BrewDog co-founder James Watt is evaluating the acquisition of one of three commercial breweries to supply production capacity for his new beverage enterprise, Second Best.
The former BrewDog chief executive confirmed that the venture is reviewing three operational brewing facilities, while concurrently finalising contract manufacturing agreements with third-party brewing partners to produce initial commercial volumes ahead of securing permanent physical infrastructure.
The announcement marks the next phase of development for the brand, which has recorded 50,000 community equity registrations ahead of its initial retail rollout.
Brewery Acquisition Targets and Production
The search for dedicated manufacturing assets follows the formal launch of the Second Best platform earlier in the year. Watt indicated that while negotiations regarding facility acquisitions remain ongoing, contract brewing partnerships will be deployed to establish immediate supply chain capabilities.
Details regarding the specific geographical locations, brewing capacities, or corporate ownership of the three candidate breweries have not been disclosed.
The strategy aims to establish immediate market presence across physical and digital retail channels while securing long-term brewing infrastructure to support national and international distribution.
Initial Beer Lineup and Products
Second Best has completed formulation and recipe development for its debut product portfolio, introducing two core beer styles:
🍺 West Coast IPA: Formulated at 6.7 per cent ABV, delivering a hop-forward profile characteristic of classic West Coast India Pale Ales.
🍺 Export Helles: Formulated at 5.4 per cent ABV, offering a clean, malt-accented traditional German-style lager profile.
Visual packaging design and brand architecture are scheduled for release in upcoming operational updates, alongside plans to launch a complementary alcohol-adjacent functional drinks brand focused on hangover mitigation.
Corporate Background
The operational push follows Watt's attempt in July 2026 to buy back BrewDog's brand IP and operational assets from US-based beverage and cannabis enterprise Tilray Brands, which acquired key UK, US, and Australian assets of the craft brewer earlier in the year.
Following confirmation from Tilray executive leadership that the BrewDog business was not for sale, commercial focus shifted fully toward scaling Second Best.
Under the equity allocation framework established for the new business, Watt has committed to allocating up to 19.3 per cent of Second Best's corporate equity to legacy BrewDog retail shareholders, creating a community-owned corporate governance structure for the new enterprise.
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