Brew Dogs (2013)
Starring: Martin Dickie and James Watt
Okay, i really expected to dislike this series that features Martin and James from Brew Dog. That’s because while I like a lot of Brew Dog beers, I cannot stand all the stupid wankery and mucking around they go on with.
Whether it’s the completely bogus “equity for punks” share sale or joining the argument for defining craft beer (their definition – surprise, surprise – included themselves even though they must be one of the biggest breweries in the UK these days) they do have a tendency to come across as quite wanky.
On top of that there’s their apparently never-ending obsession with referring to themselves as punks. Last time I checked the idea of being “punk” and running a company that makes shitloads of money aren’t really compatible concepts. And that’s leaving aside the fact that someone calling themselves “punk” is akin to people who refer to themselves as “zany”. That is, they’re actually nowhere near that description. Instead what they are is irritating.
And yet, on Brew Dogs the pair come across as incredibly friendly and likeable. And that makes for a very, very enjoyable series indeed. It sees the pair visiting seven cities in the US and brew a beer with a local brewery. But they have to do it weird – which includes encoding the Declaration of Independence into DNA and pouring it in a beer, making another on a train or even brewing with water captured from fog in San Francisco.
It’s a show about beer, brewing, beer tourism and beer education. And it’s so goddamned entertaining. Can’t wait for series two.
Categories: TV, DVD, podcast
BEER IS YOUR FRIEND 
Great and entertaining but I agree with your stance about all there pussy bull shit. But you cant deny the brand is fucking brilliant, some pretty tasty beers also.
Yeah, I think a lot will agree their whole “punk” thing is pretty wanky and trying way too hard. I’ve found the beer mostly good, but there are some misses due to trying to hard to be “out there.”
On a similar level, I reckon Rogue do a much better job portraying some kind of attitude in brewing (they’re the brewing rogues rather than the punks) without putting it on and wanking about it.
I think the reason why the show works is that that it isn’t all about them. James Watt still gets a bit tiresome throughout the series, but it is good to see them put the spotlight on some quality American brewers.
I’m with everybody else, in that I get annoyed with some of the BS that they carry on with, but they do also make some cracking beers.
The second season of this starts airing in the US on June 25th.