#BeerSaturday Challenge N0.13 - PUNK IPA

BREWDOG

If crypto had a competitor for most outlandish, disruptive and successful idea in the real world and by that, I mean things you can touch, that are made; are sold in shops, it would be BREWDOG. Their crowdfunding model took the alcohol business world (and the crowdfunding world) by surprise, raising millions from adoring fans, but up until quite recently the world of investment advisors were still ridiculing investors in this Little Scottish Brewery as deluded novelty investors who would never see a penny ROI ! Yeah you've heard that story somewhere before?? 1,000's % profit is the land of dreams but you know all about that too.

Anyhooo..

So MY STORY STARTS LIKE THIS.. My wife's ex-flatmate and her boyfriend (very nice couple) had just bought their first place together out of town and were having a housewarming party. Ben is a bit of an ale afficionado and from among the many bottles of beer in his hastily assembled bar, he offered me a bottle of this PUNK IPA stuff. (Ironically we had brought a nice bottle of red and a bottle of bubbles to celebrate the new house, I never touched either.) He said try one of these. so I did. I was never an ale drinker before, I had always been more of a boring premium lager drinker and to be honest I like nothing better than a wheat beer, like a Hoegarden, drunk in moderate half pints with a very decadent slice of lemon.

My first sip of PUNK IPA was a surprise. It was crisp, with a kind of a citrus kick. I thought hang on, this is alright. I ended up drinking a couple of bottles and my eyes had been opened. The packaging was graphic, modern, different. iconic even. They were a small independent craft brewery. I thought, hang on these guys are on to something. It started popping up wherever I went, from picnics to park benches, parties and I started seeing it in pubs, bars and shops !

A Chance email

One day I got an email out of the blue... a simple proposition. *We're crowdfunding, would you like to buy some shares in Brewdog? * ! YES PLEASE. I had already decided this was a company which had far to go, was already on the journey and had somehow re-invented and re-packaged ale for a new generation. It was less gassy than lager so it was already a hit with a certain trendy clientele who knew how to pick new things up and make them cool.

I was in IMMEDIATELY.. I even went back for a second scoop of shares. I wrote down the details then just forgot about it. (At this point I'd never bought shares in anything ever before so you can imagine I must have been quite impressed to do so.) Later on I read a few disheartening articles online saying boo-ya ( what a rubbish investment*) but every time my friends turned up at picnics, parties or games night with a few bottles, I'd go cha-ching and thank them for buying into my company and making me rich. They got a bit bored of my jokes and rolled their eyes but they still kept buying it. No better feeling than when someone offers you a piece of your own pie and pays for it too !

Just for Good Measure

I always have a couple on hand, just for emergencies next to the filtered milk, filtered water and the balsamic glaze (also highly recommended and excellent with meat, cheese or slung across a salad.)

Billion Dollar Company

Then the inevitable happened. A rumour, a murmur then an announcement. a $200 million investment from an entertainment giant in return for a 20% stake in the company. Of course, I cracked one to celebrate ! My investment had suddenly taken on CRYPTO like dimensions.. and this was a real thing Not only was this the kind of news that makes you laugh with giddy excitement, it was also the kind of news that made you feel like a completely vindicated smart arse. they're going from strength to strength and not just in the alcohol content of their limited edition liqorice stout (12% vol)

Friends with Benefits

They send me free beers in the post.. It was my Birthday recently and one of my friends brought a 4 pack. I had one, it tasted very celebratory. The came with one of those non strangling 4 pack holders. It looked like space rations from the 22nd century ! I also got a free beer for my Birthday from Brewdog, they're opening a new bar around the corner from where I live and I have a discount card. As I said, if beer was a crypto.. it would be PUNK IPA. That's my story and I'll be holding on to those shares.

Cheers, Chin up and remember Don't drink and drive ;)

.