The brewery will be installed at the site of Carlsberg’s Švyturys Brewery. The new range is planned for launch at the end of the year.
The investment is Brooklyn Brewery’s first in Eastern Europe; but the brewer has already been collaborating with The Carlsberg Group for several years.
Eric Ottaway, CEO of Brooklyn Brewery, said: “By investing in Klaipėda, we are expanding our collaboration with Carlsberg in Europe, and we believe that our work with the Lithuanian brewers will help both parties to grow.
“We are excited to work closely with the great local beer enthusiast community, and look forward to exploring new flavors with them.”
Rolandas Viršilas, CEO of Švyturys-Utenos Alus, Carlsberg, said: “We have noticed that consumers’ habits have been changing: the beer-drinking culture and the level of knowledge about beer is rising; and demand is growing for diverse flavors and new, versatile beers. The partnership with Brooklyn Brewery will allow us to satisfy this growing demand by offering numerous new, exclusive and experimental beers.”
Originating in NY, Brooklyn Brewery’s beers are now sold in 20 countries worldwide, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Sweden and the UK.
Last month, Carlsberg and Brooklyn Brewery collaborated to launch craft beer brand HK YAU in Hong Kong.
London Fields Brewery (UK), which was acquired by Carlsberg last week, will operate within a joint venture between Carlsberg and Brooklyn Brewery.
Carlsberg and Brooklyn Brewery have also operated the E.C. Dahls brewery in Trondheim, Norway, since 2016 and the New Carnegie Brewery in Stockholm, Sweden, since 2012. Carlsberg also distributes Brooklyn Brewery’s products in a number of markets.