Shilling Brewing Company

Scotland has enjoyed beer for a very long time. The cold, grey, wet which presides over the country for what feels like most of the year has always been a marvellous excuse to embed yourself somewhere warm with a pint of something frothy.

Over the years, we've gotten very good at it: we now brew better and more than ever before, with bars across the nation now decked out with a vast array of craft beers, session ales and all those other fancy-ass beers that come without a big red 'T' on the glass. With Scottish beer undergoing a period of rapid evolution, the Shilling Brewing Company is staking its claim to the very top of the new food chain.

Carved out from a former bank building on the corner of West George Street, the brewpub's sheer size is immediately imposing. Its high ceilings and bare style – muted stone walls and plain metallic furnishing – give it an almost ascetic feel, the impression that you are now stepping foot inside a beer cathedral. Cider drinkers will be denounced as blasphemers. And no, you may not have a dash of lemonade on the top of that.

With a grand total of 31 draught lines, Shilling has the competition beat on pure numbers and backs it up with real quality too. Serving a range of small-batch micro-brews cooked up right behind the bar, their ever-changing roster ensures something for everyone and something new for even the most seasoned sud-slinger. And for the ever undecided, how about a four-beer taster selection for a fiver?

Serving a range of gourmet pizzas made from locally-sourced ingredients and baked on-site to accompany the pints, the Shilling Brewing Company is expertly equipped to introduce you to today's thriving beer scene.