BrewDog’s new owner brings a raft of US craft brands to its bars

Earlier this year Scottish craft brewer BrewDog was bought out of administration by American beverage and medical cannabis company Tilray Brands. 

Last month the company announced that it was introducing 24 Tilray-owned craft beers to the UK.

The brands include US breweries such as Sweetwater Brewing Company, 10 Barrel Brewing Co, Terrapin Beer Company and Blue Point Brewing Co.

Though initially available only through BrewDog, the company has said it plans to ultimately roll the products out to the wider trade. 

Here, BrewDog chief operating officer, Lauren Carrol, speaks to SLTN about the company’s plans for the Tilray portfolio. 

•The Tilray beers will be available exclusively through BrewDog initially. Is the plan to ultimately roll these beers out to on-trade wholesalers as well? 

Lauren Carrol, chief operating officer, BrewDog: Yes, absolutely. Our bars and online customers provide the ideal test audience to determine the demand for these global beer styles and we’ve carefully curated this portfolio to deliver the brands, styles, and flavour profiles we believe will resonate most with UK drinkers. 

We will be collating feedback from those who try the beers in our bars or buy them online and those learnings will help inform future opportunities across the wider on-trade. 

With an established distribution network across UK we aim to roll these out further in the coming months and will be taking them to customers following an initial launch through our BrewDog channels.

• The beers will be on draught in BrewDog’s bars. Will other on-trade venues also have access to the draught product, or will they initially be limited to packaged?

Lauren: Currently all beers are only available on draught in BrewDog venues. When taking these out to the trade, we will be offering both draught and packaged options to operators, depending on their requirements.

• With a cost of living crisis very much ongoing across the UK, this is arguably a challenging time to introduce any new brand to a market, let alone several brands. How confident is Tilray that there is a market for these brands in the UK, and the Scottish on-trade in particular? 

Lauren: As consumer preferences evolve, demand for variety is growing – shaped by different consumption occasions. 

Craft beer drinkers, in particular, are consistently looking to discover something new.

Consumers also continue to seek out quality experiences and premium products, whilst being more considered with how and where they spend their money. New products that offer something different whilst delivering quality and value to drinkers have the best chance of success. With cost of beer and accessibility for consumers always top of mind we are aligning pricing with our local craft beer range.

Our research shows there is a demand for authentic American craft beer in the UK with over 50% of beer drinkers finding the new brands either very appealing or somewhat appealing and delivering even higher levels of appeal with existing craft beer drinkers  and we believe consumers will love the new products once they try them.

And the sales already speak for themselves. Some of the beers available on our website are already starting to sell-through.

• The Tilray portfolio includes several other craft breweries and brands. Why were these specific products chosen?

Lauren: We carefully curated the US portfolio, based on what we know UK drinkers are looking for, as well as filling gaps in our own range and being commercially compelling. 

From American, Czech and Japanese-style lagers to sessionable pale ales, double IPAs, wheat beers and low/no options, there is something for everyone – whether an engaged craft beer fan or discovering the category for the first time.

• Are the beers all imported or is there a plan to use BrewDog’s existing brewing facilities to produce some of them here in the UK?

The beers currently available to UK consumers have been shipped over fresh from the US, but if the demand is there and listings are secured, the aim is to eventually brew these beers at our facility in Ellon.

• How much potential for growth do you believe there is for craft beer in Scotland and across the UK in the years to come? And what do you think beer drinkers are looking for when they are seeking out new craft beers to try? 

Craft beer is an exciting category with plenty of head room for growth. With consumer tastes constantly evolving, it is well placed to generate trial and excitement – particularly in Scotland, where craft beer over-indexes against other parts of the UK.

Variety is the key. They look for different styles, strengths and flavours depending on the occasion and this line-up delivers just that. 

With the support of Tilray’s global beverage platform we now have access to broader capabilities, expertise and insights and are more focused than ever on delivering great beer and experiences for customers.