Scotland


<p>Around three-quarters of us are trying to drink less. Some of us for our physical health, some of us for our mental wellbeing. But when you’ve had a hard day it can be hard to resist the urge to open the fridge self-soothe with alcohol. Founder of Jumpship, Scotland&#8217;s first low ABV (think 0.5%) brewery, Sonja Mitchell is an entrepreneur transforming the brewing scene. But you won’t find hardcore abstinence here. She tells us why moderation is the way forward, what got her started and how to go dry if you’re taking a break from the booze.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-the-end-of-a-hard-day-and-you-finally-get-to-relax-what-are-you-reaching-for"><strong>It’s the end of a hard day and you finally get to relax. What are you reaching for?</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1503" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Scotland_s-first-non-alcoholic-brewery.jpg" alt="Sonja Mitchell Jumpship non-alcoholic beer" class="wp-image-2260" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Scotland_s-first-non-alcoholic-brewery.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Scotland_s-first-non-alcoholic-brewery-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Scotland_s-first-non-alcoholic-brewery-681x1024.jpg 681w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Scotland_s-first-non-alcoholic-brewery-768x1154.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I really love sitting down with a beer in the evening. For years I’d get to the end of the day and reach for one. My fridge was and is still full of mostly Scottish craft beer.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But I reached a point in my late 30s when it just didn’t fit with my life anymore. I’d wake up, not hungover, but extra tired, extra scratchy and not on top form to deal with everything that life was throwing at me. So I started to look for beers that were alcohol-free. I was doing dry January in 2018 and I’d ordered a pack of alcohol-free beer. Most of them were not great. And I found I was drinking German lager. I thought ‘Why am I being forced to drink something different, just because I’m not drinking the alcohol?’. No one else seemed to be making anything decent in Scotland, so I decided I would.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-background-nbsp"><strong>What’s your background?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>I drink beer! But I&#8217;ve got a history degree. I wasn&#8217;t very well qualified. I knew absolutely nothing about how to brew beer or the drinks industry. It was the classic I didn&#8217;t know what I didn&#8217;t know, which is why I got started. I think if I knew the enormity of what I was taking on, I’d have just waited for someone else to do it.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-best-piece-of-advice-you-ve-been-given"><strong>What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?</strong></h3>



<p>I heard an interview with Jo Fairley, the founder of Green and Black chocolate. She said that when she started she just kept taking the next step. So that’s what I did. The first question was simple: can I actually make a beer that tasted better than what&#8217;s out there already?&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-you-start"><strong>How did you start?</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1503" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-standing-with-the-brewing-tanks-at-Jump-Ship-Brewing.jpg" alt="Sonja Mitchell Jumpship non-alcoholic beer tanks" class="wp-image-2261" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-standing-with-the-brewing-tanks-at-Jump-Ship-Brewing.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-standing-with-the-brewing-tanks-at-Jump-Ship-Brewing-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-standing-with-the-brewing-tanks-at-Jump-Ship-Brewing-681x1024.jpg 681w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-standing-with-the-brewing-tanks-at-Jump-Ship-Brewing-768x1154.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I did a startup brewing course, which I absolutely loved. I was blown away by the biochemistry and engineering involved in making a beer, how each individual ingredient is a key component, and all the different flavours you could create from four ingredients. I also realised that I would need some help. I met a brewer who had developed a low alcohol beer and he was willing to help me develop the first recipe and produce a technical sheet which would enable me to go work with commercial brewers to scale it. I wanted to make a lager, because I felt that lager had been done so badly. Turns out, that&#8217;s also the most difficult beer to do. But we managed it, shared prototypes with people and everyone loved it. I really loved it and I thought, Okay, this beer is great. It deserves to be drunk.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-have-things-changed-since-you-began"><strong>Have things changed since you began?</strong></h3>



