no. 052 | Campervan
After a return to Wales last month, we’re back in Scotland for the first time in a year and a half. Introducing batch no. 052 and December’s feature brewery: Leith-based Campervan.
In the beginning, it was a battered 1973 VW campervan called Olive, a modest home-brew kit, and a man with a dream. For Campervan Brewery’s founder, Paul Gibson, brewing became a refuge. Dealing with serious illnesses suffered by his wife and daughter, he rediscovered a few long-term loves between hospital visits and sleepless nights, including home brewing.
What started as garage-brews soon outgrew their humble beginnings. Encouraged by early success, Paul took a leap of faith and in 2017 Campervan Brewery officially launched in Leith, Edinburgh. Those early days involved a lot of experimenting, from far-out porters to a heavy-handed 8% Grapefruit Double IPA. “It was probably somewhat naïve,” Paul laughs, “but the very select number of buyers said it sold really well and it gave us a platform to grow from.”
Those early tests and trials led to a beer that would soon come to define the brewery: Leith Juice. A 4.7% session-IPA built on Simcoe and Cascade hops with bright, tropical notes, Leith Juice quickly became a fixture of Campervan’s offer list. Beloved by locals, and soon in constant demand, it became a staple of their range. “Thanks to the loyal support of customers that have become friends, we’ve been struggling to keep up with demand for it ever since, really”, says Gibson.
Never ones to rest on their laurels, in 2023 Campervan took another big leap. A full-site upgrade brought in a state-of-the-art brewhouse, which they somehow installed in an impressive three days. This changed the way they were able to operate, allowing the team to run multiple brews and ensure greater consistency across their beers.
With expansion came reinvention: a bold rebrand focused on the things that Paul was drawn to during the tougher times that led to the brewery’s creation – travel and adventure – and paired them with accessibility. The team wanted their beers to feel interesting and approachable and so the new cans, logo, and packaging pay tribute to the very campervan that started it all.
These days, there’s more than just beer. Campervan’s refreshed taproom in Leith reopened after renovation last year, offering a bigger space for customers to gather. “We’ve loved having a tiny taproom within our brewery thus far”, says Paul, “but our new taproom is huge – we are all very excited for this new chapter.”
It all feels fitting: what began as a private healing ritual has, over time, become a platform for community; a space for people to come together and enjoy the silver-lining of some relatively dark clouds. Campervan represents a welcome return to Scotland for us and we hope you enjoy their beers as much as we have.