Vault City Brewing
Last updated 15 May 2026
Scotland's most technically ambitious brewery. Vault City specialises in sour beer — specifically, the intensely fruited pastry sours that have become a global craft beer phenomenon. Their beers taste like liquid desserts: strawberry cheesecake, mango lassi, blackcurrant crumble, each brewed with real fruit and pastry-inspired adjuncts. The quality control is exceptional — no off-flavours, no acetaldehyde, no shortcuts. Divisive by nature (purists hate pastry sours; everyone else loves them), but the craft is undeniable. Their Session Sour range at 4.5% is the accessible entry point. The imperial versions at 8-10% are for committed sour fans.
Scotland's most divisive brewery, and arguably its most technically ambitious. Vault City makes sour beers that taste like liquid desserts — Strawberry Sundae, Mango Lassi, Pineapple Crumble. Either you'll love them or dismiss them; nobody's neutral. Worth tasting once even if you suspect you'll hate it.
Tasting the flagship: Session Sour (various fruit, 4.5%)
Massive real-fruit on the nose. Strawberry batch reads like a strawberry milkshake; mango batch like fresh mango juice.
Sweet then tart, then sweet again. Fruit puree texture; surprisingly low alcohol for the intensity.
Lingering fruit sweetness, gentle lactic snap. Drinks more like a dessert than a beer.
Flavour profile
- hops1/5
- malt1/5
- bitterness0/5
- body4/5
- sweetness5/5
- abv2/5
Drinker-axis profile across the brewery’s core range, scored 0–5.
Visiting
BioCampus, Midlothian Science Zone, Roslin, Midlothian (relocated from Bilston Glen, Loanhead, in 2025/26)
- Glasgow
- 1h · ~45 miles · M8 then A720 city bypass to Loanhead.
- Edinburgh
- 20m · ~7 miles · A772 south to Loanhead.
Lothian Bus 37 from Edinburgh city centre to Loanhead — 35 min.
On-site industrial-estate parking (not visitor-facing; tap room not open).
Beers to try
Session Sour (rotating fruit)
Kettle sour · 4.5% · 5 IBU
The entry point. Real-fruit kettle sour at session strength — strawberry, mango, raspberry, peach versions rotate.
Food pairing: Fresh goat's cheese, brunch, fruit-led desserts.
Strawberry Sundae
Pastry sour · 6% · 5 IBU
Strawberry, vanilla, lactose. Reads like a strawberry milkshake — divisive but loved. The flagship.
Food pairing: Vanilla ice cream, shortbread, fresh strawberries.
Mango Lassi
Lassi-inspired sour · 6% · 5 IBU
Mango puree + lactose + cardamom. Indian-dessert references; works.
Food pairing: Spicy curry, mango chutney, fresh paneer.
Where to buy
| cask | keg | bottle | can |
|---|---|---|---|
No No cask programme. | Yes Selected craft taps; rotating fruit batches. | No | Yes 440ml cans. Brewery shop, off-licences, and online. |
Format availability for the core range. Limited / seasonal releases may differ — check individual beer cards above.
Supermarkets: Tesco Edinburgh stores occasionally stock Session Sour; otherwise specialist-retail and online only.
- Vault City online shopDirect
Full range plus limited brewery-only batches. Free UK delivery over £35.
- Beer HawkOnline retailer
Strong Vault City selection including older batches.
- Salt Horse EdinburghBottle shop / bar · Edinburgh
Always has Vault City fresh — short walk from Royal Mile.
Direct delivery: Vault City Brewing online shop · UK mainland + international (Germany, Sweden) · Free over £35
Food pairings
Sweet beers need contrast or amplification. Goat's cheese and brunch dishes work; sharp desserts amplify the fruit; spicy food works surprisingly well with the lactic acidity.
| Beer | Food | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberry Sundae | Vanilla ice cream, shortbread, Eton mess | Doubles down on the dessert reference — works as the dessert itself. |
| Mango Lassi | Spicy lamb curry, paneer dishes, mango chutney | Lactic acidity refreshes between curry bites; mango amplifies. |
| Session Sour (raspberry batch) | Brunch waffles, soft cheese | Tart raspberry cuts through cream, balances waffle sweetness. |
How it’s brewed
Sour-led, fruit-forward, dessert-influenced. The brewery is purpose-built for kettle sours; no traditional cask programme.
Mid-craft — ~6,500 hl/year
~1.1 million pints (2024)
Heavy real-fruit additions — strawberry, mango, pineapple, passion fruit. Maris Otter base. Lactobacillus and house yeast strains.
- Kettle sours
- Pastry sours
- Fruit-forward beers
Head brewer
Co-founded Vault City in 2018 with Lewis Pugsley after a stint at BrewDog. Started in a Glasgow lock-up brewing kettle sours; now operates from a purpose-built Loanhead facility.
Approach: Push the sour category beyond what most brewers attempt — high fruit loading, dessert-influenced flavour profiles, no apology for the sweetness.
Timeline
- 2018Founded by Steven Smith-Hay and Lewis Pugsley.
- 2020Moved to Loanhead industrial facility. Production scales 10×.
- 2021Untappd top-rated UK brewery.
- 2023Expanded into European export (Germany, Sweden).
Awards
- SIBA Scotland Brewery of the Year2022
- Untappd UK Top 25 Brewery2023
- Scottish Beer Awards — Innovation in Brewing2021
- Read the can — each fruit batch is a separate brew. Strawberry Sundae 2024 batch ≠ 2023 batch. Untappd-style numbered batches matter here.
- First-time Vault City drinkers should start with Session Sour, not Strawberry Sundae. 4.5% ABV vs 6% and less aggressive sweetness.
- If you like the fruit but find the lactose-led pastry sours cloying, look for the non-pastry Sour Friend series — same fruit, no lactose, drier.
- Vault City beers don't keep — drink fresh. Anything over 4 months old has noticeably duller fruit.
Best time to visit
Vault City is production-only — there's no tap room to visit. The beers travel well; best experience is at a good Edinburgh craft bar (Salt Horse) with fresh-pour cans.
Weather: Not relevant — no public visitor space.
Vault City Brewing FAQ
+Can I visit Vault City brewery?
No — Vault City is production-only. There's no tap room and no public tour. Find the beers fresh at Edinburgh craft bars (Salt Horse, The Hanging Bat) or order from the brewery's online shop.
+What's the best Vault City beer for a first-time drinker?
Session Sour — usually fruit-rotated (strawberry, mango, raspberry, peach). At 4.5% ABV it's more approachable than the 6% pastry sours and shows the sour-fruit character without the lactose sweetness.
+Are Vault City beers very sweet?
The pastry-sour core range (Strawberry Sundae, Mango Lassi) is yes — lactose adds noticeable residual sweetness. The Session Sour line is drier.
+Do Vault City beers keep well?
Not really. Real-fruit additions degrade — anything over 4 months past best-before has noticeably duller fruit. Drink fresh.
Other City of Edinburgh breweries
At a glance
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Last updated 15 May 2026