<p>Beer in particular is such a part of our social ritual and sitting down to relax with a glass of water or an orange juice isn&#8217;t quite the same as sitting down with a beer. There’s an inclusiveness when you’re going out to share the experience with your friends who are all drinking beers. People aren&#8217;t wanting to give up on those experiences. They just don&#8217;t want the alcohol. That&#8217;s where non-alcoholic drinks really come into their own.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-is-it-important-to-you-to-make-your-beer-in-scotland"><strong>Why is it important to you to make your beer in Scotland?</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-Founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing.jpg" alt="Sonja Mitchell Jumpship non-alcoholic beer start up" class="wp-image-2264" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-Founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-Founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-Founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Sonja-Mitchell-Founder-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>It was a very conscious decision to to to be based in Scotland and to brew in Scotland. When I moved here 15 years ago, I really fell in love with the food and drink scene here. I wanted to make sure that Scotland was as renowned for its alcohol-free drinks as it was for its alcoholic drinks. Although I&#8217;m from Kent and I don&#8217;t have a Scottish accent, I very much wanted Jumpship to be part of the great fabric of food and drink producers in Scotland, using the quality barley, oats and water we have here. When you go expecting to have a brilliant meal full of Scottish produce it’s great people can have a Scottish craft, alcohol-free beer to go with it, rather than something from elsewhere.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-your-tips-for-going-dry"><strong>What are your tips for going dry?</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="998" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Jump-Ship-team-standing-in-front-of-their-brewery-l-r-Colin-Squair-Alex-Earle-Sonja-Mitchell-Paddy-Fowler-Iain-Mooney-.jpg" alt="Sonja Mitchell Jumpship non-alcoholic beer team" class="wp-image-2266" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Jump-Ship-team-standing-in-front-of-their-brewery-l-r-Colin-Squair-Alex-Earle-Sonja-Mitchell-Paddy-Fowler-Iain-Mooney-.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Jump-Ship-team-standing-in-front-of-their-brewery-l-r-Colin-Squair-Alex-Earle-Sonja-Mitchell-Paddy-Fowler-Iain-Mooney--300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Jump-Ship-team-standing-in-front-of-their-brewery-l-r-Colin-Squair-Alex-Earle-Sonja-Mitchell-Paddy-Fowler-Iain-Mooney--1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Jump-Ship-team-standing-in-front-of-their-brewery-l-r-Colin-Squair-Alex-Earle-Sonja-Mitchell-Paddy-Fowler-Iain-Mooney--768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>When you stop all drinking together for a chunk of time it can be a really helpful time to notice when we want to drink and why. Was it because I wanted a treat? Is it because I felt left out? Was it just habit? Ideally when you start drinking again you’ll find you’re drinking a bit more mindfully. I started with dry January, but now I don&#8217;t really do it anymore, because I&#8217;m moderating all the time. Just after Christmas, lots of people want to reset and people make more of a conscious effort to cut back. But for me there isn&#8217;t something to reset from. I do still drink, but it’s more about experiencing the flavour.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-there-a-difference-between-drinking-a-non-alcoholic-lager-and-a-soft-drink"><strong>Is there a difference between drinking a non-alcoholic lager and a soft drink?</strong></h3>



<p>I find I drain my glass really quickly when I’m drinking a soft drink. But if you&#8217;ve got a liquid with complexity and flavour, you can drink it more slowly. That&#8217;s just one of the little ways that you can feel left out when you&#8217;re not drinking because your drink doesn&#8217;t match up to everyone else&#8217;s. We also invested a lot in getting the packaging right. If you like beer, there&#8217;s so many brilliantly designed beer cans out there, you want something that looks interesting. You want to have a chat about what you&#8217;re drinking and talk about what it tastes like. For me, that’s one of the joys of beer. If we can bring people all of that and without the hangover or the hang ups, then it&#8217;s a really sort of positive, joyful experience.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-should-we-feel-confident-to-go-alcohol-free"><strong>Should we feel confident to go alcohol-free?</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="998" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Selection-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Alcohol-Free-Beer.jpg" alt="Jumpship non-alcoholic beer" class="wp-image-2267" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Selection-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Alcohol-Free-Beer.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Selection-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Alcohol-Free-Beer-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Selection-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Alcohol-Free-Beer-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2025/12/Selection-of-Jump-Ship-Brewing-Alcohol-Free-Beer-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>A lot of breweries have alcohol-free beer in their range now because we really want to have that choice and variety. Just because you&#8217;re avoiding alcohol doesn&#8217;t mean that you don&#8217;t still want that sense of discovery and adventure. I think now people can be confident that alcohol-free beer is good and start to try different styles. No one should feel like they’re missing out when they&#8217;re not drinking.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://scotland.muddystilettos.co.uk/drink/dry-january-feragaia/">Gotta Have It: the sophisticated Dry January sipper</a></li>



<li><a href="https://scotland.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat/whats-cooking-clare-coghill-cafe-cuil-isle-of-skye/">What’s cooking? Clare Coghill, Café Cùil, Isle of Skye</a></li>



<li><a href="https://scotland.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/game-of-wool/">Muddy Meets: Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell from Channel Four’s The Game of Wool</a></li>
</ul>


Muddy Meets: Jumpship’s Sonja Mitchell

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