Innis & Gunn

Innis & Gunn was one of Scotland's most recognised craft beer names before a turbulent early 2026 brought significant change. The Edinburgh-based brewery was founded in 2003 by Dougal Sharp, whose family had deep roots in Scottish brewing: his father led the management buyout of the Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh in the late 1980s. Dougal built Innis & Gunn around a distinctive approach to beer maturation, ageing lagers and ales in oak casks to add depth and character. That signature style, led by the flagship Original, helped the brand grow into more than 35 countries over the following two decades.

The brewery entered alcohol-free brewing in 2017 with Innis & None, a 0.0% pale ale brewed without fermentation to preserve hop character from the outset. It uses a notably assertive hop blend and includes added vitamin C, ginseng, and guarana, positioning it somewhere between a craft pale ale and a functional drink. Later, Innis & Gunn added a 0.0% lager to the range, brewed using Styrian Goldings and Super Styrian hops and built on a pale ale malt base. Both products sit at the more distinctive end of the AF lager and pale ale spectrum rather than chasing approachability.

In March 2026, Innis & Gunn went into administration and was acquired by C&C Group, the Irish drinks company that owns Tennent's, for £4.5 million. The Perth brewery and all taprooms closed, with most staff made redundant. C&C, which had been brewing Innis & Gunn at its Wellpark facility in Glasgow for years, intends to continue selling the brand through its existing infrastructure. What that means for the alcohol-free range in practice is unclear, but the brand and its IP are intact.

For now, Innis & None and the 0.0% lager remain the brand's AF contributions: Scottish in character, hop-forward, and slightly left of centre compared to the mainstream AF lager market. Worth a look if you prefer your alcohol-free beer to have some edge to it.

The Collection

0.0% Lager