Grant Hutchison, the former drummer of indie band Frightened Rabbit, is taking his interest in craft cider from a boutique in Fife to a public showcase in Edinburgh with the launch of the Ubhal Cider Gathering later this month. According to the announcement, the one-day event at Custom Lane, Leith, will present 15 makers across two tasting sessions on March 28, each limited to 100 attendees, in an effort to raise the profile of artisanal cider in Scotland.

Hutchison and his wife Jaye opened Aeble, billed as Scotland’s first dedicated cider bottle shop, in Anstruther in April 2021. Industry coverage and local reporting note the shop stocks an international selection and offers tasting experiences and a growler refilling service, reflecting the couple’s aim to educate consumers about the range and production of cider.

The decision to stage the gathering in Edinburgh rather than Anstruther was deliberate, Jaye said, to make the event accessible by public transport and to allow it to grow into an annual occasion. The sessions will run from 1pm to 3pm and 4pm to 6pm, with attendees invited to taste a diverse lineup of producers from regions including Fife, Ayrshire, Herefordshire and Kent.

Grant, who scaled back full-time touring after 2018, says his enthusiasm for cider predates his decision to leave the road and grew from years of encountering small producers while travelling. He has previously built a wholesale cider distribution business and launched Re:stalk to import and distribute natural and small-batch brands across Scotland, according to profile pieces on his post‑music ventures.

The pair have worked to position Aeble as an approachable space where staff guide customers through different styles rather than creating a forbidding specialist atmosphere. Jaye attributes part of the shop’s focus to influences from travel, saying time spent in cities such as Melbourne and on their honeymoon in Japan helped shape their model of single‑interest, high-quality specialist bars.

Organisers stress the gathering is intended to challenge widespread preconceptions that cider is a lowbrow drink for youthful consumption and to highlight its parallels with natural wine in terms of craft and terroir. The event has secured support from Food and Drink Scotland and will feature producers from both Scotland and England to broaden visitors’ understanding of contemporary cider styles.

Tickets are available for the two sessions and organisers hope the event will provide a platform for makers who prioritise traditional methods, land stewardship and lower‑alcohol, environmentally conscious production. Local press and trade coverage suggest Aeble has already attracted a varied clientele, from committed cider enthusiasts to tourists and neighbours, and the gathering is being positioned as the next step in developing Scotland’s cider scene.