Midlothian-based Jump Ship Brewing, which describes itself as “Scotland’s first and only non-alcoholic brewery”, is celebrating its first-ever full production run of keg beer.

If noted the 30-litre kegs are “destined for the on-trade, not for in-home”, adding: “We are focusing for now on our Yardarm lager in draught format, with occasional limited release of other beers. We're going to watch and see how the market develops.”

A spokeswoman for Jump Ship, which has a team of five and is based at Pathhead in Midlothian, said: “This is our first-ever full production run of keg beer - we've only done a limited trial run before with select customers.”

Jump Ship, which currently has an annual output of 2,000 hectolitres, has also announced the release of its new summer series, Ocean Drift.

The independent brewing company, which describes itself as “one of only a handful of solely female-owned breweries in the UK”, moved to a new, purpose-built, 20-hectolitre brewery in Midlothian earlier this year.

So far in 2024, Jump Ship Brewing has secured listings in 44 Greene King pubs in Scotland and 32 venues within the Scotsman Group. It noted its products are “already sold in top venues around the UK including Gleneagles Townhouse, Maison by Glaschu and Inver”.

Sonja Mitchell, managing director of Jump Ship, said: “Consumers are increasingly looking for non-alcoholic alternatives this summer to allow them to sip without sacrificing taste. We've seen a massive increase in sales in the on-trade, with sales up nearly 60% compared to the same period last year. Our non-alcoholic beers are sold in over 300 venues across the UK, and we’ve recently started producing Yardarm lager in kegs, with our trial keg run selling out within three weeks.”

She added: “As we kick off our summer…we’re introducing our new Ocean Drift summer series, with Gooseberry Gose as the first limited-edition brew. The series, formerly known as Shore Leave, allows us to experiment with a new deliciously light and fruity beer every summer. This year’s Gooseberry Gose combines a touch of salt and a hint of coriander seed for a lightly soured and exceptionally drinkable beer, perfect for picnics and booze-free [barbecues].”

Ms Mitchell, who the brewery noted is “a keen sailor, beer-lover and mother of three”, decided to “jump ship” from her marketing job to launch her business.

Jump Ship said: “The idea behind Jump Ship was born in December 2019 out of a love of beer but a horror of hangovers. Keen to enable more people to enjoy great beer without the booze, Sonja set out to discover if she could produce a world-class, alcohol-free beer in Scotland. Jump Ship Brewing donates at least 10% of the profits to a variety of charities, which are nominated by Jump Ship’s customers or ‘ship mates’ as they are…called.”