Innis & Gunn
A Scottish craft beer brand best known for beers aged with whisky, bourbon, rum, and other oak-barrel influences.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Innis & Gunn is a Scottish brewery and craft beer brand founded in Edinburgh in 2003 by brewer Dougal Gunn Sharp. The company developed its identity around barrel-influenced beer, particularly beers matured with whisky casks or oak treated with spirit. Its flagship Original became associated with a distinctive combination of caramelized malt, oak, vanilla, and bourbon-derived notes, helping the brand occupy a premium position within the packaged beer market. The company emerged from Sharp's brewing background at Edinburgh's Caledonian Brewery. The Innis & Gunn name is derived from the middle names of Sharp and his brother. Rather than initially building a large independent brewing estate, the business used brewing and production partnerships as it developed. From 2014, it contract brewed at Tennent's Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow, while continuing to operate as a Scottish brand headquartered in Edinburgh. Its products were exported to more than 35 countries, giving the company a broader international footprint than many independent Scottish breweries. The brand's core proposition is the adaptation of maturation techniques traditionally associated with spirits to beer. Original was aged using bourbon casks and bourbon-infused oak heartwood in specialized vessels known as Oakerators. Other products extended the concept into rum-barrel maturation and barrel-inspired dark, red, IPA, lager, and golden-ale styles. The portfolio therefore combines recognizable beer categories with a distinctive wood-aging narrative rather than relying solely on conventional style segmentation. Innis & Gunn expanded beyond packaged beer through brewery taprooms. Its first taproom opened in Edinburgh in summer 2015 and received the UK Casual Dining Concept Award in 2016. Further locations followed in Dundee and Glasgow's Ashton Lane, with the venues combining beer service, seasonal food, and a more direct consumer relationship. In late 2016, the company raised £2.4 million through crowdfunding to support growth and acquire Inveralmond Brewery in Perth. Inveralmond added brewing capacity and brought products such as Ossian Golden Ale into the wider business. The company continued to develop international distribution, including a 2017 agreement covering distribution of The Original in China. In 2017, it reported selling 2.5 million cases across more than 35 countries. These figures reflected the brand's emphasis on export markets and packaged retail as well as hospitality. According to the supplied reference material, Innis & Gunn entered administration in March 2026. C&C Group, the owner of Tennent's, subsequently purchased the brand and its intellectual property. The reported transaction resulted in the closure of the Perth brewery and all Innis & Gunn taprooms, with staff made redundant. Under this ownership structure, the brand's future is primarily associated with its intellectual property, beer portfolio, and C&C Group's production and distribution capabilities rather than with the former standalone brewery and taproom estate.
History
Innis & Gunn was established in Edinburgh in 2003 by brewer Dougal Gunn Sharp. Sharp had entered the alcoholic-drinks industry through Edinburgh's Caledonian Brewery, where his father had been involved in a management buyout in 1987. Sharp's experience in brewing and the family connection to Caledonian provided the practical foundation for creating a new Scottish beer business. The brand name comes from the middle names of Sharp and his brother. The company's early identity was shaped by a maturation experiment involving beer and whisky casks. This led to the development of beers whose flavor came not only from malt, hops, and fermentation but also from oak and residual spirit character. The approach became the basis of Innis & Gunn Original, the brand's best-known beer. Original was matured using bourbon casks over bourbon-infused oak heartwood in specialized vessels called Oakerators. The result gave the beer a recognizable profile featuring oak, vanilla, caramel, and bourbon-associated notes. As the business grew, Innis & Gunn combined its own brand development with external production arrangements. From 2014, it contract brewed at Tennent's Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow. This allowed the brand to increase production and serve export markets without depending entirely on a small standalone brewing site. The company ultimately sold beer in more than 35 countries, making international distribution an important part of its operating model. Innis & Gunn broadened its portfolio beyond Original. Blood Red Sky replaced an earlier rum-cask beer and used Jamaican rum barrels to create a red beer with a spirit-and-oak character. Gunnpowder IPA provided a hop-forward option, while Innis & Gunn Lager Beer addressed the mainstream lager segment with a craft-oriented presentation. Ossian Golden Ale came from Inveralmond Brewery and carried an award history that included recognition as Champion Beer of Scotland. The company also developed hospitality operations. Its first brewery taproom opened in Edinburgh in summer 2015. The venue combined craft beer with seasonal food and won the UK Casual Dining Concept Award in 2016. Later taprooms opened in Dundee and on Glasgow's Ashton Lane. The Glasgow site was described as the largest of the company's taproom units, giving the brand a more visible presence in major Scottish cities and a direct retail and experiential channel. A major expansion step came in late 2016, when Innis & Gunn raised £2.4 million through crowdfunding. The campaign exceeded its £1 million target in 72 hours. The capital supported the purchase of Inveralmond Brewery in Perth, adding a physical brewing asset and strengthening the company's Scottish production base. In 2017, the company reported sales of 2.5 million cases in more than 35 countries, and it signed a Chinese distribution deal for The Original. The supplied reference material reports a major change in March 2026. Innis & Gunn entered administration, after which C&C Group, the owner of Tennent's, acquired the brand and its intellectual property. The reported outcome included closure of the Perth brewery and all taprooms, together with redundancies affecting the workforce. This shifted Innis & Gunn from an independently operated brewery and hospitality business toward a brand managed within a larger drinks group. The continuing status of individual products, brewing locations, and distribution arrangements should be verified against current corporate and regulatory records.
