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BARREL Brewgooder is changing the world – one can at a time – by donating all its profits to clean water projects in Africa Written by Peter Ranscombe
s you walk along the gantry that connects phase two and phase three of BrewDog’s massive beer factory in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, you trip a sensor that starts playing the Imperial March from Star Wars. Perhaps the Lego model of the brewery in reception – complete with a Cantina-style bar – should have been a clue as to the movie references dotted around the site. Hearing Darth Vader’s theme tune as you stride along the walkway is enough to raise a wry smile. Despite its punk ethos and dedication to craft beer, it’s not hard to paint BrewDog in the style of the evil galactic empire, with breweries in Scotland, Australia, Germany and the United States, plus nearly 50 bars in the UK and a further 25 around the world – though perhaps with fewer stormtroopers inside. Yet maybe BrewDog’s galactic empire isn’t an evil one after all. A little-known fact about the company is that it also produces lager at zero margin for Brewgooder, a fellow Scottish brand that donates all its profits to clean water projects in Africa. Brewgooder was the brainchild of Alan Mahon, one of the most energetic Irishmen you could meet. Mahon founded the brand in 2016 with business partner Josh Littlejohn. The pair has previous form in this area. Mahon worked with Littlejohn at Social Bite, the sandwich shop chain that not only provides food for homeless people but also jobs for
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‘BrewDog also produces lager at zero margin for Brewgooder’
people who have lived on the streets, as part of a wider programme to eradicate homelessness. It’s hard to forget the media scrum that ensued when Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney visited a branch of Social Bite in Edinburgh back in 2015. Clooney was in town that day to speak at one of Littlejohn and Mahon’s other projects – the Scottish Business Awards, the largest competition of its kind in the UK and the biggest dinner held in Scotland since James VI’s coronation. Brewgooder is on a mission to give one million people access to clean drinking water by 2025. It has already sold more than 1.2 million cans and 600,000 pints through 2,000 stockists – including Aldi, Asda, the Co-op and Tesco – which has in turn contributed to more than 130 projects that have helped in excess of 64,000 people. And the beer? It’s made with a blend of Saaz and Sorachi Ace hops and wheat, and was developed by Stephen Allerston, hailed as BrewDog’s ‘most experimental brewer’. It’s crisp and refreshing – I find it’s a good way to start a night out, but a wee bit tart to have after richer lagers like Helles. Yet that’s a small niggle – and simply down to personal taste. What’s just as impressive as BrewDog’s involvement in the project is the creative way that Mahon and his team promote their beer. Over the past months, Brewgooder has teamed up with partners as diverse as the Glasgow Jazz Festival and the Co-op to support specific villages in Malawi – and I’ll definitely drink to that.
28/11/2019 15:29:15