Back in 2006 the world of beer was very different. Bland industrial lagers and stuffy ales dominated the market. In Northern Aberdeenshire, inspired by the hop-fuelled craft beer of the United States, James Watt and Martin Dickie decided to do something about it. Homebrewing became their punk rock as they set forth to create beer they wanted to drink. BrewDog came howling into the world.
In 2007 they pooled their savings, took on some scary bank loans and rented a small lockup in Fraserburgh to brew hardcore beer. A lot of people weren’t ready for bitter, resinous India Pale Ale in the north of Scotland a decade ago. But James and Martin carried on regardless; it was what they wanted to drink and there was nothing else like it around.
In the ten years since, BrewDog has grown from two humans and a dog into the fastest-growing food and drink business in the UK. We employ over 800 people on four continents and export the same hardcore beers to over 55 countries around the world. With a second brewery located in Columbus Ohio and another on the way in Australia, that passion for great craft beer still underpins everything that we do.
But don’t just take our word for it – come and see us. We are proud to create our craft beer in north-eastern Aberdeenshire; it is our home and the amazing group of dedicated men and women who work for us call it home as well. In 2012 we constructed an eco-friendly craft brewery in Ellon, and both our brewery and our taproom, DogTap, are open to anyone who loves great beer as much as we do.
DogTap serves up the freshest BrewDog beer anywhere on the planet – it is brewed just yards away – and has its own pilot kit as well as a BrewDog merch shop and BottleDog for takeaway beers. It also serves a range of freshly-prepared pizzas, all of which can be enjoyed with a beer in our outdoor terrace (the perfect place to kick back and take in the legendary Aberdeenshire sunshine).
We also offer tours of our brewhouse. The DogWalk Tour takes in our brewery, LoneWolf distillery, gets you up close at our packaging lines and a chance to walk through the offices and meet some of our epic BrewDog crew – plus there are four interactive tastings along the way. Available seven days a week, visit https://www.brewdog.com/bars/uk/dogtap to book online!