BrewDog Faces Existential Challenges in 2026

I can still remember a time when BrewDog’s beers felt like a refreshing addition to the craft brewing lineup. There were some eminently drinkable ales and lagers, along with some higher-abv creations that pushed at the limits of the form in compelling ways. In both their name and their ethos, the company also seemed committed to doing things ethically. Now, the company is reportedly for sale; as The Guardian‘s Nadeem Badshah reports, its future is unclear and could involve a breakup of BrewDog as it currently exists.

A combination of factors got us to this point, including — but not limited to — accusations of inappropriate behavior against the company’s co-founder James Watt in 2022. Watt’s response to a documentary critical of the company’s corporate policies was also not something that put BrewDog in a good light. The headline of a 2024 VinePair article about the brewery spoke volumes: “How the Brits Got Bored of Brewdog.”

As The Guardian‘s reporting notes, BrewDog is now working with a consulting group, AlixPartners, to seek new investors; this could also result in the breakup of the company. “Following a year of decisive action in 2025, which saw a focus on costs and operating efficiencies, we have appointed AlixPartners to support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business,” a spokesperson for BrewDog told The Guardian.

We Tasted and Ranked 25 of the Best Christmas Beers

From cookie-inspired stouts to winter IPAs, these beers will make your holiday meal merry and bright

According to reporting from Sky News, AlixPartners has been “sounding out prospective suitors in the last few days.” How this will affect participants in the brewery’s crowdfunding process remains to be seen.

That BrewDog is currently facing an existential crisis is not entirely surprising. Last year, the company announced that it was closing 10 pubs in various locations in the U.K. Last month, it announced another shift in business: specifically, that it was ceasing to make spirits at a Scottish distillery. It’s a time of change for BrewDog, but what form that change will take is still uncertain.

Meet your guide

Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…