Brooklyn Brewery looks for a new brewery site

Thanks to Kirin buying a 25 percent stake in Brooklyn Brewery in October 2016, which ranks 12th among US craft brewers, the firm has the funds to build an USD 80 million brewery and warehouse to support the rapid expansion of its iconic brand. While the two-year long search for a site continues, an aspect has come to the fore that should raise a few eyebrows but apparently does not.

It was disclosed recently that the company only produces about 20 percent of its beer at its original headquarters in Williamsburg, while 80 percent, including its best-selling Brooklyn Lager, is outsourced to the F.X. Matt Brewery in Utica.

Beer Marketer’s Insights, a trade publication, put Brooklyn’s output at 277,000 barrels in 2015.

Remember when Boston Beer started out and had all its beers contract brewed? In those days, nearly everybody sniggered that Boston Beer was not a real brewer because it did not brew its own beer.

Fast forward to 2016 and no one even thinks contract brewing by craft brewers slightly iffy. In our view, that’s a good thing.