BrewDog is set to close down its distillery in Aberdeenshire and discontinue all its spirit brands. The brewery company, which has been encountering challenges and shuttered ten bars across the UK last year, has decided to indefinitely shut the distillery located at its Ellon headquarters after careful evaluation.
According to reports from the Daily Record, an internal memo shared with employees outlined plans for a gradual shutdown in the coming months. The Scottish Sun disclosed details from the memo, stating the decision to halt production of distilling brands, except for the Wonderland cocktails. The company expressed pride in the distillery team’s achievements but cited intense competition in the spirits market as the reason for streamlining operations to focus on beer and Wonderland cocktails for growth opportunities.
The company assured Equity for Punks investors with whisky-related perks and Whisky Cask investors that existing obligations would be honored, with direct communication regarding next steps. BrewDog acknowledged the support received for its spirits over the years.
In a related development, BrewDog’s beers have been delisted from numerous pubs nationwide. Data indicates that Punk IPA, brewed in Ellon since 2008, is no longer available in 1,980 pubs, while 1,860 bars have removed the entire BrewDog range.
BrewDog faced losses of £59m in 2023 and £30.5m in 2022 and previously announced the closure of ten bars in August. Established in 2007 in Ellon, BrewDog’s journey began with founders James Watt and Martin Dickie producing craft beer sold at local markets. The business expanded globally in 2013 with its first international bar in Stockholm and ventured into the American market in 2015.
Renowned for its unconventional marketing strategies, BrewDog gained attention through controversial campaigns and publicity stunts, attracting widespread media coverage.