Carlsberg bolsters commitment to craft beer with new brews

14-Feb-2019 - Last updated on 14-Feb-2019 at 09:16 GMT

New brew: Carlsberg launches new Pilsner

Brewer Carlsberg has added new craft beers to its portfolio, including brews from its recently acquired London Fields brewery, in a bid to strengthen its commitment to the segment.

After launching its Crafted portfolio of beers five years ago, alongside beer writer Pete Brown, Carlsberg UK has increased the number of craft beers in its portfolio to 64.

Craft beer sales have risen by 15%, with distribution up by 20%, since 2017, according to the Danish brewery.

New additions this year include variants from bread brewery Toast, as well as beers from its London Fields brewery.

Brooklyn Brewery

Beers from Brooklyn Brewery, Duvel Moorgat and BrewDog have also remained on the list, while lesser known brews like ShinDigger’s Session have been included.

Marketing manager for the portfolio Adrian Rigby said: “We are extremely proud to have built what has become a highly respected go-to guide for craft beer and cider which has helped so many publicans feel confident about providing a craft offering and boosting their sales as a result.

“Since we launched the range we’ve seen an incredible amount of innovation in the category and consumers have responded enthusiastically by experimenting with so many new styles and variants.

“The category growth is showing no sign of slowing down so we’re delighted to continue supporting our customers in making the most of it.”

Carlsberg Danish Pilsner

Meanwhile, Carlsberg UK launched its new lager, a “better Carlsberg Danish Pilsner”, backed by a multimillion pound marketing campaign.

Marketing vice-president Liam Newton said: “In launching our new, perfectly balanced Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, we’re toasting the brewing passion of our founder JC Jacobsen and his legacy of pursuing better, which started more than 170 years ago.”

Master brewer Bhavya Mandanna said: “Our new Pilsner has a fuller body and a perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness made possible through modifications to our brewing process and the addition of bittering hops in the brewhouse.

“Aroma hops with citrus and floral top notes give a greater depth of flavour while maintaining the light and refreshing qualities of Carlsberg. The result is a smooth, perfectly balanced, Danish Pilsner.”