BrewDog
Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom · Est. 2007
Tally Answers Beta
- Who owns this brewery?
- Tilray UK holds the Ellon brewery assets and the BrewDog brand; BrewDog plc itself was not acquiredPARTIALLY · VERIFIED
From the record
What we have established
Fell into administration in early 2026 and was acquired by US firm Tilray, wiping out the 'Equity for Punks' crowdfunding investors.
Tally’s Take
The most divisive story in modern beer. BrewDog built a global empire on punk branding and the 'Equity for Punks' crowdfunding movement that turned 200,000 drinkers into shareholders — then, after years of controversy, fell into administration in early 2026 and was bought by US cannabis-and-drinks firm Tilray for £33m, wiping out those crowdfunding investors. A cautionary tale about what 'independent' really means once the capital arrives.
The founding thesisJames Watt and Martin Dickie, bored with bland British lager, started brewing hop-forward beers out of a shed with a bank loan and a dog named Bracken.
The Museum
Timeline
- 2007Two guys and a dog
Watt and Dickie launch BrewDog in Fraserburgh, Scotland.
- 2010Equity for Punks
Pioneers mass crowdfunding, eventually raising from ~200,000 small shareholders.
- 2026Administration & Tilray
Enters administration and is acquired by Tilray for £33m — Equity for Punks holders are wiped out.
The People
Behind the beer
Built BrewDog from a shed into a global brand on hops, provocation, and crowdfunding.
The Beer Library
Beers
Punk IPA
Year-RoundIPA
The beer that defined UK craft IPA for a generation.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Dead Pony Club
Year-RoundSession Pale Ale
Low-ABV hop-forward pale.
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LimitedImperial Stout
Released in 2009 at 18.2 percent, which drew a formal complaint to the UK drinks watchdog. BrewDog's answer was to brew a stronger one — the escalation was the point.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Travel Guide
Plan a visit
- DogTap taproom
- Brewery tours
Follow the money
How it changed hands
1 recorded move- 2007Founded
James Watt and Martin Dickie, bored with bland British lager, started brewing hop-forward beers out of a shed with a bank loan and a dog named Bracken.
- 2026Administration & Tilray
Enters administration and is acquired by Tilray for £33m — Equity for Punks holders are wiped out.
Today the chain tops out at Tilray Brands.
Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
BrewDog is controlled by Public company.
Tilray Brands — SEC Form 10-K · U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · 2026-07
PrimaryHigh reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-05Reviewed 2026-08-05
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about BrewDog
- Who owns BrewDog?
- BrewDog is owned by Tilray Brands. BrewDog is based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.
- Is BrewDog still independent?
- No. BrewDog is owned by Tilray Brands and is no longer independent.
- When was BrewDog acquired?
- 2026. Enters administration and is acquired by Tilray for £33m — Equity for Punks holders are wiped out.
- When was BrewDog founded?
- BrewDog was founded in 2007 in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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