BrewDog to turn beer into vodka

BrewDog has unveiled a series of sustainability initiatives designed to future-proof its operations, along with a new-look brand.

BrewDog's six environmental pledges include plans to distil vodka from 'imperfect' beer. Picture: BrewDog

The Ellon-based craft brewer has outlined its commitment to ensuring “we have a planet to make beer for in the future” with six environmentally-focused pledges.

These include introducing a process to repurpose “imperfect” beer to create vodka, thereby reducing wastage, and a drive to promote upcycling by accepting used beer cans from any brand to reuse for its products.

It is also inviting customers to trade in 50 empty beer cans to become a BrewDog “Equity Punk”, taking a share in the company’s crowdfunding campaign.

The Ellon craft brewer has also unveiled new-look branding. Picture: BrewDog

The brewer’s Tomorrow Fund has pledged to invest an additional £1 million a year to support research and initiatives that help the brewing industry to “have a positive impact on the world”, as well as to support charitable causes chosen by the brewer’s employees and shareholders.

It comes as the business pushed the button on a rebrand of its bars and packaging. BrewDog added that it plans to launch a range of new beers in its four international breweries and 101 bars.

'Sustainability at its core'

Co-founder James Watt said: “We’ve made it here by shaking up brewing and crafting a community-owned business that is 100 per cent powered by people. This marks a new dawn, welcome to the new BrewDog.”

The announcement follows on from the brewer’s Unicorn Fund – a commitment to share 10 per cent of annual profits with its staff and to donate a further 10 per cent to charity.

Watt added: “BrewDog may have grown up a bit, but our underdog spirit is as alive as ever. We want to make sure that we’re working to inspire a new kind of business, with sustainability at its core. Real change takes time.

“But just because change doesn’t happen overnight, doesn’t mean it can’t - if not now, when? BrewDog Tomorrow is our commitment to continuously raising the bar and setting a new standard for beer and business.”

In December BrewDog announced it will open a bar in London dedicated solely to drinks without alcohol as it seeks to capitalise on the growing trend for alcohol-free drinks.

The company’s Equity for Punks crowdfunding initiative, launched in 2010, has seen it raise £73 million over six rounds, with the latest round set to close in April.

BrewDog was last year ranked 71st in UK’s 150 most valuable brands, up from 109 in 2018.

Its brand value was found to have risen by 89 per cent since last year to reach £1.2 billion, and it “shows no signs of slowing down”, according to Brand Finance which compiled the results.

This comes as fellow Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn's Beer Money crowdfund has closed at £3.3m. The investment will help finance the construction of its major new brewery which will open in Edinburgh in 2021.