Proud to be Edinburgh’s only microbrewery, Barney’s brews a range of classic beers alongside the odd special.
Barney’s started brewing at Summerhall in July 2012 in time to supply the venue’s Royal Dick Bar for the Fringe, but Barney himself began brewing aged 16 as a brewery apprentice. After bagging a first class degree in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University and packing in a high flying career promoting rum and whisky around the world, Barney decided it was high time he started to brew his own beer.
In doing so, his immaculate microbrewery has injected new life into Edinburgh’s brewing history, not least because he’s chosen to resurrect a brewery at Summerhall where beer has been brewed off and on for three centuries. Barney’s regularly brewed beers feature Good Ordinary Pale Ale, Red Rye and Volcano IPA, while more occasional beers include Capital Porter and Beet Red Beer. If you fancy a tipple, Barney’s Beer can be sampled in some of Edinburgh finest pubs including the Royal Dick Bar at Summerhall, The Roseleaf, Brass-Monkey and The Reverie, or you can pick up a bottle or two from some of the city’s best off licences such as Provenance Beer & Wine, Great Grog and Henderson Wines.
Beer and history lovers alike will enjoy peek behind the brewery doors on a brewery tour, where Barney reveals how he makes his beers and shares his extensive knowledge of the city’s, and the wider world’s, rich brewing history. Group tours can be booked directly through Barney himself, while individuals can visit Barney’s and discover more about Edinburgh’s brewing heritage on an Edinburgh Beer Tour, which run weekdays from 2pm-4.30pm and cost £20 per person. Tel 07756 960 740.
Reviewed and Recommended by Lesley Anne Rose lesleyannerose.co.uk
Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh EH9, UK
