Edinburgh sour beer brewery Vault City have teamed up with Leith-based Babyfaced Baker to create two limited-edition sour beers brewed using surplus croissant pastry.
The collaboration, with Babyfaced Baker founder Rhiain Gordon, transforms pastry offcuts into a brewing ingredient. It gives new life to surplus dough while creating dessert-inspired sour beers: Blueberry Maple Glaze Bun and Lemon Meringue Iced Bun.
Inspired by the bakery’s flavour combinations, the beers bring together blueberry, maple glaze, and lemon meringue. Rhiain is planning to create a matching bun for the bakery counter when the beer launches.
“I’ve always loved Vault City because their beers are so experimental,” said Rhiain. “They’re fruity, playful, and often quite pastry-inspired already, so working together felt like a really natural fit.
“When we make our croissants there are always offcuts from shaping the pastry. Normally, we bake those into a loaf so nothing goes to waste, but this time we brought them along to the brewery and added them into the brew.
“It’s really exciting seeing those ingredients take on a second life in a completely different way. Food waste is such a big issue across hospitality, so whenever you can find creative ways to reuse something it feels like a win.”
Steven Smith-Hay, co-founder of Vault City, said: “We’ve always loved brewing beers inspired by desserts and sweet treats, so collaborating with a bakery felt like the perfect next step.
“Using croissant pastry offcuts in the brew is a brilliant example of how creativity can turn something that might otherwise go to waste into something genuinely delicious. Rhiain’s flavours are amazing, and bringing those pastry ideas into a sour beer has been a lot of fun.”
The beers launch on Tuesday (31st March).
