BrewDog’s distillery, initially known as LoneWolf, is a cutting-edge experimental facility north of Aberdeen that challenges traditional whisky-making norms. The distillery operates as a testbed for creating a range of spirits, including whisky, gin, vodka, rum, absinthe, and brandy, with a particular focus on pushing the boundaries of Scotch whisky production.
BrewDog’s approach is anything but conventional. The distillery is equipped to process a variety of grains, including wheat, maize, rye, and barley, allowing for the creation of both single malt and single grain whiskies. In fact, the distillery even has the potential to produce a “single blend,” combining different whisky types. One of the future plans includes installing a mash filter to help with rye, a notoriously difficult grain to work with in whisky production.
Taking inspiration from BrewDog’s brewing roots, the distillery experiments with different barley varieties and roasting levels. It eventually settled on using Maris Otter and Golden Promise strains, with approximately 15% Munich malt in the grain bill. Fermentation takes place in existing washbacks, utilizing both distillers yeast and a bespoke red wine yeast strain, adding a layer of fruity character to the spirit.
One of the most distinctive features of the distillery is its uniquely designed “triple bubble” wash still, which produces a lighter spirit style. The spirit still is fitted with a precooler and set up for single-pass distillation, allowing head distiller Steven Kersley to cut the spirit into heads, hearts, and tails without needing a second distillation. This approach results in an “optimal new make” that is then blended with traditionally double-distilled spirit before being filled into casks.
BrewDog’s cask types include ex-Bourbon, toasted virgin oak, ex-oloroso and PX Sherry, French oak, and STR (Shaved, Toasted, and Re-charred) casks. The distillery also uses a temperature- and humidity-controlled warehousing system that can replicate any climate in the world, allowing the whisky to mature in the ideal environment for each cask type.
BrewDog was founded in 2007 by Martin Dickie and James Watt as a punk brewery that sought to disrupt the traditional beer industry with bold, unconventional beers. The company gained attention with outlandish marketing campaigns, including the release of Tokyo, the world’s strongest beer. As demand for its beer grew, BrewDog expanded rapidly, selling shares to its fanbase through its “Equity for Punks” campaign.
In 2010, BrewDog opened its first craft beer bar in Aberdeen, and in 2016, they opened a new eco-friendly brewhouse in Ellon, where the LoneWolf distillery was established. The distillery began by experimenting with vodka and gin, using discarded runs from its gin and vodka production to lay down whisky in casks and understand the aging process.
In 2018, David Gates, former managing director of Diageo Futures, joined BrewDog as the head of BrewDog Distilling, and LoneWolf was rebranded as the BrewDog distillery. In 2019, BrewDog released a series of bespoke whiskies designed to pair with their beers for an in-house boilermaker menu, further showcasing their commitment to innovation and experimentation in the whisky industry.
