AN Edinburgh brewery is offering free beer to gingers this Burns Weekend to mark the annual celebration of national poet Robert Burns.
From Friday 23 January to Burns Night on Sunday 25 January, Vault City will pour free half pints of Iron Brew Fiery Ginger for anyone with red hair at The Wee Vault, while stocks last.
The tongue-in-cheek giveaway coincides with Vault City’s latest Iron Brew-inspired releases and taps into Scotland’s long-standing cultural links between Burns Night and Iron Brew, with Edinburgh often dubbed the nation’s unofficial ginger capital.
While rumours regularly resurface claiming redheads are “going extinct”, scientists say the idea does not hold up. Red hair is caused by a rare, recessive trait, meaning both parents must carry the MC1R gene for a child to be born ginger.
Scotland and Ireland remain global red-hair hotspots, with an estimated 10 to 13 per cent of the population in each country having red hair, among the highest concentrations anywhere in the world.
Vault City says the Burns Weekend event is designed as a light-hearted way to bring gingers together, celebrate Scottish identity and mark one of the biggest dates in the cultural calendar, all with a sour beer in hand.
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Vault City co-founder Steven Smith-Hay says: “We first launched our Iron Brew sour six years ago as a playful nod to a drink that is part of everyday Scottish life, and it has grown into one of the beers people most closely associate with Vault City.
“Burns Weekend always brings a great mix of locals and visitors through our doors, so this year we thought it was time to give something back. Redheads have been carrying the fizzy ginger brand on their backs for generations, so offering them a free beer felt like the least we could do.”
The giveaway runs at The Wee Vault in Edinburgh from Friday 23 January through to closing time on Burns Night, Sunday 25 January. Redheads aged 18 and over can claim one free half pint of Iron Brew Sour or Fiery Ginger on production of valid ID, subject to availability. Terms & conditions apply.
