Food & Beer Culture

Scottish Ale pairs well with haggis, neeps and tatties. Haggis is a spiced sausage made from sheep offal, oats and onions; neeps are swedes (rutabagas); tatties are potatoes. The malt's sweetness and roast round out the peppery notes. On Burns Night, 25 January, the birthday of the poet Robert Burns, this dish appears on tables across Scotland.

Cullen Skink, a thick soup of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions, goes well with a light 60/- or a pale ale with little hop character. Scottish pies, small pastries filled with minced mutton, and fish and chips with malt vinegar are pub classics. For dessert, there's Cranachan with oats, raspberries and cream, paired well with a sweetish Wee Heavy in a small measure. Those who prefer lighter fare take a 70/- with fish.

The pub is Edinburgh's living room. Along the Royal Mile and in the Canongate, many houses still have handpumps and dark wood. You order at the bar, pay immediately, and buy rounds, with everyone taking a turn. A pint is the standard measure, a half the smaller one.

The year has two great festive stretches. In August, the Edinburgh Fringe fills the city with stages, and Deuchars IPA was at one time a festival partner. At Hogmanay, Scotland's New Year's Eve on 31 December, the city celebrates in the streets. Those drinking beer do so in moderation, and often just a half is enough alongside the food.