The craft beer giant is making waves with a major upgrade to its iconic flagship brew, and they’re not passing the cost onto you
After 18 years of brewing one of Britain’s most recognisable IPAs, BrewDog has just unveiled a completely reimagined Punk IPA recipe. The Ellon-based brewery says the new version delivers a cleaner, brighter, and significantly punchier hop experience, and here’s the kicker: despite higher production costs, the price tag stays exactly the same.
Lauren Carrol, BrewDog’s Chief Operating Officer, revealed that modern hop science has evolved dramatically since Punk IPA first hit the scene. “Today’s hop varieties deliver far more flavour, aroma, and stability than what was available back then,” she explained. “We’ve built this new Punk IPA with absolute intention: cleaner fermentation, sharper drinkability, a lighter base beer, and a completely reworked hop bill designed for maximum aroma impact.”
The original Punk recipe was developed when craft beer was still finding its feet in the UK, and hop choices were far more limited. But with the craft beer revolution in full swing, BrewDog recognised that drinkers now expect more sophisticated profiles, sharper finishes, cleaner tastes, and bolder hop character.
The most exciting part? BrewDog describes this as a “hop forward evolution” made possible by cutting-edge brewing processes and the introduction of new krush hop variants. These modern techniques actually cost more to implement, but the brewery has absorbed the additional expense to deliver what they’re calling a “significant upgrade” to their flagship beer.
“Updating Punk wasn’t optional, it was essential,” Carrol added. “We’ve made the beer significantly better, and drinkers simply get the upgrade.”
For anyone who’s been enjoying Punk IPA over the years, this is your chance to taste how far craft brewing has come. The new recipe represents nearly two decades of brewing innovation, compressed into every pint.