Edinburgh Breweries

Barney’s Beer is a long-loved craft brewery founded in 2011 by brewer Andrew “Barney” Barnett. Barney had worked in the brewing industry for years, studying brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University and gaining experience with larger breweries around the world before setting up his own. The brewery occupies a historic site at Summerhall in Edinburgh’s city centre, on the footprint of the original 18th-century Summerhall Brewery.

Barney’s is known for an open-minded, experimental approach to beer, producing hop-forward pales and IPAs alongside clean sours, red ales, and barrel-aged or mixed-fermentation beers under its Post Mortem range. They supply local bars, restaurants and bottleshops across the city and beyond, and have won regional awards for their quality and creativity.

Barney’s has no on-site taproom or store but within the wider Summerhall campus you’ll find their beers being served. Their Volcano IPA and Stones Throw Lager are mainstays of the Edinburgh Beer Box offering.

Bellfield Brewery was founded in 2015–2016 in Edinburgh by Alistair Brown and Giselle Dye who were inspired to brew after discovering they were coeliac and frustrated by the lack of tasty gluten-free beers. From the start, Bellfield committed to producing 100% gluten-free and vegan beers, each certified by Coeliac UK and the Vegan Society.

Based in the Stanley Place/Abbeyhill area, the brewery has grown from a pioneering gluten-free operation to a respected independent craft brewer, making styles from classic Czech-inspired pilsners and hoppy IPAs to golden ales and session lagers. Their beers are brewed in small batches with high-quality malts, hops and yeasts, with many winning awards at Scottish Beer Awards and other competitions.

Bellfield have an awarding winning on-site cosy taproom at their brewery in Abbeyhill. A great courtyard with covered seating really comes into its own during the summer. They now also operate and sell their beers, from the famous old Nobles’s Bar in Leith

Closet Brewing is a smaller independent brewery co-founded by Lucy Stevens and Lizzie Stevens, known for producing innovative, flavour-forward beers with creative ingredients and processes. While still relatively young, Closet has gained attention for its unique brewing styles and community focus, often showcasing its beers at local festivals and collaborating with the city’s vibrant craft beer community.

Cold Town was born out of local capital pub group ‘Signature’ owned by Nic Wood. Brewing began with the reopening of Robertson’s Church in the Grassmarket as “Cold Town House” with its own in-house micro-brewery.

With demand outstripping what could be brewed within the brew-pub, the main Cold Town Brewery was opened in Bonnington on Dunedin Street.  

Beers from Cold Town are typically easy drinking IPAs, Pales and Lagers that pair well with the bar’s food and vibrant atmosphere. Their Lager, Baltic IPA and Doddie Beir feature in Edinburgh Beer Boxes.

The venue has become known for hosting craft beer festivals and inviting breweries from across Scotland and beyond to pour their beers in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. Combining tanked brews and a selection of other local craft, Cold Town House is worthy of a visit for any beer lover.

Campervan Brewery started life in 2016, when its founder Paul Gibson began brewing beer in a garage and old 1973 VW campervan—hence the name. Soon they established a permanent brewery on Jane Street in Leith, expanding heavily in 2017 and again in 2023–24 with a larger brewing facility.

Campervan’s beers blend a spirit of adventure with quality craft brewing. Signature beers include Extra Black, Scotland’s first gluten-free nitro porter, and Leith Juice, a session IPA, alongside a rotating range of limited releases and barrel-aged projects.

Leith Juice and Leith Pils are mainstays within the Edinburgh Beer Boxes.

The brewery also runs a taproom next door, as well as their bar Lost in Leith down by the shore.

Moonwake Beer Co. entered Edinburgh’s brewing scene in 2021, established by Vinny Rosario and Fin Heslop they focus on precision brewing and balanced flavours. Located on Leith Shore, the brewery’s name evokes the reflection of the moon on water, symbolising both its coastal location and the reflective nature of its brewing philosophy.

Moonwake produces approachable but high-quality beers, from session lagers (Leith Helles) and pale ales to goses, IPAs and porters, gaining recognition through regional awards and building a loyal following. Its taproom overlooks the brewing equipment and is a popular destination in Leith, holding regular events.

Newbarns Brewery was founded in 2020 when Gordon McKenzie and Emma McIntosh from London’s Kernel Brewery returned north to open a brewery in Leith’s Jane Street.

While production began in earnest at the end of 2021, Newbarns quickly developed a reputation for its classic real ales, lagers and stouts.

Newbarns focuses on well-crafted traditional styles with a modern edge, often collaborating with UK and international brewers.

The brewery also operates a superb on-site taproom adjacent to the brewery that showcases its core range alongside seasonal and experimental beers.

Pilot Beer returned the art of brewing to Leith in 2013. when founders Matt Johnson and Patrick Jones met while studying for Masters degrees in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University and started brewing together in a garage before finding premises in Leith. Having moved from their original site in Pilot are firmly established as a Leith institution.  

Pilot brews a range of beers that emphasise drinkability and bold flavour. Leith Lager and Blond ipa are pouring from taps across the city, alongside bolder offerings like their Mochaccino Stout and Peach Melba Sour. Pilot have an onsite shop and operate a bar in Edinburgh’s New Town

Newt Brew is a small Edinburgh-based brewery located slightly out of town in Inveresk, Musselburgh.

Founded by brewer Mike, originally in Edinburgh’s New Town, Newt Brew crafts beers in small batches using a blend of traditional methods and modern equipment.

Newt produces a range of hand-crafted ales and lagers available in bottles, casks and cans, often featuring organic and locally sourced ingredients. Its beers can be found in pubs and bottle shops across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Stewart Brewing reignited the Edinburgh craft beer renaissance, founded in 2004 by Steve and Jo Stewart in Loanhead, just south of the city. Initially focusing on real ales, Stewart Brewing has grown to produce a broad range of casked, kegged and canned beers in a wide variety of styles.

Their beers are available in pubs across Edinburgh, the Lothians and beyond The brewery itself on the southern outskirts of Edinburgh includes a superb tap room with excellent pizzas are on offer.

Stewart’s also offer a well regarded on-site “Brew School” where you can spend the day making your own beer which you can collect once bottled.