Europe, Asia: Carlsberg has acquired Brooklyn brand rights

As disclosed in its recently released Annual Report 2020, Carlsberg has bought brand rights for Brooklyn Beer in Europe and parts of Asia for USD130 million in June last year.

The cooperation between Carlsberg and Brooklyn Brewery started in 2004 when Carlsberg took over distribution of Brooklyn beers in Scandinavia, thus boosting sales of the US craft brewer. In 2012, the two breweries deepened their cooperation by opening the New Carnegie Brewery as a joint venture in Stockholm/Sweden. Four years later in 2016, the partners launched together the EC Dahls Brewery in Trondheim/Norway. One year later both partners stroke several deals. First, they agreed on a new partnership exclusive to Hong Kong, then they announced the joint purchase of 6 year-old London Fields Brewery in the capital of the UK (inside.beer, 3.7.2017) and only a few days later both companies said they will invest EUR 5 million in a new company in Lithuania that will take over part of the current business of Svyturio-Utenos Alus, a company owned by Carlsberg that produces Lithuania’s two most popular beers. (inside.beer, 11.7.2017)

Carlsberg’s annual report 2020 now states that since 2004 “… we have developed a close cooperation with this great New York craft brewer. In 2020, we further strengthened the collaboration when we acquired the rights to the Brooklyn brand in our markets. The deal will reduce complexity and increase profitability, supporting future growth of the brand.”

Since 2016, Kirin Holdings from Japan holds a 24.5% share in Brooklyn Brewery. At that time the two brewers also signed a deal for the production and sale of Brooklyn beer in Japan and Brazil.(inside.beer, 12.10.2016) However, less than one year later, Kirin sold its whole business in Brazil to Dutch brewer Heineken. (inside.beer, 1.6.2017)

Steve Hindy, a former English teacher and international journalist co-founded Brooklyn Brewery in 1987 with neighbor Tom Potter, a former lending officer at New York’s Chemical Bank. As one of the pioneers in craft brewing the brewery became over the years one of the leading breweries in the United States and the main exporter of craft beer. In December last year, after 36 years with Brooklyn Brewery, Steve Hindy officially retired.

Last year, Cornell University named Hindy Entrepreneur of the Year 2020.

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