COLUMBUS – BrewDog, based in Canal Winchester, dropped stuffed cats over Wall Street earlier this year in an effort to kick-start a crowdfunding campaign the beer company hopes will bankroll $10 million worth of expansion in the United States, including a beer-themed hotel in central Ohio.
The company is targeting 13 markets where it hopes to open BrewPubs and other projects, including the first completely crowdfunded craft beer-themed hotel, the DogHouse, similar to a hotel the company opened in Aberdeenshire, in its home country of Scotland. The hotel would be located in Columbus and feature craft beer minibars, beer on tap in guest rooms, “beer spa” treatments with “bespoke hop oils,” and craft beer-themed meals.
BewDog co-founders James Watt and Martin Dickie took to the skies over New York City in a helicopter, parachuting the stuffed cats, intended to lampoon the caricature of the Wall Street “fat cat” banker, sporting pinstripe suits and bloated bellies.
From its brewery in Canal Winchester, the company is now distributing its products across Ohio and six other states: Kentucky, Tennessee, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Illinois.
The brewer plans to expand its Columbus brewery, including a new events venue, a sour beer facility, and an automated keg line to help it meet demand for production, company officials said.
The brewery currently has three bars in Columbus and aims to launch more in the next 12 months, vowing to open a pub within 18 months In cities where BrewDog sees more than 500 people investing in its Equity for Punks USA crowdfunding effort.
Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Cleveland are all on the list of cities the company is eyeing for future growth.