Carlsberg launches new craft portfolio with 65 beers and ciders

Carlsberg has released a new craft beer portfolio featuring 65 beers and ciders to help operators make informed menu recommendations.

The Danish brewer teamed up with beer writer Pete Brown for this year’s edition to give a bespoke offering to excite and engage customers.

The Crafted Handbook also includes five new draught and 12 new packaged world, craft and speciality beers. Listings from Brooklyn Brewery will feature, following Carlsberg UK’s partnership with the iconic brewery to market and distribute its range of beers in the UK.

Following the success of Brooklyn Brewery’s Lager and East India Pale Ale, the Crafted 2017/18 portfolio includes four new variants – American Ale, Sorachi Ale, ½ Ale, and Scorcher IPA in packaged and draught formats.

Marketing manager for Crafted at Carlsberg UK, Adrian Rigby, said: “We are incredibly excited about the fantastic range of craft beers that make up this year’s Crafted portfolio.

“We are committed to developing and growing the craft beer category, which has seen huge growth in popularity over recent years. Through significant investment and innovation, Carlsberg UK has successfully attracted new drinkers to the broader beer category.”

The news comes as Toast Ale was announced as the winner of the first Carlsberg UK Your Beer, Here? competition, which gave independent breweries the chance to secure a listing in the portfolio.

The inaugural competition was launched earlier this year and was open to craft brewers and importers. Toast Ale, the UK’s first ‘bread to beer’ ale, will now be available to stock in thousands of pubs, bars and restaurants over the next year.

Chief toaster at Toast Ale Rob Wilson said: “Although we are a relatively young company, we are ambitious and see this as a fantastic chance to share our brew and message with an established and wide network of national contacts.

“Although we have formed a strong and loyal customer base in the off-trade, we hope our new partnership with Carlsberg UK will create an opportunity for us to conquer the on-trade.”

The Crafted Handbook is now in its fourth year and is sourced from Carlsberg UK’s third party partners and the Carlsberg Group global portfolio.