UK-based Keystone Brewing Group has signed a sales and distribution deal with Bavarian lager brand Hofmeister to expand its “premium brand” portfolio.
The agreement, Keystone said, will allow Hofmeister to enhance its presence across Great Britain by tapping into the UK beer group’s on- and off-trade distribution network, with the goal of “tripling its production output” in the coming three years.
Keystone told Just Drinks that distribution had been managed “in-house” by Hofmeister up until now.
Originally brewed in the UK during the 1970s, Hofmeister was relaunched in 2016 after Spencer Chambers and Richard Longhurst acquired the brand from Heineken.
Production was subsequently moved to Bavaria, where the beer is brewed today at third-party brewing partner Schweiger Brewery, to the east of Munich, the company said.
The first kegs of Hofmeister Helles were filled in 2017.
Hofmeister co-founders and joint CEOs, Spencer Chambers and Richard Longhurst, said Keystone’s “distinctive, character-driven portfolio” made it a “perfect match” for Hofmeister.
The business, is looking to expand its reach in GB throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, they added.
While Hofmeister’s primary focus has until recently mostly been Great Britain, it also has customers in Singapore and Scandinavia, Keystone told Just Drinks, adding that the new agreement would allow Hofmeister to increase its focus on further potential market expansion.
Keystone Brewing Group CEO Steve Cox, who took the helm at the company earlier this month, said: “There has been a gap in our portfolio for a world lager – and with its exceptional quality – Hofmeister is the perfect addition.
“World lager is one of the fastest-growing alcohol categories in the UK on trade, and we know that consumers love Hofmeister’s brand heritage want to see more of it. As such, the deal supports our broader strategy of building a £100m portfolio of exceptional beer brands and beverages by 2028.”
Keystone’s portfolio includes brands such as Black Sheep Brewery and Purity, alongside recently acquired names such as Big Drop and Wolf Pack.
The company has been actively expanding its footprint through acquisitions, securing the Yorkshire-based North Brewing brand in February, and earlier acquiring an “exclusive license” to produce Magic Rock and Fourpure from drinks group In Good Company in January.
Since its 2016 relaunch, Hofmeister has developed a range of “slow-brewed and cold-fermented” “premium” Bavarian beers, including Helles Lager (5% abv) and Bavarian wheat beer Weisse (5.1% abv).
The company has also ventured into the low-and-no alcohol segment with Bearly Any, a 0.5% Helles.
