Newbarns Taproom - The best beer in Edinburgh right now?
Newbarns Taproom - The best beer in Edinburgh right now?
Probably, yes.
What it’s about
Leith’s relationship with beer has a long history. Records of breweries here go back as far as 1670, and in the following centuries, the docks became the main route of import of grain for the thriving Edinburgh brewing industry. With the port came a concentration of establishments around the Shore, ready to welcome sailors stepping straight off a ship into the welcoming warmth – and stable ground – of the pub. The celebrated Younger’s brewery began here, before moving over to Edinburgh. But as mergers and takeovers slowly killed off the industry over the twentieth century, the art of brewing was lost in Leith.
Until a decade ago. Now, the industry is back, with some of the best beer you can find in Scotland’s capital.
In 2019, four friends from two big-time English craft breweries – The Kernel and Beavertown – decided to add to the burgeoning scene. With some old Molson Coors kit and a site secured on Jane Street, they were gearing up to produce good-quality, sensible-ABV draught beer. The kind of beer that’s perfect with a few friends at the pub. Then the pandemic hit.
I first encountered Newbarns beer in my local bottle shop. Instead of supplying pubs, the brewery started in 2020 with a quick change of strategy and sold its product in cans. But when the taproom finally opened a year ago… that’s when Newbarns really came into its own. The odd triangular shape of the place, in one corner of the brewery, means you enter through a narrow opening before the bar area opens up to you. On a brewing day, you’re hit with the toasty malt smell coming from the giant silver fermentation tanks. A relaxed vibe is usually augmented by one or two dogs lying sleepily beneath tables. A bar billiards table and a dart board line the wall next to the bar. A few board games are stacked up behind one table. And everyone is enjoying really, really good beer.
Each time I’ve visited, there have been eight taps on, including one cask. For me, the lagers are the star of the show, and I’ll always start with a helles or a pilsner. But you’ll also find a classic pale ale, a stout or two, maybe the latest collab with another brewery and a new IPA called Kynoch. I guarantee you won’t have a pint you don’t enjoy. The beer is the centrepiece here, as it should be, but there’s a fridge of soft drinks too. (My cider-drinking friend had to make do with a can of Coke.) Often you’ll find some snacks and sandwiches or rolls on the bar, but you can also order pizza in.
Long benches and fairy lights line the outside space in the summer. Blankets scattered around the place keep you warm in winter – the taproom is part of a high-ceilinged warehouse after all. Old brewery posters, beer mats and strings of hops adorn the walls, making this a welcoming space all year round. Honestly, go and try it. You won’t regret it.
The chaser
Donzoko brewery moved up from Hartlepool a couple of years ago and they use the Newbarns kit to brew. Their beer is well worth checking out too.
Where is it?
Open Thursday and Friday evenings, all day Saturday and Sunday.