Punk IPA will be sold in ‘every corner of China’ following BrewDog Budweiser partnership
BrewDog is gearing up to break into the Chinese market after it sealed a partnership with Budweiser China.
The joint venture will see the Scottish craft beer company sell its most popular brands such as Punk IPA and Elvis Juice across the country from March 2023.
As part of the move, BrewDog beer will be manufactured at Budweiser’s Putian Craft Brewery in the Fujian province.
BrewDog said that the agreement will also focus on expanding the brand across Greater China – allowing the chain to capitalise on growth in the country, which is now reportedly the “world’s biggest producer and consumer of beer”.
As part of the venture, BrewDog said it was also looking to open several new hospitality venues in China by 2026, adding to its singular site in Shanghai.
James Watt, founder of BrewDog, described the move as “genuinely transformational” as he claimed that he is looking to bring BrewDog to “every corner” of China.
He said: “By making beer closer to our customers, we’ll be giving them even fresher beer and doing it in a way which is better for the planet. Over the past few years we’ve established local production in the US, Germany and Australia.”
“We’ve always wanted to significantly grow our share in China – this new joint venture will enable us to do just that as we look to continue to grow our business globally.”
It comes as BrewDog has been caught up in a string of scandals including being accused of creating a “culture of fear” since its rise to prominence.
In January 2021, Watt was forced to apologise to former employees after an open letter went viral on Twitter, in which 61 former workers alleged that the company cultivated a “toxic” culture that left staff suffering from mental illness.
More recently, BrewDog came under fire when it signed a deal with an alcohol distributor operating in Qatar, despite launching an ‘anti-sponsorship’ campaign protesting human rights in the country ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
At the time, in response to the controversy, BrewDog told City A.M: “Where we’ve fallen short in the past we’ve apologised, and we’re a different business today – totally focused on becoming the best employer in our sector.”
BrewDog operates across an international network of more than 110 bars, which includes some 24 sites in London.