The founder of a Scottish brewery has called on beer drinkers to “buy homegrown”, citing research showing its product was the “only Scottish-brewed” one to figure in the nation’s premium lager top ten for the off-trade.

Dougal Sharp, who founded Innis & Gunn in 2003 and has worked in the industry since 1987, highlighted his belief that much of the allure of some of the "continental lagers" within the rest of the list can be attributed to marketing.

Innis & Gunn noted its premium later “is now ranked as the number-six premium lager brand in the off trade in the latest Nielsen Data, making it the only homegrown premium lager in Scotland’s top 10”.

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Mr Sharp said: “What this current wave of Spanish, Italian and other continental beer drinking does show me is that people are ready to drink better, premium lagers, moving away from the bland, gassy mega-lagers of the past. And that is good.

“People seem to be drawn in by the marketing mirage of foreign beer. But the good news is that there are superb premium lagers brewed right here. And don’t take my word for it – two homegrown lagers have just won gold at the Beer Olympics, beating the biggest names in beer from around the world.

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“These two homegrown lagers are contributing to local agriculture and the rural economy, to jobs and communities in the process. And they require far fewer road miles than driving a lorry from Spain or Italy,”

Innis & Gunn’s premium lager is available to buy on draught in bars as well as in cans and bottles.

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The brewer noted that growth in its bottled lager sales, from launch to more than 340 stores since March, helped it towards a 5.8% growth in total lager sales in the last year.

Innis & Gunn said this made its product “one of the fastest-growing bottled premium lager brands in Scotland, and in the country’s top 10 lager brands by sales.”

Mr Sharp said: “We believe in our lager – there’s nothing else like it – so it’s amazing when that’s vindicated.

“Launching our bottled lager in supermarkets this year was a crucial milestone, and we are incredibly proud that more people than ever before are choosing our zesty and aromatic lager. Ultimately, we want to be Scotland’s favourite premium lager. This is another step towards that goal.”