BrewDog Takes On UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Unlike some breweries BrewDog isn’t afraid to get political. And they recently brewed a beer that took on England’s newest Prime Minister Boris Johnson…

Here’s the deal….

Not dissimilar to what we’re experiencing here in the states, England is weathering tumultuous political times. Brexit (or No Brexit) has led to the departure of former PM Theresa May and the rise of a very Trumpian Boris Johnson who has vowed to sucessfully negotiate the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union…

In an act of liquid defiance against unelected leaders like Boris Johnson and undemocratic actions like his failed attempt to shut the British Parliament, BrewDog has crafted a protest beer, a beer which according to the company,  “aims to fly the flag for the importance of democracy, particularly within the unpredictable times the UK is currently living in.”

Available now in BrewDog’s UK bars Hello My Name Is (Unelected) Boris’ is 5.2% ABV “Hazy” (pun most likely intended) IPA.

The initial purpose of the beer was to protest Boris Johnson’s attempt to side-line parliament, but when that failed, they just went with Hello My Name Is (Unelected) Boris’ anyway because the UK’s politics had gotten too crazy for the brewery to design labels quick enough and ’keep up with the chaos’.

This isn’t the first time that BrewDog has released a protest beer….

Back in 2014, it released ’Hello My Name Is Vladimir’, to protest the Russian president’s anti-gay stance ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympic games, and more recently ’Make Earth Great Again’ to express disapproval of the USA’s withdrawal of the Paris Accord, an anti-Climate Change treaty; a decision made by the US president, Donald Trump

BrewDog has consistently championed democratic stances, through initiatives such as the Unicorn Fund, where they give 20% of their annual profits away, with 10% going to charities chosen by their staff and community. As well with their Equity for Punks crowdfunding program, which allows their fans the opportunity to own shares in their business and have a say in how the company is run.

BrewDog co-founder James Watt sees addressing the UK’s current political climate with beers like Hello My Name Is (Unelected) Boris’ as an effective form of protest…

“We know the best way to bring people together in uncertain times is with incredible craft beer. So instead of a placard, we’ve put our passion for craft into making this iconic beer for us all to drink while we wait for democracy to turn up again.

BrewDog has also stated that should the anticipated general election arrive in the UK, they will be running their ’Vote for Punk’ initiative, where anyone who votes (regardless of their political persuasion) will receive a free Punk IPA in a BrewDog bar.