Carlsberg and the Fathers Grimbergen
An almost 900-year-old tradition is at the heart of the Danish brewer’s bid to catch up with its rivals in the craft beer trend
London — Paul Davies travels to Belgium every three months to pray with the fathers of Grimbergen Abbey. Beer drinkers answered his call in the first quarter, lifting shipments of Grimbergen ale by 25%. The global head of craft and specialty beer at Carlsberg is leaning on niche brands such as Grimbergen to try reach drinkers increasingly shunning mass-market beers for small-batch brews. Beer from the abbey established in the 12th century plays a key role in the Danish company’s plan to expand sales of its higher-end brands, which are more profitable than its namesake lager. In courting connoisseurs, Carlsberg is seeking to catch up to rivals Anheuser-Busch InBev and Heineken, which have been snapping up craft labels across the US and other countries. The Danish beer maker is taking a different approach, seeking to breathe new life into established brands such as Grimbergen, which it has owned since 2008, while working with independent brewers to develop new ones. "We’re creating ou...
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