Brewdog cancels tie up with US brewery over plans to offer free beer to '˜Trump supporters'

Scottish craft brewery Brewdog has pulled plans for a series of events with US brand Scofflaw this weekend - after the American beer makers apparently sent out a release saying that UK-based Donald Trump supporters would be given free beer.
James Watt and Martin Dickie are founders of Brewdog.James Watt and Martin Dickie are founders of Brewdog.
James Watt and Martin Dickie are founders of Brewdog.

In a press release sent to journalists around the country, Scofflaw said that the “self confessed trailer trash brewery” would get the UK “beered up redneck style completely free of charge”. It added: “But there is a hook...you have to be a Trump supporter.”

Read More
Edinburgh news LIVE: Human bones found at Pollock Halls | '˜Four months of snow'...

Ellon-based Brewdog last year created a beer which featured a polar bear fighting with a robot version of the American president on the label in protest of his environmental policies.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Brewdog customers took to social media to protest at the brewery’s affiliation with the brand, prompting Brewdog founder James Watt to take to Twitter to announce that he would “send all of the beer back” to Scofflaw and cancel the events, which were due to take place in six of its bars in England.

He said: “The Scofflaw release was announced without our knowledge or consent. We are in no way aligned with their position and we will of course be cancelling all the events and sending all of the beer back. We care about beer and people. Not hate.”

One shareholder in the company, which has an “equity for punks” scheme which allows customers to buy stakes in the business, said on Twitter: “As a holder of some equity I would love an official response on the comments about Scofflaw’s Trump sympathising please.”

Brewdog replied to the customer, @dlordship, saying: “Hi Dave, we did not know anything about this. We are cancelling the events and are sending all of the beer back – Scofflaw beer won’t be available in our bars.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A UK PR firm, Frank PR, later sent out a second statement claiming that the original email had contained “incorrect information” but did not respond to requests for an explanation as to how the “error” had occurred. However, Brewdog’s decision to cancel the events continued to be promoted on its social media pages.

Join our Facebook group Our Edinburgh to share images and news from and around the Capital

Related topics: