*Please note that due to restrictions, Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival has now been postponed until 16–17 July 2021.

One of the things that many people missed most during lockdown was the simple joy of a freshly poured pint. It was a tough few months without them, but thankfully the pubs are open again and craft beer lovers in the capital also have the Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival to look forward to next month.

Originally due to take place at the Biscuit Factory in Leith in July, festival organisers We Are Beer have adapted to Scottish government guidelines and moved ECBF to Fri 9 and Sat 10 Oct at Edinburgh Corn Exchange's outdoor area to allow for social distancing.

'It was really gut wrenching when we had to cancel the festival back in March but we are ecstatic to be able to go ahead with the festival and support all of the fantastic local breweries and food vendors,' says Greg Wells, Founder of Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival. 'Although the festival will [be] a little different this year, it will still be a cracking weekend and something to look forward to.'

The festival is an annual celebration of Scotland's flourishing craft beer scene and this year's event will showcase Vault City Brewing (Dundee), Fierce Beer (Aberdeen), 71 Brewing (Dundee) and Newbarns (Leith). Beers from international breweries will also be available to sample, including Equilibrium, all the way from New York City. A wide variety of beers will be on tap, including everything from sour beers and IPA's to low ABV beers.

Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival isn't just about the beer, however; some of Scotland's top restaurants and street food vendors will also be onsite, including Harajuku Kitchen, known for its authentic Japanese gyoza, and Bross Bagels will be there with plenty of Montreal style bagels. Additional breweries and food vendors will be announced closer to the festival weekend.

There will be strict health and safety measures in place throughout the weekend to ensure festival-goers' safety, including increased PPE at service areas, queueing and directional signage, app registration for track and trace, regular cleaning and sanitising procedures, increased entry and exit points, card-only payments and more.

Tickets are priced from £46 and include entry, beer samples from the various breweries, a special festival beer glass, access to the festival's pop-up kitchens and music acts. ECBF has guaranteed that if a second lockdown is implemented and the festival needs to be cancelled, tickets will automatically transfer over to the 2021 or 2022 event.

With a larger outdoor venue this year and social distancing measures in place, Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival promises to be a safe, fun weekend, giving craft beer lovers the chance to sample some of the finest brews in Scotland and beyond.

*Please note that due to restrictions, Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival has now been postponed until 16–17 July 2021.