Brooklyn Brewery's aim is to create flavourful beers that reflect traditions, life and the culture of communities across the world.
Its beers include Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn Scorcher IPA, Brooklyn Summer Ale, Brooklyn East IPA and Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, which are imported from New York and overseen by Brewmaster Garrett Oliver.
Carlsberg UK’s existing premium beer and cider portfolio includes craft cider Bad Apple, Italian lager Poretti, Danish-style pilsner Carlsberg Export, Spanish lagers San Miguel and Mahou, Belgium ale Grimbergen and Sweden’s Backyard Brewery range, including Shed Head, Bee 17 and Lawnmower.
Craft beer
Vice president of marketing for Carlsberg UK Liam Newton said: “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.
"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.”
The agreement between Carlsberg UK and Brooklyn Brewery follows on from an eleven-year relationship between the brewery and the wider Carlsberg Group which sells Brooklyn products in several markets including Sweden and Denmark.
Brand development
Brooklyn Brewery's CEO Eric Ottaway said: “This move is an extension of Brooklyn’s relationship with Carlsberg throughout Europe and we look forward to working creatively with Carlsberg UK on the continued development of the Brooklyn brand in the UK.
“We would like to thank everyone at [distributor] James Clay for the great work they have done to build Brooklyn to this point in the UK. They have been great partners and brand builders for the past 15 years.”
A statement from James Clay read: “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.
“After recently moving into a new facility in the north of England – the largest exclusively dedicated to craft and speciality beer in the UK – and acquiring the wholesale arm of London-based beer distributor Utobeer, this transfer allows us the resources to invest and support expansion from our existing and potential new brewery partners from across the world.
"As an independent, family-owned business, we are absolutely committed to investing in the longevity and growth of craft and speciality beers in the UK.”