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(Courtesy Innis & Gunn)
Innis & Gunn, Scotland’s second biggest craft brewer behind BrewDog, has announced plans to build a new £20M brewery at Heriot-Watt University’s research park, to the west of the Scottish capital, the UK’s first major collaboration between a full-scale brewery and a university.
Founded by Dougal Gunn Sharp, Innis & Gunn whisky cask beer was first released in Edinburgh in 2003, but that’s not where it’s currently brewed. The majority of Innis & Gunn’s beers are currently contract brewed at Tennent’s Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow.
Innis & Gunn stated that the project will result in a “center for brewing studies and applied learning on the world stage” and added that it was aiming to replicate other brewing universities around the world, such as Weinstephan in Germany.
Once completed the new brewery will produce all of Innis & Gunn’s core offerings as well as its barrel-aged beers. It will also house a high-speed canning, bottling and kegging line, eliminating the need to outsource elements of the production process.
Edinburgh’s first major brewery for 150 years will also feature a destination visitor center, according to the Drinks Business and also offer tours and a tap room, which is to be added at a later date.
Innis & Gunn’s existing brewery in Perthshire, Scotland will continue to make a range of cask and bottled ales, and will also be a dedicated site for small scale projects and limited-edition barrel aged brews.
Commenting on the news, Innis & Gunn, Dougal Sharp, was clearly excited the company’s next step as well as its collaboration with the university…
“Building this brewery is a big step for Innis & Gunn in delivering our ambitious growth plan, from which we can capitalize on the existing strong performance of our craft lager and portfolio of IPAs and barrel-aged beers.”
“Working with the International Centre of Brewing and Distilling opens up endless opportunities by combining our creative abilities and the talent pool at the university with our new world class, modern brewery. We hope to be able to research new beers and brewing techniques, develop pioneering carbon and water saving technologies and create new products that respond to changing demands from consumers, as well as facilitating in-work learning for students.”
“Edinburgh was in the past a center of brewing renown, with over 40 breweries in the capital. We are especially proud to be part of the revitalization of Edinburgh as a world center for brewing. Having our brewery here, where we first brewed Innis & Gunn, completes the journey I started back in 2003.”
The UK, which found its way into craft beer movement some years later than in the states is in the midst of what some a calling a beer renaissance. And Innis & Gunn’s future home hopes to further that momentum with its new brewery and true beer destination.
