Halewood Artisanal Spirits has divested the Crabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer brand after more than two decades of ownership.
It has sold the former ginger wine brand – acquired from Glenmorangie in 2002 before being relaunched as a boozy ginger beer in 2009 – to drinks wholesaler Brookfield Drinks.
Bedfordshire-based Brookfield Drinks is headed up by fmcg industry veteran Nigel McNally and distributes brands including Kestrel Lager, La Goudale and Neo Wtr.
Under Brookfield Drinks’ ownership, Crabbie’s would benefit from increased marketing investment “designed to strengthen the brand’s presence across retail and hospitality channels in the UK and export markets”, the supplier said.
Presently, Crabbie’s is stocked in retailers including Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose and Ocado.
“Crabbie’s is a must-stock product within the fast growing fruit/flavoured beer market,” said McNally. “The brand has outstanding heritage and awareness, not only within the UK but internationally as well. It is a truly crafted drink, with a unique six-week ginger-steeping process and a company heritage stretching back to 1801.
“With the alcoholic ginger beer and fruit beer category continuing to grow, particularly amongst consumers seeking more flavour-led and refreshing craft-centric drinking experiences, we believe there is a significant opportunity to further elevate the brand.”
Stewart Hainsworth, CEO of Halewood Artisanal Spirits, added: “The sale of Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer, is another exciting step forward for the Halewood company as part of its spirits-focused artisanal brand strategy.
“Crabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer will be a core brand for Brookfield Drinks and they have some exciting plans to continue to support and grow Crabbie’s in the UK and beyond.”
Turnover at Halewood Artisanal Spirits fell by 9.6% to £115.6m in the year to 28 June 2025, as the supplier wound down third-party whisky manufacturing and saw lower sales volumes of Crabbie’s ginger beer due to US tariffs.
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