BrewDog bites back at Portman Group

BrewDog has clashed with the Portman Group over calls for its Speedball beer to be removed from UK shelves. The Independent Complaints Panel upheld the view that the beer’s marketing breaches the Group’s Code of Practice by glamorising illegal drugs. Speedballing refers to the combination of heroin and cocaine, a mix that killed Hollywood stars John Belushi and River Phoenix.

BrewDog’s co-founder, Martin Dickie, denied that the beer was going to be pulled, calling the Portman Group “completely misguided”. Highlighting Speedball’s limited release and premium price point, Dickie commented: “The Portman Group has attacked us for our marketing instead of going after the companies who are mass-selling products cheaply and causing the nation’s alcohol problems”.

In return, David Poley, chief executive of the Portman Group, said “BrewDog is profiteering from the scourge of illegal drugs”, adding, “We are taking urgent action to protect the public from exposure to such negligent marketing”. The Group will now issue a Retail Alert Bulletin, urging retailers to remove the drink from sale.

Only last month, BrewDog successfully defended itself against a complaint from the Portman Group about violent imagery associated with the Scottish brewer’s Riptide, Punk IPA and Hop Rocker brands.

Gabriel Savage, 21.01.09