- 2026
Administration and acquisition by C&C Group
[1]The supplied reference reports that the company enters administration and that C&C Group acquires the brand and intellectual property, followed by closure of the Perth brewery and taprooms.
- 2017
Chinese distribution agreement
[1]Innis & Gunn signs a Chinese distribution deal for The Original.
- 2017
Reported international sales reach 2.5 million cases
[1]The company reports selling 2.5 million cases in more than 35 countries.
- 2016
Edinburgh taproom receives UK Casual Dining Concept Award
[1]The Edinburgh taproom is recognized with the UK Casual Dining Concept Award.
- 2016
Crowdfunding supports Inveralmond acquisition
[1]A crowdfunding campaign raises £2.4 million and supports the purchase of Inveralmond Brewery in Perth.
- 2015
First Innis & Gunn taproom opens
[1]The first brewery taproom opens in Edinburgh, creating a direct hospitality channel for the brand.
- 2014
Contract brewing begins at Wellpark Brewery
[1]The company begins contract brewing at Tennent's Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow as part of its production model.
- 2003
Innis & Gunn is founded
[1]Dougal Gunn Sharp establishes the Scottish brewery and beer brand in Edinburgh.
Products and positioning
Premium Scottish craft beer centered on barrel-aging, oak maturation, spirit-derived flavor, and distinctive packaged and draught offerings.
Barrel-aged ale
Innis & Gunn Original
The flagship Innis & Gunn beer. It is matured with bourbon-cask influence over bourbon-infused oak heartwood in specialized Oakerator vessels. The beer is associated with rich malt, caramel, vanilla, oak, and spirit-derived flavors. Initially sold as a bottled product, Original later became available in bottles, cans, and draught formats. Its distinctive maturation process is central to the brand's identity.
Rum-barrel-aged red beer
Blood Red Sky
A red beer that replaced the earlier Rum Cask product in the core range. It is matured using Jamaican rum barrels, extending Innis & Gunn's use of spirit-barrel character beyond whisky and bourbon. The beer is listed at 6.8% ABV and has been offered in bottles and on draught.
India pale ale
Gunnpowder IPA
A hop-focused India pale ale that broadens the portfolio beyond barrel-aged flagship beers. Gunnpowder IPA is listed at 5.6% ABV and has been sold in cans, bottles, and draught formats.
Lager
Innis & Gunn Lager Beer
A craft-brewed lager designed to provide a lighter, more familiar style within the Innis & Gunn range. It is listed at 4.6% ABV and has been available in cans, bottles, and draught formats.
Golden ale
Ossian Golden Ale
A golden ale brewed at Inveralmond Brewery and associated with the brewery's Scottish award history, including recognition as Champion Beer of Scotland. It is listed at 4.1% ABV and has been sold in cans, bottles, and draught formats.
Rum-barrel-aged beer
Rum Cask
An earlier rum-cask beer in the Innis & Gunn portfolio. It was subsequently replaced by Blood Red Sky, which retained the brand's use of rum-barrel maturation in a revised core product.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Innis & Gunn crowdfunding campaign
United Kingdom
The company used crowdfunding to raise growth capital from supporters and beer consumers. The campaign exceeded its £1 million target within 72 hours and ultimately raised £2.4 million.
Outcome. The funds helped finance expansion and the acquisition of Inveralmond Brewery in Perth.
Brand decisions
2026
Sell brand and intellectual property to C&C GroupM&ABackground
The supplied reference reports that Innis & Gunn entered administration in March 2026.
Action taken
C&C Group, owner of Tennent's, purchased the Innis & Gunn brand and its intellectual property.
Aftermath
The Perth brewery and all taprooms were reportedly shut down and staff made redundant. The future production and distribution model requires current-source verification.
2017
Develop Chinese distributionStrategyBackground
International exports were a significant part of the brand's growth strategy.
Action taken
Innis & Gunn signed a distribution agreement in China for The Original.
Aftermath
The agreement extended the flagship beer's international availability.
2016
Acquire Inveralmond BreweryM&ABackground
Innis & Gunn raised expansion capital while seeking a stronger physical brewing base in Scotland.
Action taken
The company used crowdfunding proceeds to purchase Inveralmond Brewery in Perth.
Aftermath
The acquisition added a Perth brewing site and brought products such as Ossian Golden Ale into the wider portfolio.
2015
Expand into branded taproomsStrategyBackground
The company sought to create direct consumer experiences around its beer and food offer.
Action taken
It opened its first brewery taproom in Edinburgh and later added locations in Dundee and Glasgow.
Aftermath
The taprooms became a hospitality and brand-building channel, although the supplied reference reports that all were later closed in 2026.
2014
Adopt contract brewing at Wellpark BreweryStrategyBackground
The brand needed production capacity for its growing domestic and export business.
Action taken
Innis & Gunn began contract brewing at Tennent's Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow.
Aftermath
The arrangement became part of the company's production model while the brand expanded across international markets.
Sources2 sources
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