Brewdog Launch Next Phase of UK Expansion with London BrewPub

BrewDog will open its first London “BrewPub” in early 2018, to compliment its raft of six London bars, as reported by Big Hospitality.

The resolutely anti-corporate “punk” outfit (recently valued to the tune of one billion anti-establishment pounds) have paired news of the opening with its fifth round of crowdfunding, entitled ‘Equity for Punks.’ This round aims to bring in £50m to fund fifteen more UK sites, as well as a brewing location cautiously titled ‘The Overworks’, which will be the brand’s first dedicated sour beer facility.

The first London BrewPub will be located near The Tower of London, in the Minster Building, with the capacity to serve 400 at a time. The service will be closer to the taproom model that has served smaller (arguably punkier) outfits like Beavertown, Crate and 40FT so well — small-batch beers brewed on site, unavailable outside of opening hours and indeed the room itself — unless purchased to take out. The range of beers will be supplemented by “pairing-friendly” food (natch), as well as a “MerchZone” for the Brewdog Ultras to buy various punk paraphernalia.

This is clearly an aspirational jump for the brand – in creating a dedicated microbrewery x drinking space in London, they are aligning more closely with their competitors mentioned above, while using the sheer clout of the brand to carve out something viable. With the capital’s craft beer scene showing no signs of slowing down, this intersection of independence and commercialism will make for an interesting niche.