Brooklyn Brewery president Robin Ottaway was in Singapore last week, checking out the local beer scene in preparation for his brewery’s entrance in the market that is slated to be sometime September this year.
Ottaway met up with local Carlsberg and MayBev representatives last week to discuss plans for Brooklyn Brewery beers to be represented in Singapore, as well as stopped by various local craft beer outlets to check on the burgeoning demand for craft beers.
“Singaporeans are exceedingly adventurous with their palates – as can be seen with their food culture – and we hope to excite them with what Brooklyn Brewery can bring to the table,” Robin Ottaway, president of Brooklyn Brewery, told SpiritedSingapore.com. “Craft beer is really taking off in this part of the world, and we hope we can help grow the scene here.”
In case you’re wondering why an American craft brewery ranked 11th largest in the United States is working with Carlsberg, the third largest beer company in the world, Brooklyn Brewery has had a distribution agreement with the Danish brewing giant since 2006. MayBev, in which Carlsberg acquired a majority stake in 2014, will be responsible for distribution.
Brooklyn Brewery’s collaboration with Carlsberg deepened in 2014 when they launched their join venture Nya Carnegie (New Carnegie) brewery in Stockholm, Sweden, and will take that relationship further with the recent announcement of another joint venture brewery in Trondheim, Norway – taking over the existing Ringnes E.C. Dhals brewery – that is slated to open late 2016.
Brooklyn Brewery will be the first craft beer brand in the Carlsberg/MayBev portfolio; Brooklyn Brewery will be uniquely positioned to challenge Asia Pacific Breweries‘ homegrown Archipelago Brewery craft beer brand. According to Ottaway the first shipment of Brooklyn Brewery beers will arrive Singapore in September this year, and will comprise of their Brooklyn Lager and Brooklyn East IPA in bottles. Other SKUs and draft kegs may follow pending market reception.
[Image credit: Brooklyn Brewery]
