Maverick brewer to open second bar in Manchester city centre

BrewDog set for expansion

Craft beer specialist BrewDog has confirmed it is opening a second bar in the centre of Manchester.

The Scottish based firm has been one of the success of the brewery trade in recent years largely due to the fact it has tapped into the demand for craft beers.

The company already has a site in Peter Street and is looking at a major expansion in the UK and further afield over the next 12 months.

The news was announced at BrewDog’s annual general meeting which saw 8,000 investors descend on the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Co-founders James Watt and Martin Dickie took to the stage to deliver the financial reports from 2017 as well as announce a series of developments for 2018 and beyond.

One of the announcements was BrewDog’s move into cider production, as James Watt confirmed the brewer has invested in London-based cider company, Hawkes.

Hawkes is a five-year-old London based cider business with a portfolio of six products, including the UK’s first co-fermented beer and cider hybrid.

Other business updates at the BrewDog AGM included its 2017 financial results. Last year was a banner year for BrewDog, with sales up by 78% and overall revenue up 55% on 2016.

The brewery’s flagship beer Punk IPA has been the best-selling craft beer in the UK off-trade for the last three years, and currently, five of the top 10 best-selling craft beers in the UK off trade are BrewDog beers.

At the AGM the management updated the crowd on the continued success of BrewDog USA, based in Columbus, Ohio.

The brewery will be opening two bars in Columbus over the next four weeks, and its much-anticipated craft beer hotel – The DogHouse – is scheduled to open later this year.

BrewDog also announced that it has grown its American distribution to six states, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Kentucky.

BrewDog also announced plans for several new bars as well as updates on the progress of sites already in construction. Bars scheduled to open in 2018 include Manchester, Brixton and Edinburgh as well as Seoul, Paris and Barcelona.

BrewDog cofounder James Watt said: “Hawkes has grown a distinctive, bold and innovative business in an industry full of conformity, timidity and tradition.

“Our additional fire power will not only enable Hawkes to expand the reach of its incredible ciders, but also provide the opportunity to really make an indelible mark on the evolution of cider in the UK.”

 

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