ASK anyone what Scotland’s national drink is and you will invariably receive one of two answers: whisky or Irn-Bru. However, over the past several years a number of innovative breweries have forced a once-neglected drink into the conversation, and that’s beer.

Much of the success of craft beer in Scotland can be traced back to Ellon-based Brewdog. Once the brash young upstarts, Brewdog are now the venerable grandparents of the Scottish craft beer scene.

Founded in 2007, they took their inspiration from long-established US craft brewers and their signature beer, Punk IPA, is now drunk across the world.

By brewing with a combination of hops from the American West Coast and New Zealand, Punk IPA provided Scottish drinkers with a flavour that was entirely new to them.

Brewdog now have a chain of bars throughout the UK and internationally and are opening a new brewing facility in Ohio. While some hard-line craft beer enthusiasts would accuse them of selling out, few would deny that their successes have created opportunities for smaller breweries to shine.

Dom Nisbet, from one of Glasgow’s newest craft beer bars The Hippo Tap Room, believes the choice available to drinkers is what keeps bringing new people in to the scene.

“People are thirsty for new and exciting brews, and because of this they are willing to take a chance on something new,” he said. “That, combined with the desire people have today of finding something new before anyone else, has been an ideal situation for younger breweries.”

Cromarty Brewing are a small family operation who, despite their size, have managed to put out some of Scotland’s most interesting beverages. From Udder Madness, a 1.6% abv sour ale inspired by cream soda, to an 11% fig ale, they have consistently demonstrated their ability to make strange flavours work.

Meanwhile, Tempest – based in Tweedbank and last year’s Scottish brewery of the year – have found success with a jalapeno IPA and a strong stout brewed with Lindisfarne oysters. But it would be misleading to suggest that all new beers in Scotland are as weird and wonderful as those. Traditional styles and processes are still very much cherished by Scottish brewers.

Breweries such as Aberdeen’s Six Degrees North maintain a commitment to the brewing methods used for centuries in Belgium, and even the humble lager has been refreshed by Scottish brewers determined to put their mark on a classic style. Fyne Ales are the brewery that perhaps best embody the thread connecting tradition to modernity. Their award-winning blonde ale Jarl would be instantly recognisable to anyone who has ever drunk a cask beer from a British pub, but brings with it bold new flavours like lemongrass and lime.

Iain Smith from Fyne Ales says that blend of old and new is something the brewers aspire to. “When we started we were among the more traditional breweries, but our beers have always been forward-thinking. Jarl was one of the first beers in the UK to use the American hop Citra and the beers we’re producing now – experimental saisons, sours and so on – are an extension of that.”

Added into this mixture there are the growing number of micro and contract breweries emerging, particularly in Glasgow.

Deadend Brew Machine and Up Front Brewing are the two most prominent examples. Neither have their own brewery but instead make use of Drygate, itself a successful craft brewery, and the facilities there. This arrangement allows them to make and sell beer without the significant financial outlay required to build a brewery. Despite both being one-man DIY operations, the quality of their product comfortably equals that of their larger rivals.

The benefit of all this is ultimately to the bar-going public. While some would claim the rise of craft beer has been a revolution, it’s never been as tumultuous as that word suggests. Instead the slow and steady growth has brought choice to drinkers and given passionate Scottish producers the chance to show off their talents to an increasingly curious public.