UK-based craft brewing group Keystone has penned a deal to produce and sell the beers of Hong-Kong based brewer Gweilo Beer in the UK.
From this month, brews including Neon Jungle IPA, Stereotropical Hazy IPA and Luminoid Alcoholic Lemonade will be produced at Keystone’s breweries in the UK.
The deal would reinforce Keystone’s “strategy of collaborating with premium international brands”, the supplier said.
Alongside owned-UK beer brands Purity Brewing, Black Sheep, Brew By Numbers, Brick Brewery, Fourpure, Magic Rock and North Brewing, Keystone also distributes Bavarian lager brand Hofmeister, French cider brand Maison Sassy, and low & no alcohol brewer Big Drop, for which it also manages production in the UK.
“Gweilo is an exciting, international craft brand with a bold, playful spirit that resonates with today’s drinkers,” said Keystone Brewing Group CEO Steve Cox. “Bringing it into Keystone’s network is about scale, reach and consistency – ensuring that Gweilo’s distinctive beers are brewed to the highest standards here in the UK, [and] making them more widely available across both the on- and off-trade.”
Ian Jebbitt, Gweilo Beer founder, added: “Partnering with Keystone marks an important milestone for Gweilo as we look to expand our reach across the UK.
“Keystone’s scale, infrastructure and distribution expertise make the team an ideal partner to help us bring our bright, adventurous beers to more customers, in more places, than ever before.”
Keystone was founded in early 2024 by private investment group Breal, after it acquired a slew of distressed craft brewers in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group has stated its ambition to grow annual revenues to £100m by 2028, fuelled by further acquisitions, production and distribution agreements and organic growth from its existing brands.
Gweilo Beer was founded in Hong Kong in 2015 by a trio of British expats. Its beers have previously been available in the UK since 2021 via a tie-up with Vocation Brewery.
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