Brewdog offers £1 million bar tab if England, Scotland or the US reach the World Cup Final
A bar tab of £1 million will be opened from 20 July by Brewdog owner Tilray Brands if either England, Scotland or the US reach the FIFA World Cup Final. db reports.
The pledge, which will take place on the day after the final, is set to mark an extra day of celebration for the tournament achievement, irrespective of whether the teams win or lose.
‘First-come, first-served’
Any fans wearing an eligible national team football shirt will be able claim up to two free pints per person, on a first-come, first-served basis at participating Brewdog bars as soon as the bar tab has been activated and for the time that the £1m bar tab lasts.
In March, Brewdog was acquired by the US brewer and cannabis group Tilray Brands in a £33m deal. Prior to then, the Brewdog business had been struggling and in 2024, Brewdog reported a loss of £34.1m (US$46.6m) compared to £62.7m the previous year. What followed was a healthy bout of speculation that former CEO James Watt planned to return to take over the company, followed by Brewdog’s worker’s union Unite Hospitality staging a protests and the business closing its distillery. As a result, the company and beer brand’s reputation had already been somewhat challenged as its crowdfunders, known as Equity Punks, began to voice their dismay.
Speaking about the football and bar tab pledge, Tilray Brands chairman and CEO Irwin Simon said: “Sport has an extraordinary ability to unite people across communities, cultures and nations through moments of pride and shared celebration, and great bars have always been places where fans come together to enjoy the match, share great conversations and raise a beer or two.”
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Simon explained: “If England, Scotland or the United States reach the final on football’s biggest world stage, we are ready to help fans celebrate together across our participating bars and brewpubs and continue building brands and occasions that bring people together over sport, great bars and great beer.”
Tilray recently announced record fan turnout and double-digit sales growth across its UK-based Brewdog bars due to the FIFA World Cup.
When db asked if Tilray was looking to reposition Brewdog in the hearts and minds of consumers as a ‘people first’ brand, the firm declined to comment. It did however, redirect attention to the fact that, since the acquisition, Tilray has made significant investments in the Brewdog, brand, products, people and its operations.
These investments include the business having reopened five previously closed bars; revealing plans to reopen Brewdog Inverurie as a new community-led bar model; the introduction of its World Cup campaign ‘Underdog’ which gives 50 people the chance to win a year of free beer; bringing Tilray’s other beer brands into the UK market via Brewdog bars as well as the introduction of its new Wonderland RTD flavours and new Hi*Ball energy drink.
According to the company, there will also be more to follow for the brand when it comes to its sporting activity. For example, a selection of Brewdog bars will also be hosting watch parties and big-screen events centred around the summertime sporting calendar. These will include: auto-racing in July and August, golf tournaments in July, more football in August, and tennis tournaments, with some of the biggest matches being screened in its Brewdog venues.
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