BrewDog announces new beer to fund relief in Ukraine

BrewDog has announced the launch of a new beer, 100% of the profits of which it says will be donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal’s humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

United For Ukraine is a 5.2% New England IPA and is described by BrewDog as having a “pillowy softness and mix of citrus and exotic notes” with a “silky delivery”, with a 12-pack costing £16.95. BrewDog stated that “the last thing we can do is sit idly by”. The DEC Ukraine Crisis Appeal is a collaborative effort from 15 of the UK’s leading aid charities.

Additionally, BrewDog CEO James Watt declared on twitter that all shipments to Russia had been suspended “indefinitely”:

We stand with the people of Ukraine. 🇺🇦

We have suspended shipments to Russia indefinitely.

We are launching a new beer – United for Ukraine. All of the revenue from this beer will be donated to @decappeal

Pre-order here: https://t.co/bh3HmKMCtl pic.twitter.com/qBakxcssVj

— James Watt (@BrewDogJames) March 11, 2022

This is not the first cause that BrewDog, a certifed B-Corp since 2020, has become involved in. Last year, their “Beer For All” campaign highlighted the brand’s continued commitment to being carbon negative. During the first months of the Coronavirus pandemic in the UK, the company publicised that they would be using their distilling equipment to produce hand sanitiser for the NHS.

In the past year, the brand’s commitment to these causes has at times been overshadowed by allegations of bullying within the company. Watt maintains that they are false, though he did acknowledge in a recent LinkedIn post concerning his “Biggest Mistakes” that he was not “always the best people manager.”