James Watt BrewDog is a predator and misogynist who harassed his female employees sexually while in a position of authority.
In addition, he has even used dishonest marketing and advertising to deceive several clients.
His criminal past, disputes, and marketing claims are examined in the following article:
What BrewDog James Watt Claims He Is:
Having earned an honors degree in Law & Economics and being a fully trained deep sea captain, he traded in his salty sea dog status to become a BrewDog in 2007. He founded the company with my best friend, Martin Dickie, to pursue his passion for excellent craft beer.
About BrewDog
BrewDog is a global chain of pubs and breweries based in Ellon, Scotland. BrewDog boasts of being the “#1 Craft Brewer in Europe,” producing more than 800,000 hectoliters of beer annually. The company was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie, who together own 46% of it. The corporation has been involved in multiple issues. The company has been the target of complaints over its treatment of employees, unscrupulous business practices, and hypocritical behavior when promoting an anti-establishment image.
Products include a variety of spirits Ales and Lagers from BrewDog.
Brewdog’s History: James Watt BrewDog
Martin Dickie and James Watt founded BrewDog in Fraserburgh in 2007. Dickie had previously been employed by Thornbridge Brewery, where he helped develop their flagship beer, Jaipur. In 2009, BrewDog purchased its first location in Aberdeen, a nearby city. By the close of 2018, the company and its franchisees operated 78 bars across the globe.
BrewDog was recognized as “one of the major movers” in the 2011 push to change British law to allow new beer regulations. Additionally, in 2011, the business offered £2 million worth of crowdfunding shares or 8% of its total capital. The shares came with a number of perks when they were sold, including the chance to attend the annual shareholders’ meeting and discounts at the company’s bars and online beer store. The shares were sold for £23.75.
BrewDog stated in February 2018 that it planned to build a $30 million brewery and tap room on an 11,000 square meter greenfield plot in Brisbane, Australia’s Metroplex complex near Murarrie. The company announced in November 2019 that it would expand its footprint in the US with the addition of a new distillery.
London’s first alcohol-free bar, BrewDog, opened its doors in January 2020. In 2022, this was discontinued. BrewDog debuted a fresh look in February 2021. The London-based and New York-based creative agency Made Thinking was behind its creation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, BrewDog shifted the production of its distillery to making free hand sanitizer for local hospitals and non-governmental organizations. BrewDog announced their entry into this market and collaboration with Budweiser China in February 2023.
James Watt BrewDog: Mistreating Employees and Concealing Fraudulent Activities
In 2008, James Watt BrewDog faced accusations of aggressive promotion from the UK beverage industry watchdog, the Portman Group, and the company faced the prospect of having its products removed from British stores. BrewDog disputed these allegations, claiming that Portman was impeding the expansion of smaller breweries.
Portman stirred up controversy in 2009 when he questioned the availability of a beer that strong in 330 ml bottles with standard crown tops. The beer was Tokyo*, and its alcohol by volume (ABV) was 18.2%. BrewDog also introduced Tactical Nuclear Penguin, a 32% ABV beer that was billed as the strongest beer ever made.
In order to regain the title of strongest beer in the world from German brewery Schorschbräu, which had made a 40% ABV version of its Schorschbock, BrewDog launched Sink The Bismarck in 2010. The beverage has an apparent ABV of 41%.
In 2014, Portman accused BrewDog of breaking the company’s code of conduct by claiming that the label for its Dead Pony Club IPA “unduly emphasizes the intensity and intoxicating effect of the alcohol in the product,” which promotes “quick drinking and both anti-social behavior.”
A 7,000-person petition against BrewDog was started in September 2015 in response to an advertisement labeled as transphobic.
BrewDog threatened to sue an independent Birmingham pub named Lone Wolf in March 2017 for using their brand.
In May 2019, James Watt BrewDog was charged with using fake interviews and other unethical tactics to steal marketing concepts from job seekers and the public relations firm Manifest London.
More than a hundred former BrewDog workers denounced the company’s business practices and employee treatment in an open letter they penned in June 2021. The letter said that the group was “based on a cult of personality,” mentioned a “culture of fear,” and specifically criticized founder and CEO Watt.
In November 2022, BrewDog’s announced that it would “anti-sponsor” the FIFA World Cup in 2022 due to Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers and its legalization of homosexuality. Additionally, the company declared that all sales proceeds from Lost Lager will be donated to human rights advocacy groups during the competition.
The Unite union called attention to James Watt BrewDog’s duplicity and highlighted the company’s issues with worker abuse. Despite their position, BrewDog continued to sell their beer in Qatar and planned to show the event in their bars, according to certain news outlets.
James Watt BrewDog: The Time He Mistreated His Female Employees
According to a BBC exposé that aired on Monday, BrewDog co-founder and CEO James Watt is facing criticism for reportedly acting improperly toward female employees and tourists after his visits to the American brewery and taprooms of the Scottish craft beer company.
According to some former employees, Watt had romantic aspirations when he brought two female patrons and one employee on after-hours tours of the facilities or to the rooftops of BrewDog taprooms. In a message on the company’s website for its public shareholders, Watt stated that being accused of “inappropriate behavior” was “the most distressing and harmful” of all the fake charges made in the program.
James Watt BrewDog: Additional Charges Made
The BBC further reported the following claims:
- Workers at James Watt Brewdog were under pressure to deliver beer from the brewery in Ellon, Scotland, to the United States as soon as possible, and as a result, they gave false information to import partners for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the United States Department of Treasury;
- BrewDog implied that purchasing their Lost Lager would result in the purchase of a tree, thus they sought for a government grant to pay for trees to repopulate a forest in Scotland;
- After years of criticizing the Dutch beer company and preventing its goods from being sold at BrewDog establishments, Watt now owns about £500,000 worth of Heineken stock.
The BBC documentary chronicles James Watt BrewDog’s difficult period, which started in March 2021 when the Indianapolis bar fired three women and one non-binary employee who were all members of the LGBTQ community.
The dismissed employees stated they were told the new manager’s intention for “a shift in culture at BrewDog” was the reason behind their termination. After apologizing to the former workers and initiating an internal probe, BrewDog found “inconsistencies in the handling of their dismissals” but “no proof of prejudice.”
BrewDog by James Watt: The ACTUAL Story
Twelve former James Watt Brewdog USA employees who have accused Mr. Watt of inappropriate behavior and power abuse at work are interviewed for the documentary The Truth about Brewdog.
The documentary’s features assert that:
- Staff members saw Mr. Watt kissing a drunken patron on a rooftop bar.
- Female servers were advised on how to avoid Mr. Watt’s unwanted attention.
- To prevent Mr. Watt’s visits, managers would try to organize particular female employees’ time off.
- One bartender claimed she was “powerless” to stop Mr. Watt from drawing unwanted attention to herself.
- When visiting his US establishments, Mr. Watt would take women on late-night private brewery tours, which would have made the staff uncomfortable.
- Before leading her to the Brewdog building’s roof in front of other employees, Mr. Watt made flirtatious remarks to one of the employees.
The Bottom Line
James Watt, the CEO of Brewdog, is compelled to reimburse incensed consumers who won “solid gold” beer cans in a competition only to discover they were merely gold plated, spending close to £500,000. The Brewdog CEO awarded approximately £500,000 to the victors of a contest that purportedly gave consumers beer cans made of “solid gold.”
James Watt BrewDog is less trustworthy than he claims to be. Don’t believe his PR spin.
