So it seems the former BrewDog CEO still doesn't know when to wind his neck in...
Way back in 2011 I invested a small but not insignificant amount in a scrappy, up-and-coming Scottish craft brewery called BrewDog.
Things went well for a time, and the brand grew. They opened some bars. A lot of bars, in fact. They made some good beers. And a few great beers. And latterly a lot of mediocre beers.
COVID and the subsequent cost of living crisis hit it hard, and in early 2026 it finally imploded under the weight of debts that the former CEO and all-round egomaniac James Watt saddled it with[^1] as part of his quest for expansion at all costs in search of FMCG unicorn valuations.
The brand got sold off to a US concern and James Watt promptly decided to set up a new brewery called "Second Best" and offer equity for free to former BrewDog shareholders.
So far, so par for his particular course...