regular weekly delivery for most of the year. Some south pubs have helped us too but the total litres brewed of our flagship pale ale dropped to their lowest level for a long, long time.

Here are 11 bottles and brand new nucleated Scapa Special pint glass to drink it with.