Vault City brews up popularity with sour beer range
EDINBURGH-BASED brewer Vault City has announced it has expanded on its production capacity to keep up with customer demand as the firm reaches its eighth anniversary year.
The sour beer brewer has said that it is currently on track for its biggest year yet in terms of volume production, with the levels of sour beer produced forecast to rise by 38% when compared to 2023. Volumes of sour beer were already up at the brewer by 21% between 2023 and 2025, rising from 11,900 to 14,424 hectolitres.
As part of this massive increase in production, Vault City’s use of fruit is also anticipated to rise by 40%, since 2023, by the end of the year.
The brewer has said it has been looking to “push the boundaries” on sour beer production in recent years by releasing at least three new flavours every two weeks. Vault City’s more recent launches have included its new Tropical Sour – made using mango, mandarin and passion fruit – the TDH Hard Lemonade and its 999 GL which includes 999 grams of fruit per litre of beer, the legal maximum amount of fruit before it would be considered a cider.
And the Edinburgh brewer has recently picked up a major accolade as its Raspberry Sour brew has received a three-star award win at the Great Taste Awards 2026.
Steven Smith-Hay, co-founder of Vault City, said: “We’ve seen a real shift in customers wanting more fruit flavours in their drinks, and that goes well beyond beer. They increasingly want products made with real fruit because they value the authenticity behind those flavours, and that’s something we’ve doubled down on. We now use more than 200,000 kilograms of Scottish‑sourced strawberries, raspberries and other fruits each year, supported by a strong supplier network.
“We’ve also made a conscious effort to intensify flavour by increasing the amount of fruit in our beers, especially the more ‘smoothie‑like’ styles. But what matters most is that we’ve built a niche family of products and a dedicated community around them, and both have grown organically as we expand our range.
“A big part of that story has been reinvesting back into the brewery to strengthen how we operate and set ourselves up for the long term, and this feels like the right moment to consider our next steps. We want to be known not just for sour beers, but for flavour more broadly. It’s an exciting time for Vault City as we edge closer to a decade in business, and we’re committed to exploring new ideas while staying true to what brought us here in the first place.”
