BrewDog’s newly named spirits division to launch in April

Distillery plans followed BrewDog’s brief experimentation in the sector when it created a 35% ABV distilled beer. It was called Watt Dickie and was made using a combination of brewing and ice-distilling an IPA.

On its blog BrewDog said: “We are getting ever-closer to the official launch of our BrewDog spirits project. Our handmade copper stills are nearly ready to go.”

The ‘punk’ brewer has claimed the distillery will do something no other company can and will be the only craft distillery in Scotland to make its own base spirit from grain under the same roof as distillation.

Being installed

The distillery is being installed and could start producing vodka, gin and whisky as early as next month after testing is completed.

Vodka will be the first spirit to come from the still and then gin, following a transformation at the firm’s Aberdeenshire Brewhouse where a section of the roof has been removed to make way for a 19m-high rectification column.

It added: “The head of our distillation team, Steven Kersley, is now dialling in our gin recipe using the 50 litre pilot still, with over 30 botanicals.”

While basic spirits will be produced at the distillery, in typical BrewDog fashion the firm will experiment with tastes and experiences, it said.

Once the new still is operational, the pilot still will be used to test the boundaries of spirits manufacture.

‘Huge range of potential spirits’

“We can produce a huge range of potential spirits and with our epic barrel store we can age and then blend the results to allow a fascinating range of flavours to develop, said the company.

“We want to stretch the boundaries of what a distillery can do and what a distillery should do.”

Meanwhile, BrewDog stole the prestigious Best Pub Operations Team – sponsored by CGA Strategy – at the Publican Awards earlier this month.

The company saw off competition from Star Pubs & Bars and Deltic by impressing judges with its improved focus on entertainment throughout its business. It also took the title of Best Brewing Pub Company.