][1]Drygate, the UK’s first experiential craft brewery, will open to the public in Glasgow tomorrow.
Promising collaboration, creativity and a range of beers that are ‘brewed fearlessly’, the Drygate Brewing Co. is located at Wellpark, in Glasgow’s East End, a ten minute walk from George Square. The site was formerly a derelict box factory dating to the Sixties.
Leading the food and drink offer will be The Vintage at Drygate. The Vintage model of offering craft beers and gourmet pub grub has expanded west after the much deserved success of the brand’s Edinburgh original branch in Leith.
][3]Fearless food for the soul
The Vintage at Drygate will serve a menu of ‘fearless food for the soul’, including British charcuterie such as spreadable chorizo, pork scratchings and smoked pigs’ cheeks.
Drygate also offers a 24 tap beer hall, an elevated beer garden, a bottle shop, a multifunctional venue / gallery space and a craft beer-inspired menu.
Drygate’s first on-site brew will begin on Monday. A panoramic glass wall will allow guests to watch the brewery in action from its bar and kitchen.
Craft brewers
An independent joint venture between C&C Group, the owner of Scotland’s oldest brewer, and Williams Bros. Brewing Co, one of Scotland’s most successful craft brewers, Drygate has brought together some of the industry’s brightest talents to form a brewing collective.
Together, Ed Evans, Jake Griffin and Alessandra Confessore will collaborate to create the beer of Drygate.
For all visitors, a core range of beer with label artwork designed by Glasgow School of Art alumni will be available at the bar: Bearface Lager, Gladeye IPA and Outaspace Apple Ale.
Over the next few months, other guest beers will regularly be created with the first examples expected to be available from early July. It is projected that up to one million litres of craft beer will be produced by Drygate in its first year.
][4]Create your own beer
By the end of June, customers will have the opportunity to create their own brews at Drygate. As an experiential brewery, anyone with an interest – from craft beer novices to aficionados – is encouraged to experiment on the Drygate Studio Kit, which can be booked in advance for individuals or groups to brew their own beer.
Project origins
Scott Williams explained how the project came about:
‘I was approached by C&C Chief Executive Stephen Glancey who had been watching what other international breweries were doing, particularly those in the US, and he wanted to break the mould here too. He admired what we were doing at Williams Bros. He showed me the Drygate building and said “There’s a blank canvas, what can you do with it?”
‘As a Glasgow native I’d always wanted to brew in the city, so this helped to accelerate things. For both us and C&C Group, Drygate is about investing in the next generation of craft brewers, letting them take the reins and brew fearlessly.’