Former Diageo MD appointed as BrewDog director
David Gates brings with him a wealth of experience from his time at Diageo, where he worked for almost three decades, and departed earlier this year as managing director of Diageo Futures.
The appointment comes as BrewDog’s distilling arm LoneWolf revealed its plans to expand its spirit range beyond vodka and gin, and Gates will be instrumental in driving forward LoneWolf’s ethos in challenging the notion of what spirits can be by putting craftsmanship back into spirits.
BrewDog’s spirits arm Lonewolf has recently added to its range with iterations of small-batch gin and vodka releases and will focus for the next six months on developing rum and whisky offerings.
Vision share
BrewDog co-founder James Watt said: “Gates is as obsessed with quality and flavour as we are. His proven success in building an established spirits division makes him a force to be reckoned with in the industry, I am thrilled to have him on board.
“I can’t wait to see where he takes LoneWolf. He shares our vision in standing as a marker and custodian of purist, truthful distillation methods, and his fresh, challenging thinking will not only take LoneWolf to new levels but the entire category.”
Gates said the opportunity to “shake up the spirits category with the industry’s biggest disruptor was just too good to pass up”.
Awe-inspiring
He added: “What BrewDog has done for the beer industry is nothing short of awe-inspiring, you can’t help but be impressed with the energy, vibrancy and unapologetic attitude they have injected into the category. It’s the same creative flair and obsession for quality that I hope to bring to the spirits portfolio.
“Steven Kersley, head distiller, and the team have done an incredible job in putting LoneWolf on the map.
“I can’t wait to kick this mission up a gear, bringing that innovative and courageous attitude to the spirits world, especially with the introduction of whisky.
“While huge strides have been made in whisky, the industry still lacks real innovation. We are here to change that and inject more excitement, playfulness and creativity into spirits.”
