A wonderful memory turned up on my Timehop today. On this date last year I had taken a weekend trip, over 400 miles away, as the crow flies, to Aberdeen in Scotland for the BrewDog Punk AGM or Annual General Mayhem. To say that it was one heck of a weekend would be an understatement. It was also on this date last year that I invested (a small amount I hasten to add) in the company and became what is fondly referred to as an Equity Punk. You could say that I had already 'invested' in the company long before then, as I had become something of a hardcore fan. I was introduced to BrewDog by my best and oldest friend quite a number of years ago and the company have essentially become my go-to craft beer. There is rarely a time when I don't have at least one of their brews in my fridge.
I am writing this article while the UK and the rest of the world are in the middle of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, being limited to staying in our home has given me plenty of time for reminiscing. If you recently read my theme park enthusiast series of articles you may have picked up on the fact that I do love a bit of reflection. This pandemic has certainly provided that opportunity. I have been thinking a lot about the businesses out there that have or have not been forthright in doing what they can to support their communities and their employees in this surreal reality. Essentially, the companies that are doing the right thing and therefore still deserve our custom when this is all over.
This thought process has also made me think of something that in all honesty, I should already have been doing a lot more of. I have on occasion steered clear of businesses that have a reputation for homophobic and anti-lgbtq+ rhetoric but I could do better. I could and should take more of an active interest in those companies that champion equality in the right ways and of course, those that do not. Over the last few years and in line with the increased acceptance of equality there has been a boom in the number of companies that support our LGBTQ+ community.
Naturally, it is a sliding scale. From those that not only champions equality and actually put their money where their mouth is through to those that are a little bit fairweather and only have surface support. The types that slap a pride flag on their logo and say they are pro-equality but do little else. I want to pay more attention to this so that when I spend money, it is with companies and businesses the ideals that I believe in and promote a culture that I myself consider important.
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| Me at the BrewDog brewery in Ellon, Scotland in 2019 |
You may have already seen in the news that BrewDog has been supporting the fight against Covid-19 by turning over some of their production lines to create hand sanitiser that is then being given to the NHS and other local community organisations. That in itself is really positive and I have to say, it makes me proud to have invested in a company that is taking such a stance. It is not a surprise to me though. As a company, they routinely demonstrate their commitment to ethical conduct, to sustainability, to their employees as a living wage employer and through the BrewDog Foundation with its commitment to donate £1Million per year to charitable initiatives.
So what about their commitments to the LGBTQ+ community? Over the years, BrewDog has created many 'protest' beers such as 'Make Earth Great Again' which was a protest of the President Trump decision to withdraw the USA from the Paris accord. In 2014, they created 'Hello, My Name is Vladimir' in response to the Russian ban on 'homosexual propaganda'. On the BrewDog blog they wrote:
"Hello, my name is Vladimir. I am a beer for uber hetero men who ride horses while topless and carrying knives. I am a beer to mark the 2014 Winter Olympics. But I am not for gays. Love wrestling burly men on the Judo mat or fishing in your Speedos? Then this is the beer for you!
The sick, twisted legislation brought about in Russia that prevents people from living their true lives is something we didn't want to just sit back and not have an opinion on. Our core beliefs are freedom of expression, freedom of speech and a dogged (no pun intended) passion for doing what we love. Thus, we are donating 50% of the profits from this beer to charitable organisations that support like-minded individuals wishing to express themselves freely without prejudice.
This beer is a double IPA brewed with Limonnik berries. We heard they're great for improving sexual performance, so we've sent a case to the Kremlin as we suspect there is someone there who would appreciate a little helping hand."
Despite and perhaps in response to controversy (and they are certainly no strangers to nor are they afraid of a little 'controversy'), where the company was accused of transphobia, in 2015, they created a new brew called 'No Label'. Dubbed a 'non-binary, postgender beer' it was designed to reflect diversity and champion inclusivity. In creating No Label they used ale yeast but then cold-conditioned it to give the characteristics of a lager, subsequently blurring the lines between lager and ale. They even went so far as to use a very specific hop for this beer. Traditionally, in the beer brewing process, female hop plants are used and male hop bines are thrown out. For No Label, they sourced Jester hops which have a fairly unique characteristic in that they are a varietal naturally prone to altering sex whilst growing. They used a proportion of the hops that had undergone that change and grew male flowers, with the idea being to add diversity to the brew. On top of all that, No Label was created in partnership with the organisation 'Queerest Of The Queer' who celebrate and support the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. All of the profits from the sale of No Label were donated to Queerest Of The Queer which in turn supported charities that aided LGBTQ+ youth communities.
More recently, in 2019, BrewDog announced that through their development fund they would be supporting American craft beer company 'Crown & Hops' (also known as Dope & Dank), who set out to challenge the stereotypes that people from minorities do not drink craft beer. While not exclusively aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, their aim to highlight the lack of diversity in the global craft beer culture is certainly worth applauding as is the BrewDog commitment to support them financially.
As shown in the main image for this article, BrewDog displays its diversity statement in their bars across the UK which is clear and to the point:
BrewDog is LGBTQ+ friendly.
Homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, ageism, ableism & other bullsh*t will not be tolerated.
Given their history and their more recent work during the current pandemic, their ballsy approach to business and their uncompromising attitude towards being a force for good along with a multitude of charitable works, BrewDog is definitely a company that I am happy to continue supporting and spending my money with. I look forward to seeing what the team at BrewDog come up with next and how they will continue to support diversity and equality in the future.
Thanks for reading.
Despite and perhaps in response to controversy (and they are certainly no strangers to nor are they afraid of a little 'controversy'), where the company was accused of transphobia, in 2015, they created a new brew called 'No Label'. Dubbed a 'non-binary, postgender beer' it was designed to reflect diversity and champion inclusivity. In creating No Label they used ale yeast but then cold-conditioned it to give the characteristics of a lager, subsequently blurring the lines between lager and ale. They even went so far as to use a very specific hop for this beer. Traditionally, in the beer brewing process, female hop plants are used and male hop bines are thrown out. For No Label, they sourced Jester hops which have a fairly unique characteristic in that they are a varietal naturally prone to altering sex whilst growing. They used a proportion of the hops that had undergone that change and grew male flowers, with the idea being to add diversity to the brew. On top of all that, No Label was created in partnership with the organisation 'Queerest Of The Queer' who celebrate and support the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. All of the profits from the sale of No Label were donated to Queerest Of The Queer which in turn supported charities that aided LGBTQ+ youth communities.
More recently, in 2019, BrewDog announced that through their development fund they would be supporting American craft beer company 'Crown & Hops' (also known as Dope & Dank), who set out to challenge the stereotypes that people from minorities do not drink craft beer. While not exclusively aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, their aim to highlight the lack of diversity in the global craft beer culture is certainly worth applauding as is the BrewDog commitment to support them financially.
As shown in the main image for this article, BrewDog displays its diversity statement in their bars across the UK which is clear and to the point:
BrewDog is LGBTQ+ friendly.
Homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, ageism, ableism & other bullsh*t will not be tolerated.
Given their history and their more recent work during the current pandemic, their ballsy approach to business and their uncompromising attitude towards being a force for good along with a multitude of charitable works, BrewDog is definitely a company that I am happy to continue supporting and spending my money with. I look forward to seeing what the team at BrewDog come up with next and how they will continue to support diversity and equality in the future.
Finally, I will leave you with the vlog 'series' I created from the Punk AGM 2019:
Is there a company you would like me to write about who you think should be supported? Let me know in the comments below...
Thanks for reading.
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