Pabst Brewing Company yesterday announced an expanded partnership with C&C Group plc to distribute and sell Pabst brands throughout the UK and Ireland.
Per the agreement, C&C will act as the “exclusive distributor” of several Pabst brands, including its flagship offering, Pabst Blue Ribbon, as well as labels like Lone Star, Schlitz, Old Milwaukee and Ballantine IPA.
The U.S. beer maker, which markets more than 30 beer labels stateside, and already sells flagship brand Pabst Blue Ribbon in 20 countries, had previously inked an agreement with the Ireland-based alcoholic beverage manufacturer for the sale and distribution of its cider brands in the U.S.
Calling partnerships like the one with C&C Group “mutually beneficial,” Pabst Chairman and CEO Eugene Kashper said his company would begin making a stronger push to sell Pabst brands in more international markets.
“There is high demand for our iconic American brands throughout the world – we expect Pabst Blue Ribbon and our other brands to become more widely available to beer drinkers everywhere over the next several years,” he said in a press release.
Pabst Brewing Company has made habit of establishing partnerships with other beer and cider companies in recent months.
In January, the company signed a brewing contract with Craft Brew Alliance that brought production of the new Rainier Pale Mountain Ale, as well as other products, to the Pacific Northwest. That contract also gave Pabst an option to purchase the brewery over a three-year period.
Last December, Pabst announced its exclusive long-term partnership with C&C Group for the sale and distribution of the company’s cider brands, including those from subsidiary Vermont Hard Cider, as well as Hornsby’s, Magners and Blackthorn. Under the terms of that agreement, Pabst also has the option of acquiring C&C Groups U.S. cider brands and related assets.
And in June, Kashper and other Pabst principals exercised an option to acquire an interest in Small Town Brewery and its popular “Not Your Father’s” brands. Simultaneously, Small Town Brewery signed a national distribution agreement with Pabst Brewing Company.
Pabst also secured the exclusive U.S. distribution rights to popular Chinese import Tsingtao last May.