Yesterday (28 April), the Portman Group said the packaging of Dead Pony Club, a pale ale produced by BrewDog, had broken alcohol marketing rules as it encouraged both anti-social behaviour and rapid drinking.
The offending copy included the phrases "rip it up down empty streets", "drink fast, live fast" and "we believe faster is better". The regulator instructed licensees and retailers not to place orders for Dead Pony Club in its current packaging after 8 July.
In response to the ruling, James Watt, the BrewDog co-founder, hurled a number of insults at the regulator and its chief executive Henry Ashworth.
These included labelling the Portman Group a "gloomy gaggle of killjoy jobsworths, funded by navel-gazing international drinks giants" who "treat beer drinkers like brain dead zombies".
Watt said: "On behalf of BrewDog PLC and its 14,691 individual shareholders, I would like to issue a formal apology to the Portman Group for not giving a shit about today’s ruling.
"Indeed, we are sorry for never giving a shit about anything the Portman Group has to say, and treating all of its statements with callous indifference and nonchalance," he added.
A BrewDog spokeswoman said the brewer would not be changing its packaging to comply with the ruling.
The Portman Group declined to comment on BrewDog's statement.
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