The appointment comes as Brewdog’s distilling arm, Lonewolf, revealed its plans to expand its spirit range beyond vodka and gin to take on whisky and rum.
Brewdog cofounder, James Watt said: “I can’t wait to see where David takes Lonewolf - he shares our vision in standing as a marker and custodian of purist, truthful distillation methods, and his fresh, challenging thinking will not only take Lonewolf to new levels, but the entire category.”
Gates worked at Diageo for 27 years and departed earlier this year as managing director of Diageo futures. Prior to this he was global whisky category director anf Johnnie Walker global brand director.
Expanding the core spirits portfolio is a key notion on Lonewolf’s agenda and last month it introduced a brand refresh to differentiate between its core spirits range in anticipation for expansion.
Gates added: “The opportunity to shake up the spirits category with the industry’s biggest disruptor was just too good to pass up.
“What Brewdog has done for the beer industry is nothing short of awe-inspiring, you can’t help but be impressed with the energy, vibrancy and unapologetic attitude they’ve injected into the category. It’s that same creative flair and obsession for quality that I hope to bring to the spirits portfolio.”
Lonewolf has recently added to its spirits range with its small-batch gin and vodka releases and will focus the next six months on developing Lonewolf rum and whisky.
