BrewDog invests in London's Hawkes cider

The partnership will see the expansion of Hawkes’ range, while founder Simon Wright – a former Greene King and AB InBev marketing executive - will remain at the company alongside BrewDog’s senior team.

BrewDog did not reveal the size of its investment but said it saw "massive opportunity" to grow the in the cider segment. It comes less than a month after the brewer acquired the rival Draft House bar chain​​ for an undisclosed sum.

In a blog post BrewDog said its own recent attempts to create cider had been unsuccessful due to a lack of expertise within its team, but it had found a “kindred spirit” in Wright.

Both companies are somewhat evangelical in their approach to drinks production and their crusade against “big” beer and cider brands. Hawkes bills itself as a “saviour of cider” while BrewDog has long pushed its “punk” credentials and anti-corporate ethos.

“Hawkes’ approach to cider parallels our heritage with beer, and we see huge potential in the difference the business can make to a mass-market monopolised segment of the drinks scene,” BrewDog wrote on its blog.

Bermondsey-based Hawkes produces four ciders, a pale ale and a ginger beer. Its first London taproom, serving pizzas and cheese boards to complement its cider, opened in 2017.

"I’ve long been impressed by BrewDog’s attitude and approach to challenging the status quo of beer in the UK and around the world," said Wright. "Just like us, they stand up for those who want to break free, make a difference and take the cider scene into an entirely new era." 

Despite priding itself on its anti-corporate credentials, last year BrewDog sold a 22% stake to US private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners in a deal which valued the business at £1bn.

The Aberdeen-based brewer now operates over 40 bars worldwide.