BrewDog acquires Berlin brewery and taproom from Stone Brewing
The Stone Brewing brewery is located in the Mariendorf neighbourhood of Berlin, complete with a 100HL system, a 10HL pilot system, a 2,500m2 tap room and 5,000m2 of outdoor beer gardens.
BrewDog already has the BrewDog Berlin Mitte bar and is due to open another bar in Hamburg in June.
Stone Brewing: ‘Too bold and too early in our European growth curve’
California-based Stone Brewing, which was founded in 1996 and is the ninth largest craft brewer in the US, expanded to Berlin in 2014.
However, Greg Koch, co-founder and executive chairman of Stone Brewing Co, said that growth has been too much too fast for the brewery.
“Ultimately the project turned out to be too big, too bold and too early in our growth curve in Europe.
“Sure, in hindsight maybe we should have started smaller, aimed for the treeline instead of the stars. Today we lick a few wounds, but count our successes too. We are not leaving Germany. Or Europe. We’ve met a whole new country and continent of craft beer fans! Our distribution to more than 30 European countries will continue to grow.
“Stone Brewing Tap Room – Prenzlauer Berg is still very much open, and pints will still flow. We stand proud, and are heartened that we can pass the Mariendorf beer temple into the capable hands of our friends at BrewDog. They will do great things. And from time to time, as we’ve done in the past, we’ll do some of those great things together.”
Stone Brewing beers will continue to be distributed around Europe.
Berlin Craft Collective
BrewDog has launched a ‘Berlin Craft Collective’, where it will give independent Berlin craft brewers full access to the 10HL pilot system.
At its AGM on April 6, BrewDog launched the latest round of Equity for Punks, with a target to grow its community of shareholders to 200,000 and raise £7m / $9.1m (if achieved, this will bring its Equity for Punks total to £74m / $96.6m).
Equity for Punks will also help fund the development of the brewery in Berlin; and additional projects involving The BrewDog Distilling Company; opening a brewery in China; five new OutPost BrewPubs across France, Germany, Italy and Spain; and Europe’s first craft beer hotel called the DogHouse London.
