Our Story

A voyage of discovery

  • I tasted my first beer moments after my first rugby match.
    I’d made a try-saving tackle that helped win us the game and the team captain brought in a jug of ale to celebrate. There and then I decided that not even the finest champagne could beat the flavour of a freshly-pulled pint.

    But as the years passed and life got busier - enter three children, dog and busy job - I found that although I still wanted to relax with a beer, I no longer wanted the alcohol or fuzzy head next day.

  • None of the low alcohol beers I tasted matched up to the amazing Scottish beers I enjoyed, so I took a deep breath, jumped ship from my day job and set off on a voyage of discovery to brew my own.

    It took nearly a year to perfect our first beer, Yardarm, and I wept into more than one failed brew. So imagine my delight when Yardarm was awarded best no and low alcohol lager in the World Beer Awards 2021, beating global brands in the process. Not bad for a wee start-up from Edinburgh!

  • OUR PROMISE

    We want to do great things
    as well as brew great beers.

    At Jump Ship, we want to make life a little better for our fellow shipmates, and the planet we share.

    We’ve committed to give at least 10% of our profits to charity.
    So far we’ve supported charities including Autism on the Water and relief efforts in Ukraine. We’re starting small, but as part of the Work for Good movement, we hope to inspire more businesses to give back. We’re also trying hard to minimise the impact of our production and distribution.


    We’ve chosen cans which are lighter to transport (reducing carbon emissions) and easier to recycle. The grain that’s left over from brewing goes to a farmer to feed his cattle.


    This is just a start, and we’re learning all the time. If there’s more you think we should be doing, give us a shout.

MEET THE CREW

  • Sonja Mitchell

    Managing Director/Beer Admiral


    Sonja launched Jump Ship Brewing in December 2019 and has gathered a crew of awesome shipmates on a mission to brew world-class alcohol-free beer in Scotland. Her love of the sea and sailing is the inspiration behind our nautical brand.

  • Pete Sharp

    Head Brewer/First Mate

    Pete joined us in June 2021 from the historic Caledonian brewery. He carefully nurtures each of our complex brews and is always tinkering with the next recipe. Pete’s also an international standard piper, a bonus for Burns Night!

  • Colin Squair

    Head of Sales/Chief Stoker

    Colin has made his mark on the Scottish sales scene with previous experience including brands such as Famous Grouse before joining Jump Ship as Head of Sales in June 2023. Most recently at Harviestoun, he's bringing a wealth of knowledge of on and off trade.

  • Alex Earle

    Brewer/Second Mate

    Alex jumped ship and joined as Brewer in November of 2023, bringing experience from brewing and distilling and a love of hearty, rich stouts, he'll be working closely with First Mate Pete to bring you incredible beer from our new brewery.

  • Paddy Fowler

    Marketing Manager/Signals Officer

    Paddy joined the crew in October 2023. An award-winning home brewer and keen runner, he will be brightening up our social feeds by bothering the rest of the team, as well as making sure you're always in the know about what's happening at the brewery.

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