Some more BrewDog stuff

They are clever, you got to give them that. Bloggers want something to write about and it's handy to have a stream of information given on a plate. Yeah, OK, here I go again, more on BrewDog, but you see when I get stories that have an interesting side to them then it's not difficult find a reason to write about it. I need an excuse to write anyway owing to the recent acquisition of a MacBook on which I need to put in some flying hours. Handy purchase really, it gives me the excuse not to buy any more Equity for Punks as I am now officially strapped for cash until the new season starts.

This week these audacious chaps have given us a bit more information on their Equity for Punks regarding the specific promise in their prospectus regarding Abstrakt, a limited edition beer that we are told will be "more art than beer". Rake Raspberry Imperial Stout is allegedly AB:01, the first in this series. I'm slightly confused because the recent blog post on the BrewDog web site disagrees with the earlier blog post on the Rake beer. Also, sadly, the promised site www.abstrackt.com fails to work. Still, that is what we expect from these guys, raw and unpredictable, that's why we love them.

For those who are interested the line up of beers planned, taken verbatim off the web site, are:

AB:01 will be a 12.1% vanilla bean infused Belgian quad
AB:02 may be a strawberry and black pepper oak aged imperial ale
AB:03 may be a 15% double hopped, double imperial red ale
AB:04 may be the Tokyo* we just put into Islay casks with raspberries

Due to be released in March it'll enable James and Martin to rob me of even more money. I'm at the very least going to "invest" to lay down in my personal cellar. I might even consider them as part of my eclectic beer menu, we'll see.

I guessed some months ago, when James was in the middle of his twitter campaign in the lead up to his equity launch, that some form of pub or bar chain was being planned. I cannot remember James' reply to me on that occasion but words along the lines of "Much more than just a chain of bars" indicated that I might not be wrong. Although the company is fairly quiet on this subject, there are reports that this is indeed in their plans.

Some seem to question this course of action. There are questions of how a BrewDog chain of pubs might operate, of how they will cope with the Fosters drinking masses or the bottle of Bud girl. I think that the commentators who are dubious don't share the kind of vision for pubs or beer that I do. There is a future in pubs and beer, but it isn't in catering for the masses and it isn't in the style of pub that relies on mass marketing for sales. BrewDog bars will no doubt rock a new style of pub that will help shape the future of the industry. These bars may well be specialist beer bars, it is certainly not a panacea for the future, but I'm sure at least some readers of this blog would welcome what is planned.

So, there are a few more reasons why BrewDog are continuing to increase in value. I know many do not share my view that there is something special in this brewery worth following, but I remain convinced that they are part of the future of craft beer in this country. Not the be-all-to-end-all that usurps all other beer considerations but one that is helping to shape the future by cutting new trails for the more adventurous, bringing their ideas into the licensed trade in the form of BrewDog pubs excites me tremendously,

I forecast that over Christmas more people would take up Equity for Punks. Bracken today tweeted the following:

"Seems like Santa Paws was giving away Breweries this Christmas! Lots of new Equity for Punks Peeps have joined our Pack!"

Followed up later by the indication that although the target of £500K might not have quite been met, it's close and we need to wait until the 8th to be sure. I'll of course be hoping that the target is met. I can't afford anymore shares, but I'm hopping a few more can. I'm more than anything else interested in how they will bring forward a new style of pub/bar/tap room. The next decade has loads of stuff to look forward to.