Scottish craft beer maker BrewDog is no longer B Corp certified, less than two years after earning the status, The Guardian reported Thursday.
BrewDog has denied that the certification was revoked, and that the company has instead decided to “step aside” from it “for the time being” in favor of focusing on the company’s own ethical objectives, laid out in its BrewDog Blueprint – a map of company objectives based on the “foundational pillars” of “beer, people and planet,” Eater reported, citing a BrewDog spokesperson.
“B Lab had requested additional measures from BrewDog and the BrewDog board decided that these were not something we could do at this time,” the spokesperson continued. “Though we remain committed to the values upheld by B Lab, we believe our business is currently best served by focusing on the Blueprint, as well as very specific sustainability targets related to our Lost Forest project and the continued ramp-up of our AD [anaerobic digestion] facility.”
A spokesperson for B Lab – who conducts the assessment of companies for B Corp status – told Eater that BrewDog elected to step away from the B Corp certification after it was issued a suspension and a remediation plan, but a “secondary representative” said the statement was false and “B Lab does not comment on companies that are no longer in the B Corp community,” Eater reported.
The news of BrewDog no longer being B Corp certified follows more than a year of scrutiny of BrewDog co-founder and CEO James Watt and the company, who came under fire in a BBC expose in January. The documentary accused Watt of inappropriate behavior toward women (employees and guests), and alleged the company of improper business practices, including the filing falsified information to import partners and misappropriating funds meant for a tree planting campaign.
Watts called the BBC claims “totally false” and threatened to seek legal action.
Additionally, in the summer of 2021, BrewDog former employees – under the name “Punks with Purpose” – wrote an open letter to Watt, alleging BrewDog and its leadership created a “culture of fear” where “being treated like a human being was sadly not always a given for those working at BrewDog.” The letter was published three months after the company terminated four employees from its Indianapolis taproom – all members of the LGBTQ community – in an alleged move to make a “culture change.” The employee who approved the terminations has since been let go.
BrewDog achieved B Corp certification in early 2021, a status reserved for companies that have “high-quality social and environmental business standards,” which is reviewed every three days. Watt called the certification “the future of business” in a LinkedIn post announcing the certification. The company also released a celebratory beer, Certified Beer Corporation, a 5% ABV tropical hop pilsner, which is no longer available on the BrewDog website.
Punks with Purpose issued a statement Friday, claiming the review process of BrewDog’s B Corp status began in October 2021.
“It appears BrewDog would not, or could not, meet ‘the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance,’ and have in fact had their certification revoked,” Punks with Purpose wrote. “We hope BrewDog will reconsider and aim to align with B Corp standards, rather than setting their own. As we stated previously, following their response to the open letter, BrewDog have constantly proven unable to hold themselves to account. They simply announce a new blueprint – or manifesto, or values, or charter, or dogmas – and abandon the previous standards.
“Once again, we ask for genuine accountability and change from BrewDog’s senior management team, without spin and PR,” they continued.
Other B Corp-certified, U.S.-based craft breweries include Allagash Brewing, Athletic Brewing, Creature Comforts Brewing, North Coast Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Redemption Rock Brewing, and Upslope Brewing, among others.
BrewDog Opens Vegas Taproom
Despite the B Corp controversy, BrewDog was still in high spirits over the weekend, celebrating the grand opening of its Las Vegas brewery. The location opened to the public Friday, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and opening party.
Watt first teased the Las Vegas location in a twitter post in January 2021 – one of 27 BrewDog taprooms scheduled to open worldwide in 2022.
The location includes a 30,000 sq. ft. rooftop, with a 360-degree view of the Las Vegas Strip. The taproom has 96 taps pouring both BrewDog brews and “local favorites,” as well as non-alcoholic options.
Approximately one thousand visitors lined up to experience the opening event, with the promotion of a $1 million bar tab – valid at any BrewDog location worldwide for the next 20 years – for one raffle winner, according to a press release. The winner, Las Vegas resident Jeffrey Appleby, reportedly spent $27,000 of the tab throughout the evening.