SCOTLAND’S first non-alcoholic brewery Leap Ship Brewing has begun authorized proceedings in opposition to BrewDog in an try to guard the title of considered one of its beers.

Leap Ship Brewing is run by Sonja Mitchell and launched the primary version of their Shore Go away beer in mid-2022.

The second model within the Shore Go away sequence, a bitter beer fermented with berries, was launched in Could 2023.

Each variations of Shore Go away have been shortlisted for a Scottish Beer Awards in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

In July 2023, Mitchell found that BrewDog had shared a picture of a quickly to launch Shore Go away beer with the proposed tagline, ‘It’s time to leap ship.’

Regardless of communications with BrewDog, the multinational brewery and pub chain has not withdrawn its beer.

Mitchell has been unable to influence the brewing big to recognise the harm and confusion which Leap Ship says is being precipitated to the model.

A suggestion of collaboration was rejected by Mitchell as they need to guarantee a transparent distance between the manufacturers. 

Sonja Mitchell mentioned: “I’m extremely disillusioned that regardless of contacting BrewDog straight, I’ve been compelled down the authorized path to defend all that I and my workforce have constructed.

“We have now put appreciable funding into the event of our Shore Go away sequence of beers – from the creation of the beer itself to the branding, packaging and distribution.

“We can not afford to lose that. Leap Ship has developed a steadfast status for excellent tasting beers with ethics at our coronary heart and that is what we’re searching for to guard.

“On the level the place BrewDog launched its beer, Leap Ship was the one brewer within the UK market with a beer referred to as Shore Go away in manufacturing.

“The premise of our declare is that BrewDog’s actions trigger a threat of confusion amongst our stockists and drinkers and this causes monetary hurt to our model.

“It is a interval of thrilling and constructive progress for Leap Ship with rising gross sales within the UK and past and this matter is one we’re eager to clear up.”

Leap Ship first started manufacturing in December 2019 and has created a variety of six non-alcoholic beer and lagers, all with nautical names together with Shore Go away. 

The brewery has gone on to win awards within the UK and internationally, together with finest No and Low Alcohol Lager within the World Beer Awards 2021.

In 2022, Mitchell launched an equity-based crowdfunding marketing campaign that attracted funding of £366,000, exceeding its goal of £280,000 in simply two days.

The funding is supporting the construct of a brand new brewery at Rosemains Steadings close to Pathhead, Midlothian.

The rising enterprise has additionally seen its variety of workers rise with the appointment of a brand new full-time brewer, advertising supervisor and head of gross sales in latest months.

Sonja Mitchell, a eager sailor, beer-lover and mom of three, determined to leap ship from her advertising job to launch her enterprise.

The concept behind Leap Ship was born in December 2019 out of a love of beer however a horror of hangovers.

Eager to allow extra folks to take pleasure in nice beer with out the booze, Sonja got down to uncover if she might produce a world-class alcohol-free beer in Scotland.

Manufacturing thus far has taken place in West Lothian however this yr will see the opening of Leap Ship’s first standalone brewery.

Leap Ship Brewing donates a minimum of 10% of the earnings to quite a lot of charities, that are nominated by Leap Ship’s clients or ‘ship mates’ as they’re aptly named.