UK – Scotland-based multinational brewery and pub chain BrewDog has announced plans of converting the entire old DogTap space into an experimental small batch brewery to enhance its capacity to produce eclectic beers.
In a LinkedIn post, BrewDog Founder and CEO James Watt noted that during the pandemic, the craft beer company had to reduce the amount of the more eclectic beers that it made to enable it survive the headwinds brought by the pandemic.
Even with these measures, BrewDog swung into the red last year as booming sales of its craft beers online during Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns failed to offset the impact of bar closures.
Despite reporting revenues of £238m (US$332m) for the year, 10% higher than in 2019, the Aberdeenshire-based company sank to a £13.1m (US$18.26m) pre-tax loss in 2020.
With markets gradually opening up, BrewDog is ready to resume what it does best; brewing experimental brews and pushing the boundaries of craft brewing to create world-class beers.
“Over the last few months, we have had so much pressure on capacity that we have not had the tank space to do many beers which are outside of our core range,” said James Watt.
“So, we have decided to make some major investments here to help us provide more small batch beers for our online shop and our bar.”
According to Watt, the investment will see BrewDog expand its pilot kit, put in more fermentation tanks, and a set up small canning line to enable beer packaging.
“We are also going to build a dedicated barrel ageing area there too,” Wyatt added.
With trends in online shopping expected to take hold beyond the pandemic, BrewDog is aiming to continue expanding its presence online.
BrewDog called its online shop “one of the most important divisions of our entire global operation” during 2020, and has further rolled out its e-commerce platform to Europe, the US, and Australia.
BrewDog, which employs 1,600 people globally, said the pandemic had not dented its plans to continue opening more venues.
Guardian reported that the world’s most visible craft beer brand is currently working on 30 new locations – including bars and hotels – in cities such as Manchester, Mumbai and Milan.
Earlier this month, Times reported that BrewDog had lost a legal battle with The Shropshire Gin Company after the beer-maker attempted to trademark the brand name ‘Tiger Strike’ for drinks including gin and vodka.
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