The beer that's been axed from almost 2,000 pubs across UK

A popular beer in the UK has been dropped by almost 2,000 pubs across the nation, with the majority of the establishments reportedly being chains owned by large companies. BrewDog's signature beverage, Punk IPA, was dropped by 1,980 pubs over the last two years. At the same time, the company also announced the closure of 10 of its own bars due to "ongoing industry challenges".

Confidential pub industry data, revealed by The Telegraph, shows BrewDog's UK distribution has now been cut by a third. The company's range of draught beers have been dropped entirely by approximately 1,860 pubs. An industry insider revealed that the beer giant was "losing taps in the [pub and bar trade] like you wouldn't believe".

They added that the loss of pubs selling their beer will lead BrewDog to become more reliant on the 794 JD Wetherspoons.

"If they ever lost the JD Wetherspoon deal, then that's Punk IPA done as a [pub trade] product," the source said.

In 2023, the company recorded sky-high losses of £59 million, following on from £20.5 million in 2022. The forecast for this year is reportedly in the red again.

This led to several flagship stores permanently closing across the UK, with eight of those located in England.

The flagship pub in Aberdeen's Gallowgate also announced its closure. BrewDog bosses are reportedly hoping to retain staff by moving workers to different locations.

Lauren Caroll, BrewDog's chief operating officer, told The Telegraph: "Independent brewers across the board have felt the squeeze from the economic pressures hitting the pub trade. With costs rising and consumers watching their spend, pub groups have been narrowing their ranges, and brewery-owned pubs are putting more emphasis on their own brands.

"It's not just us - every independent brewer has been affected. We saw the trend coming, which is why we've shifted focus to high-impact channels like festivals, stadiums, and independent [pubs]."

BrewDog, based in Aberdeenshire, was co-founded by entrepreneurs James Watt and Martin Dickie in 2007. However, Mr Watt stepped down from his CEO role in May 2024 after 17 years.