BrewDog Customer Fooled When Solid 'Gold Can' Turns Out to be Mainly Brass

A man has been left disappointed after discovering a beer can, which the Scottish brewery, BrewDog, claimed was 'solid gold' and worth £15,000, was in fact, gold-plated brass, and worth considerably less.

Mark Craig, from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, was one of 50 people to win a 'solid gold' beer can of BrewDog flagship beer, Punk IPA, which was launched earlier this year as part of a promotional competition.

Hoping to trade in the can for cash to pay for his wedding, Craig sought a valuation of the precious metal, only to discover it was 24-carat gold-plated brass. Another winner had their can valued by a jeweller at just £500.

Craig told the BBC: "If you're told something is worth £15,000, that's what you would hope you had sitting on your mantelpiece. I bought two cases online in my attempt to win."

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"The past 18 months have been tough for everyone. I myself was made redundant and had plenty of need of extra cash. I wanted to sell the can and contacted BrewDog for any certification they had. The certificate they sent said it was gold-plated but they promoted it as solid gold. When I contacted them they told me the 'solid gold' claim was an error. Despite this, the brewer said it stood by its valuation of the cans at £15,000 “based on multiple factors”.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) told the BBC they are assessing the complaints about whether to take action.

The BrewDog company have had a high profile month, also courting controversy over claims by staff of a 'toxic' work culture.