NEWS: Brewdog Barking Up The Capital's Tree

MARK McLAUGHLIN
Evening News (Edinburgh)
July 26, 2010, Monday
1 Edition


The glory days of Edinburgh's beer industry might be in the past, but now it is to get a shot in the arm - or a kick in the teeth, depending on your point of view - as Scotland's most controversial brewery heads for the city.

The owners of Aberdeenshire-based BrewDog are preparing to open a bar in the Capital, and with a range that includes beer bottles inside stuffed animals, it seems unlikely to be a quiet addition to Edinburgh's pub world.

The firm has courted controversy with its high-powered ales, and is planning to offer free drink for life to anyone who gets a tattoo of its logo on the opening night of its first bar in Aberdeen.

Alcohol-awareness campaigners have repeatedly condemned the firm for its super-strength brews: The animal skin-covered End of History, which was launched last week and costs £500 a bottle, is 55 per cent proof ABV.

BrewDog also offers its 41 per cent Sink The Bismarck and 9.2 per cent Hardcore IPA.

Managing director James Watt said he was on the hunt for a suitable site for the firm's first bar in Edinburgh. He said: "I think a site in the Old Town would suit our brand the most but we're open-minded. We would be equally at home in the New Town or Leith."

But BrewDog may face resistance to any city bar if it repeats the marketing gimmick planned for the Aberdeen opening later this year.

Mr Watt said: "We're going to have a tattoo artist in the pub on the opening night and we're offering free beer for life to anyone who will have the BrewDog logo tattooed on their body."

Steve Mudie, president of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, called the stunt "abhorrent", adding: "I would have to question whether such a stunt is entirely legal.

"The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 comes down very strongly on licensed premises that offer incentives to customers that may encourage them to act irresponsibly.

"Think about an 18-year-old going in there on opening night thinking it would be a great laugh to get a tattoo for free beer. He's going to live for the next 60 years or so with this stupid tattoo, provided he doesn't end up with health problems due to the amount of free alcohol he's consumed."

Conservative councillor Jeremy Balfour, who sits on the city's licensing board, called the stunt "irresponsible".

He added: "While I wouldn't want to pre-judge a licensing application before it's even come before the board, I wouldn't think a gimmick like this would do it any favours."