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.
Rating breakdown
See how we score breweries for the full methodology.
Visiting
Block 2, Bilston Glen Industrial Estate, Loanhead, Midlothian
EH20 9LX
- 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
Related articles
7 min read
BrewDog vs Tennent's: Scotland's Two Beer Giants Compared
BrewDog vs Tennent's — Scotland's two biggest beer brands compared on history, beer, ownership and where each belongs. An honest, no-fluff read.
8 min read
Vault City Brewing Review: Scotland's Most Technically Ambitious Brewery
Vault City makes Scotland's most divisive beer — intensely fruited pastry sours. An honest review: who they're for, what to try first, where they sit.
9 min read
Best Cask Ale Pubs in Scotland: A Drinker's Guide
Scotland has fewer cask ale pubs than England, but the ones that do it well are outstanding. Here's where to drink real ale across Scotland — from Edinburgh's legendary pub scene to Highland gems.
Last updated 15 May 2026