In a few blog posts I’ve already mentioned I’m a BrewDog Equity Punk. This means I’ve invested a couple of pounds in BrewDog, and own some equity shares in the Scottish craft beer brewer and bar operator. Since they’ve just launched another round of Equity for Punks, and it’s announced to be the very last, I thought I’d share a thing or two about it, and maybe entice you to seize this final opportunity to become an Equity Punk yourself!
Of course, I’m not being entirely selfless here: if you invest using the button below this post, there might be a couple of beers and goodies in it for me…
So Equity for Punks Tomorrow is the latest round of the crowdfunding or investment program of BrewDog. When investing, you actually buy some equity shares in the company. Buying shares in BrewDog might be different from other investments you have: although the shares can in theory be sold again, at the moment, this can only be done at specific times, or by trading privately!
Even though my shares have increased in value considerably since my initial investment in Equity For Punks III, in 2013, I’ve always just seen the investment just as a way as becoming a member of a BrewDog beer club, which comes with some interesting benefits. The possibility of actually making some money in the end is just a bonus!
The minimum investment required this round is two shares, which comes down to just £50.30 (currently about €55) for a lifetime ‘membership’.
Interesting to note: this time, all money collected in the raise will go towards projects to make BrewDog more sustainable, and they have some great plans to make this a reality! Drink beer for a better tomorrow! 😉
Discounts
So what kind of benefits are we talking about here?
Well, for starters, the minimum investment entitles you to a nice but modest 5% off on your bar tab in BrewDog bars—of which we have one here in Brussels, and just quite nearby in Rotterdam and Paris—in Draft House pubs , and in Hawkes taproom. This is valid at any time, on everything, including merchandise, food and takeaway beers. You also get the same 5% discount in BrewDog‘s online shops (UK, USA, Australia, and—most interesting for EFP’s living in Belgium—Germany).
You could double the above discounts by buying 20 shares, and even if that comes with a couple of other benefits, it is a considerably larger investment, of course!
It really gets interesting when you eat or drink in a BrewDog bar during the day: then you’re entitled to a 15% Daytime Discount on top of the aforementioned EFP discount. This takes it up to a whopping 19.5% discount on your bar tab! This discount applies between 12h00 and 17h00 from Monday to Friday, and before 12h30 in the weekends, so perfect for a lunch with a couple of beers.
Speaking of lunch: a new benefit for anyone who invests in Equity for Punks Tomorrow, is a double discount on all vegan and vegetarian food in BrewDog bars—which is about half the menu—from Sunday to Thursday, so on those days that’s 23.5% off your meat free lunch (since that’s before 17h00, and Daytime Discount applies), and 10% off your dinner!
And omnivores: those Beyond Meat burgers are actually quite good, so this is an excellent reason to try them, and cut back on meat at least a little bit!
If you set a bar as your ‘local’ in the BrewDog app—which serves as your EFP discount card—you’ll get an additional 2.5% discount in that bar. Rounded off to the nearest half percent—as they do in BrewDog Brussels—that means 5% becomes 7.5%, 10% becomes 12%, 19.5% becomes 21.5%, and 23.5% becomes 25%!
(As you may know or have noticed: stacking discounts is not as simple as just adding up the numbers!)
Freebies
If you don’t want to spend too much money to ‘earn’ your investment back, there are also some freebies that don’t cost you a thing!
The most important and easiest freebie is your birthday beer: every year on your birthday (or any of the three preceding or following days) just go to any BrewDog bar for a standard serving (so the measure mentioned on the board behind the bar) of any BrewDog beer available on draught!
You—and a plus one—also get free entrance to any of BrewDog‘s AGMs (although you’ll be required to buy a couple of drinks tokens in advance to secure your spot). Unlike most AGMs, these are actually pretty cool parties, with next to a short business presentation, lots of great beer—by BrewDog and guest breweries—and lots of live music.
The main AGM usually is in Aberdeen, but there’s also one in Berlin, Columbus (USA) and there will probably be one in Australia as well. The EU AGM is pretty easy to get to from Brussels, but you should really do the AGM in Aberdeen at least once, and visit the brewery while you’re there!
By the way, when you visit the Ellon brewery as an Equity Punk, you get the tour—including some tasters—for free, as long as you bring along a paying friend.
Apart from all the above, there will usually be a couple more opportunities for EFPs to get a free beer or some Beer Bucks!
Community
To not miss out on anything, it’s best to keep an eye on the EFP Forum. On it, ‘captain’ James Watt—who together with his friend Martin Dickie founded, runs and owns BrewDog—and other staff members will often post news here before it’s shared anywhere else.
The forum is also a great place to ‘meet’ other EFPs, discuss all kind of beery topics—not necessarily just BrewDog related—or find a drinking buddy if you’re travelling around the UK or elsewhere.
After buying just one share in EFP III, in 2013, I invested at least a little in all subsequent rounds of Equity For Punks, for reinvestment perks, or to ‘level up’. I kept track of what it saved me in discounts, and which freebies I received, and I can tell you: I got more than got my money’s worth, and got to know a lot of interesting beers, places and people in the process!
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about Equity for Punks Tomorrow or being an EFP in general, and if you decide to invest: welcome to the club!
