BrewDog plots on-trade revolution

Scottish brewer BrewDog has launched a “call to arms” for its customers with a new toolkit for publicans as part of its “on-trade revolution”.

The typically combative beer producer (whose latest offering involved a bottle of the world’s strongest beer packaged in a dead animal) has produced the promotional material, which includes a new bar tower and plans for in-venue event support and free staff training.

BrewDog already runs tasting events in many pubs across the country and intends to start food matching classes for its beers.

The bar tower was described by the brewer’s co-founder James Watt as: “A totemic bastion for quality beer and a warning shot to the mainstream breweries that rely on garish lights and glittery logos to draw attention to their pallid tasteless beers.”

The tower was first installed at Watt’s own restaurant in Aberdeen, Musa, which has a drinks menu centred around BrewDog beer and has since been installed in the Jolly Butchers pub in London.

Ten other venues around the country including the Cask Pub and Kitchen in London and Corinthian Club in Glasgow have already signed up for the tower to be installed.

Watt continued: “We want to provide publicans with a promotional war chest that will drag quality craft beer out of the shadows and into the consciousness of every beer drinker.

“Our intention is not only to help our customers to sell more beer, but also to inspire a generation of more discerning beer drinkers that understand the value of craft beer.”

Rupert Millar, 25.08.2010