When this blogger was still young enough to get into skinny jeans, Edinburgh’s Lothian Road was a bit of a no-go zone after, say, 8pm on a weekend night.

However, the times they are a changing and Lothian Road these days is moving closer to boutique than the battleground of old.

New bars like The Hanging Bat and Red Squirrel are helping to change the street’s profile in terms of its drinkers. Sipping craft beer rather than binge drinking is becoming the norm.

Big beer selection

The latest bar to join this slow and steady revolution is the Innis & Gunn Beer Kitchen which has opened in a former strip bar.

A couple of years back, the Edinburgh-based brewery had a pop-up on Potterrow but this Lothian Road venture is the first full time, dedicated bar from Innis & Gunn.

Naturally, Innis & Gunn products are prominent. The stand-out feature is the unpasteurised Innis & Gunn lager which is piped to the glass from the large tanks in the bar.

The Innis & Gunn beers are joined by a large selection of draught, bottled and canned brews from around the world.

Some, such as Lagunitas and Drygate will be familiar to beer fans. Others, such as those from Lervig or Wiper and True are perhaps more exotic.

Whatever way you look at it, the new bar has plenty of choice for both the beer connoisseur and those who are simply drouthy.

Breakfast smoothies

The beer offer is complimented by a pretty serious food offer with separate menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

After a heavy night, customers might appreciate a breakfast smoothie. Perhaps the blueberry, green-tea, honey and almond milk shake.

By the time that 6pm rolls around, the same customer might be revived enough to tackle the beef brisket which is smoked over Innis & Gunn wood chips before being served with green beans, parsnip purée and a rum finish beer sauce.