Brewdog axes all spirits and closes distillery
Scottish beer and bar giant Brewdog has revealed it is closing the distillery at its headquarters in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, shuttering the business indefinitely.
The move, which Brewdog has said comes after “careful consideration” was revealed in a memo sent to staff and announced the roll-out of a “responsible wind-down” in the coming months.
The decision will mean that the company will axe all of its spirit brands and follows rumours that its original co-founder James Watt is considering making a bid to re-gain control of the business. It also follows last year’s closure of 10 Brewdog bars across the UK as the business struggled with challenges within the sector. Last October, Brewdog announced job cuts across the business following a £37 million loss in 2024 which marked the company’s fifth year running of posting pre-tax losses which are now totalling £148 million.
Ceasing production
The memo, which went to Brewdog employees, revealed: “We wanted to share an important update regarding our distilling business. After careful consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to cease production of our distilling brands, with the exception of Wonderland cocktails, which will continue.”
The memo continued: “This isn’t a decision we’ve taken lightly. We’re incredibly proud of what the distillery team has built and the brands we’ve created – however, the spirits market remains highly competitive and we need to simplify the business and focus our energy where we can truly win. That means doubling down on our beer range and Wonderland cocktails, where we see significant growth potential.”
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A ‘responsible wind-down’
The memo outlined: “Over the coming months, we’ll work through a responsible wind-down of the distillery, including managing existing stock and commitments. For any Equity for Punks who hold whisky-related perks, or any Whisky Cask investors: we will be contacting you directly with details on next steps. Importantly, we want to reassure you that we will fulfil all existing obligations in full.”
The memo ended with: “Thank you to everyone who has bought, shared, and championed our spirits over the years – we’re incredibly grateful for your support.”
Last summer, the Scottish brewer’s famous beer, Punk IPA, was hit by being delisted by pubs and bars – disappearing from 1,980 venues, pub industry data revealed.
Brewdog has been reached out to by db on the closure and the number of staff affected, but has so far declined to comment on the actual figures or number of jobs impacted by the closure.
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