Iconic Craft Brewer Mikkeller Sells 20% Stake To Carlsberg Beer

Famed Copenhagen-based brewer, Mikkeller, has sold a significant stake of its operations to Danish multinational brewer Carlsberg.

Here’s the deal…

Like so many breweries, Covid-19 wasn’t kind to Mikkeller. On October 19, 2020 Mikkeller announced it was permanently closing its 10,000 square-foot brewery, taproom and restaurant located at Citi Field, home to the NY Mets. Thanks to the coronavirus the venue lost the thousands of fans who would normally be sampling beers from Mikkeller’s 60 taps.

Then in 2022, Mikkeller announced that it was ceasing operations at its brewery and tasting room in San Diego, California and returning to contract brewing for the US.

“This has been a very hard decision for us to make and comes with a lot of heartache for the Mikkeller employees affected by the closing, said Mikkeller founder Mikkel Bjergsø’’’

“The hardships facing the craft beer industry and the economy at large are known to anyone; supply chain issues, rising costs, and unstable market conditions post-pandemic just to name a few. Unfortunately, this means that it is just not sustainable anymore to keep operating our San Diego brewery.”

And on January 16, Mikkeller, which was founded in 2006  by Mikkel Bjergsø, a high school math teacher, who is largely credited with being among the first craft brewers in Europe, announced that it had sold 20% of its operations to Danish multinational brewer Carlsberg.

And CEO Mikkel Bjergsø was quick to emphasize the positives of this new arrangement…

“With this partnership, we are taking a quantum leap on the distribution front. This means that we will be able to reach many more beer enthusiasts across the country. This will give Mikkeller’s team an even better foundation for focusing on developing new and exciting products, and alongside this creating the experiences that distinguish Mikkeller, through collaborations, events, beer festivals, restaurants and bars, while focusing on entering new and existing global markets.”

Proudly positioning itself as a “gypsy brewer,” contract brewing has long been a big part of Mikkeller’s dynamic. The company started as a contract brewer and still contract brews over 95% of the beer it sells globally.

But when this deal takes effect later this year, 100% of its Danish beers will be produced at Carlsberg breweries.

After the deal closes in the second quarter of 2024, its  bars and restaurants, both in Denmark and globally, will be operated as before by the same Mikkeller team.  And according to the announcement, Mikkeller “will remain dedicated to developing new and innovative concepts, beers and events.”

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(All image credits: Mikkeller / Carlsberg)