Judging by the rate at which Aberdeenshire’s self-styled punk brewers are expanding across the land, Britain’s thirst for populist craft beer shows no signs of abating. Down near the river Avon in a quarter of the city centre that escaped wartime bombing, the Bristol outpost of the Scottish craft beer chain looks subscribes to the same punk aesthetic as its siblings of urban junk meets stripped-back student chic – think exposed brickwork, reclaimed timbers and bare stone tables.
BrewDog’s USP is a wild line-up of edgy quaffs defined by graffiti labelling and crazy names and split into Brewdog draughts, guest draughts, cider draughts, plus bottles and cans. The own-label beers include the sour fruit Quench Cake, gluten-free Vagabond Pale Ale, HazyJane IPA and the American porter Zombie Cake, though it’s worth checking the ABV before you buy: the Russian imperial stout Tsar Struck clocks in at 9.1% while Abstrakt barley wine is 13.3%.
You’ll also find plenty of guest ales from UK independents (nearly all of which are always new to us), alongside esoteric bottled beers from all over the world – perhaps Belgian De Dolle or Californian Lagunitas.
You might want to eat something after that, and on the assumption that these are not the sorts of pubs to come for a quiet pint by yourself, most of the food is meant to share. Cheese and charcuterie boards come laden with the sort of artisanal produce that share the same artisanal ethos as many of the beers, though sourdough pizza topped with Scottish fior di latte mozzarella is really what the place is famous for, with a suggested beer matching for each.
Choose from the likes of Spicy Meaty (nduja and pepperoni with chili flakes), King of Pigs (sausage leeks and watercress) or the Hawaii Five-O for those who see nothing wrong with pineapple on pizza, or else there’s a quartet of vegan pizzas. There’s also a superfood salad, but are you sure you’ve come to the right place?