Our story
Sloan's beer
Sloan’s beer was originally called Dwyers. It was 1st launched in 2019 in Thailand, but with Covid it was discontinued. In 2023 Andrew Sloan took on the beer and opened Dwyers import export company to manage production and regional distribution and second company called Creative Beverages Distribution for distribution in Thailand, providing draft and bottled beer in Thailand and the region.
Why call the beer Sloan's?
Quite simply the Sloan’s brand has a historical value going back to 1911 when Sloan’s Dairies was 1st established in Glasgow Scotland. Our founder of Sloan’s Beer who’s name is Andrew Sloan decided to re-establish the brand and its values, and share some of his family’s history before it disappears.
The Sloan’s name and Family tree goes back before 1448, when they owned land in Garrock, Dumfies in Scotland. The Sloan’s brand has been in existence since 1911, when Andrew Sloan, who was a tenant farmer in Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland gave up his tenancy and moved to Glasgow. There they collected milk from surrounding farms and set up milk delivery rounds around the Partick area, and opened their 1st shop in Merkland Street. This was the start of Sloan’s Dairies. A family business which was from the people and for the people, and is still remembered by many today.
THE
BEGINNING
Andrew Sloan’s family leave their Ayrshire farm, due to hard living standards farm and move to Glasgow in 1911 to open a dairy at Merkland Street., collecting milk from surrounding farms, supplying milks and running a bakery.
Son’s Andrew and George join the 1st World War leaving their sisters Margret, Jeanie and Jane to run the business with their ill father. He dies while their brothers were at war,. Andrew and George were refused leave to attend the funeral. The sisters struggled in a male dominated society until Andrew and Georges return.
From there the business grew building strong relationships with farmers and providing swift and efficient deliery services to sores and the door step alike. The Sloan’s Brand was established.
THE
EXPANSION
By 1969, Sloan’s Dairie was the largest private dairy in Scotland, employing more than 300 people, producing 17,000 Gallons of milk per day equivalent to 30,000 bottles of milk, as well as other dairy products like yogurt, cream, and butter.
In that year they opened, to much press interest, a new state of the art creamery and bottling plant with laboratories to ensure the highest standards of product in in Anniesland, Glasgow.
They further expanded by purchasing a number of dairies while retaining their family heritage in their communities. And openned depots around the coutry.
They had numerous shops around Glasgow and supplied product from Nairn and Aberdeen in the north of Scotland to the boders of Scotland.
SLOAN'S TODAY
Our founder Andrew Sloan had been asked to take over the retail business on completing his business degree, as all of the kids had learnt and worked in the business over the years and Andrew had run 3 of the stores in a district during a gap year. However, with the growing supermarkets and dying high street, Andrew decided to take some time overseas when he was 21. After backpacking around S.E. Asia and settling in Thailand, he was lucky enough to land a couple of local jobs, then was offered a job with Cable and Wireless Hong Kong in Bangkok. In 1996 he decided to open his own business in IT marketing and selling software and later a media and production house. Andrew has settled in Thailand where he has a family.
So why create Sloan’s Beer?
The opportunity arose, the beer is exceptional, the brew master second to none, production and costing made sense and there was no other beer like it in Thailand. With the real opportunity for export across the region. That with the other companies Andrew Sloan owns to market the business , the stars aligned and continue to do so.
SLOAN'S SOLD
Andrew Sloan Junior, worked up thought he company from a delivery boy and float driver, completed is Accountancy qualifications and after finishing his chartered accountancy apprenticeship rejoined the company working up from the shop floor, through the ranks. It seemed as original farmers no one was getting free ride, as many of the family found out.
In 1965, Andrew Sloan took over as Chairman and Managing Director of Sloan’s Dairies from his father, and the business continued to grow.
In 1966 Andrew Sloan Senior died and he was the last of the old guard. Unfortunately this lead to some family interference.
In 1972, Express Dairies showed interest in buying Sloan’s Dairies and due to some family issues, the majority of the shareholders voted to sell Sloan’s Dairies, with Andrew Sloan buying back the retail business consisting of 33 stores around Glasgow, which he ran until his retirement.