I try the BrewDog brewery tour in Ellon - is it worth £20?
I visited BrewDog DogTap this weekend – for what was probably the fiftieth time – but my first time inside the actual brewery.
People either love or hate BrewDog, but there is no denying the bar and restaurant in Ellon is always busy.
I've visited with my family for special occasions, catch-ups and spent God knows how much on beer and wings.
But I have never done the brewery tour.
Intrigued by the affordable £20 price tag for the 1.5 hour tour, I booked my dad and I in for the tour. A pre-Father's Day treat, if you will.
As part of me expected, I'm the only woman on the tour. There's me, my dad and a group of men possibly there on a stag do.
Our enthusiastic tour guide, Lisa, meets us at the upstairs bar at BrewDog DogTap in Ellon. We immediately get a taste of BrewDog beer while we get kitted out in goggles and high-vis.
It's just gone 12, but it's five o'clock somewhere, right?
Sadly as the designated driver, I'm limited to AF. But my first taste of the day, Lost AF, is always a hit with me.
We head out of DogTap Ellon towards BrewDog HQ next.
On our way Lisa – self-proclaimed historian and bartender – talks through some of BrewDog's history.
She makes several references to BrewDog's beginnings in the Broch, stating the bar relocated to Ellon because 'Fraserburgh decided they didn't want us.'
And that iconic colourful artwork on the side of the DogTap building?
Lisa explains that it was done by an artist who was caught graffiti-ing on the old Fraserburgh bar. How punk.
We arrive in BrewDog HQ, heading up a spiral staircase into the main offices of the Ellon team.
This is a real peek behind the curtain.
I didn't meet James Watt, but I did get a glimpse into his psyche.
Though Lisa does admit that 'we [BrewDog] are no longer punk', souvenirs of the beer's rebellious and outrageous beginnings fill the place.
There are photos of the 2012 protest when the team drove a BrewDog tank down Camden High Street.
Other memorabilia draws into focus the success of what began as a small Aberdeenshire brewery run by two mates and their OG Brew Dog Bracken.
Lining the walls are prints of each of the BrewDog bars across the world.
These fill every inch of wall in a belt. It is impossible not to be impressed by the scale of something which started off in a 'tiny, derelict shed', and has since spread around the world.
BrewDog opened 15 bars in 2015 alone.
Key names of other locations opened over the years stick out to me: Paris, Budapest, Reykjavik, São Paulo, Stockholm.
All the way fae the Broch.
Suitably impressed – despite our fellow tour attendees talking over Lisa – we head into another room for our second tasting, and to learn more about the beer.
I'm proud to say I name three of the four main elements in beer, teacher's pet that I am.
My dad sneaks in there by naming the most obvious: water.
There's also hops, malt and yeast.
Now it's time for another beer sample. This time, it's Punk AF for me.
My dad and the other drinkers enjoy a taste of the Hazy Jane Guava IPA.
He isn't a sweet tooth, but is actually a big fan of this. The fruitiness isn't overpowering or sickly.
The brewery tour continues with our progress into the brewery itself.
Now it's time for us to don our goggles, and me to tie up my hair.
Inside the brewery, we get a look at the mash tuns – yes, these play a part in whisky distillation and beer brewing.
I've visited several breweries before for interviews, but it's interesting to see this on a tour perspective too.
The bitesize explanations and handy infographics would make this comprehensible even for a total beer novice.
It's also pretty cool to see the canning process on the go too. Watching cans flee along the line, then head out the door packaged on pallets.
After this, we return our high-vis in exchange for a token we can redeem for a final beer at BrewDog DogTap.
All in all, the BrewDog Brewery Tour was great. The chatty group was slightly distracting at points, but it provided a great insight into the north-east beer giants.
It was fun to see the behind-the-scenes of the beer I've been enjoying for years, and learn about the history of the business while standing where employees do every day.
My dad who has been drinking beer longer than I've been alive, said:
'It was enjoyable and informative, and great to see the brewing process from start to finish.
'What an achievement creating a huge global operation from humble beginnings with two men and a dog.
'It's nice to see an Aberdeenshire business thrive like that.'
For me, it is well worth the £20 price tag.
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