At its height, in the 19th century, Edinburgh's brewing industry comprised of some 40 or so breweries. The smell of Edinburgh's proliferating breweries helped make its nickname "Aulde Reekie" stick. While, today, small brewing operations can be found in and around Edinburgh, the Caledonian Brewery, aka "the Caley", is the last remaining of the original Victorian breweries in operation. The Brew House, set in a red brick building in Edinburgh's Slateford area, remains relatively unchanged since 1869. Its best-known beers are Caledonian 80 and Deuchars IPA, award-winning ales that you can find in many Edinburgh pubs.
In 2010, as part of the Edinburgh Fringe, the Caley hosted comedy competition Take the Mic (16-22 Aug, 7pm) in its heritage centre.