BrewDog's 'bottomless beer' adverts banned after watchdog ruled they encouraged excessive drinking

Adverts promoting an offer for “bottomless beer” by BrewDog has been banned after the advertising watchdog found they instead promoted excessive drinking.

The Ellon-based beer brand, which was taken over by US company Tilray Brands, ran two paid-for Facebook ads in July 2026.

The first read “BOTTOMLESS BEER ALERT! Celebrate with 90 minutes of unlimited fresh beer for just £19.95 in England this weekend! Who’s in?”

It included a video featuring two men drinking one beer each with a caption above them stating, “When bottomless beers start to hit you”, followed by rapid images of 12 other alcoholic beverages appearing on screen.

The second included the same text, plus a video of a woman running towards a glass of beer, with the caption “you” next to her, and text on top of the glass stating, “Unlimited beers for 90 mins under £20”.

The adverts caught the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

They considered whether the adverts implied alcohol had therapeutic benefits, and were capable of changing a person’s mood and if they were “socially irresponsible” because they implied, condoned, or encouraged excessive drinking.

Tilray Brands responded that the advert’s phrasing was intended to be “informal and humorous” rather than to promote alcohol as a mood and confidence booster.

In response to the reel of 12 beers, BrewDog stated it was intended to show the range included in the offer rather than suggest the quantity that should be consumed.

They also protested that the second advert “did not depict alcohol consumption, rapid drinking, intoxication or behaviour indicative of excessive consumption”.

The ASA noted that in the first advert, the two men sit with neutral expressions, and after taking a drink, they become more positive.

The watchdog said this visual showed that the advert implied alcohol could change a person’s mood, and therefore the breach of the code was upheld.

The ASA also found that both adverts presented excessive alcohol consumption as a desirable way to use the “bottomless beer” promotion.

The ASA stated: “We told Tilray Brands UK Ltd t/a BrewDog to ensure that future ads were socially responsible, contained nothing that was likely to lead people to adopt styles of drinking that were unwise, and did not imply, condone or encourage excessive consumption of alcohol.

“We also told them to ensure their future ads did not portray alcohol as capable of changing mood, physical condition or behaviour.”