Brooklyn Brewery transfers distribution rights to Carlsberg UK

12-Sep-2016 - Last updated on 19-Sep-2016 at 15:38 GMT

Brooklyn Brewery's craft beer portfolio in the UK will be distributed by Carlsberg UK starting December 30, 2016.

Carlsberg’s UK division has entered into an exclusive distribution deal with Brooklyn Brewery to handle the independent brewer’s beer portfolio in the UK market from December 30, 2016.

The deal follows an agreement to transfer distribution rights from alcoholic beverages importer and distributor James Clay.

“We hope Brooklyn Brewery’s new partnership with Carlsberg builds on the foundations laid for the brand over the past 15 years and would like to express how much we have enjoyed working alongside the talented and committed people at the brewery,” James Clay said in a press statement.

Building on 11 years of history

Brooklyn Brewery has been working with the wider Carlsberg Group for the past 11 years, helping to expand Brooklyn Brewery’s presence into over a dozen markets including Denmark and Sweden.

"The Brooklyn beer range will complement our existing portfolio of premium, craft and speciality beers and ciders, and we will ensure it thrives well into the future, like it has in the past,” vice president of marketing for Carlsberg UK Liam Newton said in a statement.

The brewers have also co-operated to open two microbreweries: the New Carnegie Brewery in Stockholm, Sweden (launched in 2015), and E.C. Dahls Brewery in Trondheim, Norway, which opened in August this year.

Brooklyn Brewery is the #12 craft brewer in the US, according to figures from the Brewers Association (based on 2015 beer sales volume).

Trailblazer of craft beer movement

Named after its namesake borough in New York City, Brooklyn Brewery introduced its beer variety, Brooklyn Lager, in the 1980s when the beer market was largely dominated by “light, rice, and corn lagers sold by Budweiser, Miller, and Coors,” according to the company website.

In 1996, Brooklyn Brewery opened its official Brooklyn Brewery Brewhouse, Tasting Room, and offices in New York City. Today, the New York City-based brewery offers 14 perennial varieties and five seasonal varieties of its branded beer. Brooklyn Brewery beer is currently available in 27 US states and more than 30 countries.

“Brooklyn Brewery is at the forefront of the craft beer revolution, brewing quality beers that drinkers seek out and enjoy. Brooklyn Lager has seen value growth of 54% over the past year in the UK,” Newton said.

Brooklyn Brewery’s portfolio will be managed through its newly-launched brand and sales division, House of Beers, which provides specialized support to customers operating premium pubs, bars, and restaurants in major UK cities.