An American-style tap room which has been operating at a Haddington brewery since the summer has taken a step towards becoming a permanent venue.
Winton Brewery has been operating its new drinking venu e at an industrial site off Hospital Road, in the town, on occasional licences since June this year.
And the company, which already runs the popular micropub Station Yard, in Dunbar, applied to East Lothian Licensing Board for a provisional licence for the tap room with plans to make it a more permanent facility moving forward.
The tap room approach which Winton Brewery representatives described as an American style concept was described as a unique venue for the town.
With a capacity for 40 people inside and an additional 20 in an outdoor seating area, it offers visitors the chance to try beer brewed on site from the tap as well as a variety of other drinks and snacks.
Licence board members welcomed the addition of the new venue to Haddington with local ward councillor George McGuire describing it as a "fabulous experience".
Mr McGuire said: "I have visited a couple of times and it was a fabulous experience, completely different to any of our other venues."
His view was backed by board chairman Lachlan Bruce who said he had experienced similar venues in the United States.
Councillor Bruce said: "I am glad to see it being introduced here in East Lothian."
Tap rooms aim to create a feeling of community and family-friendly place for people to gather where they can taste the beer produced from the brewery as well as socialise.
Winton Brewery said it had hosted local musicians and talent at the tap room monthly since it was launched.
A meeting of the board heard neither the council's licensing standards officer (LSO) or local police had any objections to the venue being granted a provisional licence.
LSO Karen Harling asked the board to add in two conditions restricting outdoor seating use at the site to no later than 10pm at night and barring amplified music from being played out doors.
A provisional licence was granted for the tap room at a virtual meeting of the board earlier today with the brewery saying it hoped to apply for permanent licences in the near future.
The tap room will be allowed to open between 4pm and 11pm Monday to Friday and 12pm to 11pm on weekends with off sales restricted to 10am to 6pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 10pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
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