BrewDog Offers Pubs as Vaccination Centers in the UK

Want a pint with your vaccine? BrewDog, a Scottish craft beer brewer and pub chain, is offering its closed outlets across the United Kingdom to the government to use as COVID-19 vaccination centres, and those vaccinated could walk away with a ‘special commemorative beer’. James Watt, BrewDog’s CEO and co-founder, put a call out on social media asking for followers to help name the beer.

Moreover, BrewDog operates not only in Europe, but also in the US, South Korea, Australia, China, and Japan. With over 50 locations in the UK, the company is navigating through the challenges posed by coronavirus lockdown rules that have closed non-essential businesses. The ongoing lockdown is expected to last until at least March as the country responds to a more contagious strain of the coronavirus detected in December, which has led to soaring case rates.

Talks with the government are still ‘ongoing’, and consequently, after seeing BrewDog’s commendable offer, other bars and pubs across the country have expressed their willingness to open up their spaces for vaccinations. Like many breweries and distilleries in the early days of the pandemic, BrewDog adapted its production lines to create 500,000 bottles of hand sanitiser, continuing this valuable production ‘round the clock’ ever since.

BrewDog has a distinct history of innovative marketing campaigns and crowdsourcing efforts. In 2019, the company launched ‘the world’s first craft beer airline’, which flew from London to Columbus, Ohio, where BrewDog had opened a craft beer hotel. This unique hotel features in-room beer taps and a built-in shower beer fridge in each of the 32 rooms. Additionally, BrewDog has introduced more accommodation options above its bars in Scotland and had pre-pandemic plans to expand its hotel footprint into London.