Happy New Year to all our 5pm Dining blog readers. Welcome back for another year of piping hot food and drink news.
If you are taking part in Dry January or simply putting a cork in it for a few days, you may wish to skip today’s blog.
And that is because we are going to kick off 2018 with news of Scotland’s Craft Beer Map.
Launched by VisitScotland in between Christmas and Hogmanay, it seems to have been a bit overlooked.
However, if you have watched with interest as Scotland’s craft beer scene has boomed over the last few years then it is worth a swatch.
Apparently, Scotland now has more than 115 breweries. These stretch from the Valhalla Brewery on Unst in Shetland to Portpatrick Brewery near Stranraer.
Scotland’s Craft Beer Map currently lists 77 of them with more being added.
Virtual visitors can explore beers by region, find their favourite brands and book in for tours and tastings.
Scotland’s Craft Beer Map: plot your 2018 pints
Steve Duncan, VisitScotland Marketing Manager, said: ‘Beer is pretty big business in Scotland. With more than 115 breweries operating across the country, the variety and quality of beer and ale being produced… is greater than ever.
‘This new interactive map, which can be easily updated, has been created to make it easy for visitors to include a brewery tour as part of a holiday in Scotland as well as recognising the growing interest in Scotland’s craft beer sector.’
Naturally, the map includes the established big boys of Scotland’s craft beer scene – Hello BrewDog, Innis & Gunn and Williams Bros.
It also details more veteran players such as Broughton Brewery, Harviestoun and Caledonian Brewery.
More recent ventures shown include Abernyte, Eyeball Brewing and Fierce Beer.
As well as showing the location of each brewery, each entry details the main beers they brew and the availability of tours.
Scotland’s Craft Beer Map is a fun browse for beer-lovers and useful for anyone planning a beer-themed break in Scotland in 2018.
We’ll be back over the next couple of days with a look ahead to the new bars and restaurants which are pencilled in to launch in Glasgow and Edinburgh over the next few months.