While clicking around on our handy Beers page, you may have noticed that some of our beers are only available in a handful of charming but far-flung nations. Yes, it’s true: there are some countries that stock Brooklyn Brewery beer that cannot be found anywhere else in the world (apart from occasional appearances in our Tasting Room or at special Brooklyn Brewery events.) Before anyone gets upset and musters a beer-raiding invasion, hear us out on why we’re offering some of these beers in certain countries. You can book a peaceful vacation after reading if you’d like, but no warfare.
We’ve been shipping beer internationally since 1989, when a flamboyant Japanese entrepreneur began paying us in cash advances to ship beer via air freight to Tokyo. We’re excited to continue introducing excellent beer to passionate beer drinkers around the world today. However, there can be barriers to shipping, stocking and purchasing beer in these countries that can make getting beer to thirsty fans abroad nearly impossible. We hear from these poor, beer-deprived people every day through emails, letters, social media or when they make the trek to our Tasting Room in Brooklyn. It seemed to us that we should help them out.
The beers listed as export-only are specially designed to meet the needs of these drinkers in their native lands. In some cases, a beer may be so popular that we release it around the world. Our beloved 1/2 Ale was originally introduced in Sweden so that beer fans could find a tasty beer in a supermarket, which Swedish law limits to under 3.5% alcohol by volume. Today, our session saison quenches thirsts around the world. We can’t meet every need in every market, but if we can find a way to help spread beer to those who want it then you can bet we’re going to do it. If Winter Ale, American Ale or another export-only beer isn’t available near you, try visiting the country listed or check in at our Tasting Room to see if we happen to have one of these beers on tap.