Brewery and pub chain BrewDog has launched its first alcohol-free bar just in time for Dry January.
Christened BrewDog AF, the sin-free bar features 15 taps of alcohol-free beers, ranging from the brand’s original zero alcohol beer Nanny State, to artisan kombuchas. BrewDog AF’s website states that the bar is “on a mission to prove that alcohol-free does not equate to taste-free” and it seems that the demand for alcohol-free beer is growing, with established brands such as Heineken and Honest Brew launching hangover-resistant alternatives to their products in recent times.
The new bar has taken over the space that was previously occupied by the Old Street branch of Draft House. BrewDog owns the Draft House brand and has said that its alcohol-free bar is only popping up in the space for now. If it’s a success however, we may well see alcohol-free Brewdog bars popping up across the country.
The new site coincides with the beginning of Dry January, an annual initiative which sees thousands of people across the UK ditch alcohol for the entire month. Dry January is still a fairly recent phenomenon, having only been officially introduced in 2014, but has quickly gained momentum as a movement, with several London bars now offering alcohol-free specials throughout the first month of the year.
Long-time fans of BrewDog won’t be surprised that the brand has chosen a somewhat risqué name for its first ever alcohol-free bar. The two-fold moniker officially stands for BrewDog Alcohol Free, but as anyone well versed in millennial speak knows, AF is also commonly used as an abbreviation for ‘as f*ck’.
BrewDog AF opens on 6 January 2020 at 211 Old Street, EC1V 9NR.
If you have already committed to Dry January, why not challenge yourself a little more by giving Veganuary a go to? Our Veganuary survival guide has everything you need to know.