BrewDog has come under criticism after the winners of its ‘solid gold can’ have reportedly found out it was made up of largely brass.

The Scottish brewery advertised the chance to win the can, which they claimed was worth £15,000, between November 2020 and March 2021, as part of a promotional competition.

Fifty of the cans were made, with competition winners believing it was made of solid gold.

Reportedly, the certificate provided by BrewDog shows the can is coated with gold plating three microns thick, or three thousandths of a millimetre.

A company spokesperson told the BBC the use of the term “solid gold” was a mistake, but it stood by its £15,000 claim, saying the estimate was made up of more than just the metal used.

One winner told the BBC: “I realised I had won after I treated myself to a can after having mowed the lawn and spotted something glistening away in the case.

“It said on the can ‘you’ve won a £15k 24 carat gold Hazy Jane can’. Once I’d got over the shock I wanted to cover it on my house insurance. I got in touch with the can’s makers, Thomas Lyte, who told me it was actually brass with a 24 carat gold plating.

“I had it valued by a jewellery expert. He told me it was only worth £500. I’m just totally disappointed and I want it resolved. I legally entered a competition to win a solid gold can but I’ve not got that. I asked for shares to make it up to £15,000 and Brewdog basically said no, so I called the ASA.”

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