Bringing a new taste for Punk
Crafter brewer BrewDog has updated the recipe of its flagship beer, Punk IPA, to offer consumers a cleaner and punchier brew, without price increases.
Kicking off from 1 December, the new recipe will be introduced through a nationwide campaign with a series of high-profile digital outdoor activations across London and Manchester.
In a bold creative that aims to capture consumers’ attention, the new ad features the strapline ‘Tastes like commercial suicide’ in a tongue-in-cheek ad that leans into the new recipe, upgraded ingredients and increased hops, all the while making it clear that the price of the beer has not changed.
The original Punk recipe was first crafted over 18 years ago, when the choice of hops was a lot more limited. With craft beer moving forward dramatically all the time, BrewDog reckons it can keep up with more current consumer demands through some modern hops that deliver on more flavour, aroma and stability of beer.
BrewDog has worked directly with growers and hop development programmes to hand-select the best varieties and ingredients for its beer. The key change to the new Punk comes from the Krush hop, which delivers intense, long-lasting aromatics and is the foundation of the new flavour profile of Punk IPA.
Lauren Carrol, chief operating officer at BrewDog, said: “New Punk IPA is now a much punchier, hop forward evolution of our flagship beer, made possible thanks to modern hop science and brewing processes.
“We recognise that today’s drinkers expect cleaner profiles, sharper finishes, and more expressive hop character. Updating Punk wasn’t optional—it was essential.
“With this in mind, we have built new Punk IPA with absolute intention: cleaner fermentation, sharper drinkability, a lighter base beer and a new hop bill built for maximum aroma impact.
“And unlike many recipe changes, this is not a price move – using modern hops and tighter fermentation control has actually increased our production costs.
“But Punk IPA is our flagship brand and improving it is a commitment, so we have absorbed the cost whilst keeping the price steady for our customers and consumers. We’ve made the beer significantly better, they simply get the upgrade.
“We’re proud of the new recipe and are confident fans will love it even more than before. Our new OOH aims to celebrate that in true BrewDog style.”
