Double Gold Standard: Innis & Gunn crowned Scotland’s best at World Beer Awards
- Guild Secretary
- Aug 18
- 4 min read
Innis & Gunn wins double gold at the World Beer Awards 2025, crowned best in Scotland for the second year running.
The Original takes gold in the Wood Aged category, while Lager Beer retains gold in Classic Pilsener.
The brewery continues its momentum after a huge year of cultural partnerships, including the Edinburgh Fringe, Celtic Connections, and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Innis & Gunn beers are now enjoyed in 20+ countries worldwide, with particular popularity in Canada and Sweden.
INNIS & Gunn has claimed double gold on the global stage, winning best in Scotland for the second year running at the World Beer Awards.
The World Beer Awards are an annual global competition judged by international beer experts to crown the best brews in each style and country.
The win marks another accolade for The Original, which has been winning awards for the past 22 years, and this year secured gold in the Wood Aged category. Lager Beer also retained its crown as gold winner in the Classic Pilsener category. Both beers topped the Scottish charts as Country Winners in their category.
Lager Beer, brewed with naked golden oats and zesty aromatic hops for a crisp, refreshing taste, continues to outperform major international brands in blind tastings.
The Original, launched in 2003 and matured using oak for a smooth, rich flavour, is the beer that first put Innis & Gunn on the map. Boasting 22 years of heritage and a unique maturation process using hand-selected single malt whisky casks, it develops a rich, smooth character with layers of vanilla, toffee, citrus and gentle oak. Its honey-gold colour and velvety mouthfeel set it apart, delivering a balanced, complex beer - and now has gold to show for it.
Dougal Gunn Sharp, founder and master brewer, said: “This is an immensely proud moment for the team, particularly seeing Lager Beer maintain back-to-back gold status. World leading beer that could only come from Scotland. unique, we’ve been making Original for over two decades and it continues to win awards and delight customers in Scotland and beyond.
“This is the global benchmark for brewing excellence, and a real testament to the hard work and craft of the team. Scotland’s brewing scene is world-class and these wins put Scottish beer firmly on the global map.”
Innis & Gunn Original is a leading imported speciality beer in several export markets loved all across the world and exported to x countries. It’s particularly popular in Canada and Sweden, and is found in 20 other countries.
The World Beer Awards celebrate the very best beers from around the globe, with entries judged for outstanding flavour, quality and innovation. Breweries from across Scotland and beyond compete in style categories ranging from lagers to speciality and wood-aged beers.
It comes on the back of a huge year for Innis & Gunn, who kicked off the Fringe by transforming a site in Edinburgh into the open-air food and drink destination Stockbridge Social on Raeburn Place. The venue, which opened last month on the site once home to the Neighbourhood Market, has quickly become a festival hotspot. The second year of Innis & Gunn's wider partnership with The Fringe has seen the return of popular pop-up The Mound, showcasing the best of Scottish talent.
The brewery also became headline partner of the Celtic Connections folk music festival in a landmark five-year deal, further expanding its connection to and support of Scottish culture. This follows its continued role as official beer partner for other major Scottish events including the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival.
Full list of the World Beer Awards 2025 winners below:
Gold – Country Winners
Innis & Gunn – The Original (6.6%) — Wood Aged.
Innis & Gunn – Lager Beer (4.6%) — Classic Pilsener.
Paolozzi – Helles Lager (5.2%) — Helles/Münchner.
Anti Establishment – Double Hazy IPA (7.2%) — Imperial/Double/DIPA.
Tennents – Extra (9.0%) — Bock.
Jackstaff – IPA (0.5%) — NO & LOW: IPA.
Tennents – Light (3.4%) — Gluten-free.
Silver
Arran – Milestone Special Reserve (6.0%) — Wood Aged.
Harviestoun Brewery – Schiehallion (4.8%) — Classic Pilsener.
Bronze
Arran – Dark (4.3%) — English Style Brown Ale.
Tennents – Lager (4.0%) — Classic Pilsener.
Untitled – IPA (5.5%) — English Style IPA.
Harviestoun Brewery – Ochil Lager (4.0%) — Czech Style Pale.
Freedom – 4.8% Organic Helles Lager (4.8%) — Helles/Münchner.
Tennents – Gluten Free (5.0%) — Hoppy Pilsener.
Tennents – 1885 (5.0%) — International Lager.
ENDS.
About Innis & Gunn:
Since the company was founded in 2003, Innis & Gunn has been determined to do things differently in the world of brewing. Starting with innovative oak cask maturation for our flagship beer, ‘The Original’, we have gone on to create a whole line up of boundary-pushing beers. Including distinctive, limited edition and rare beers, and The Innis & Gunn Lager Beer – recently celebrated and recognised at The Great Taste Awards. They’re now one of the UK’s most successful premium beer brewers. Still pioneering, still innovating and still doing things differently, to excite and intrigue beer lovers all over the world. Innis & Gunn is the official beer sponsor of many iconic events including the Royal Highland Show, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Belladrum music festival in Inverness.
Follow Innis & Gunn:
Twitter: @innisandgunn
Instagram: @innisandgunn
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Issued on behalf of Innis & Gunn by Story Shop. For more information, product samples or interview requests, please contact madeleine@wearestoryshop.com / 07395 552 529
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