Kegs and 12-ounce cans of Cigar City Brewing beer will make their way to Sweden, Finland and Norway, starting this month.
According to reports from the Tampa Bay Times and beer news website Full Pint, the 9-year-old Tampa brewery has joined forces with Great Brands AB of Stockholm to make its first foray into full-time distribution in an international market. Their plan is to spread beloved CCB brews like Jai Alai IPA and Guayabera Citra Pale Ale throughout Scandinavia.
"We couldn't be more excited to distribute our beer full time to Sweden and other Scandinavian markets," said CCB brand ambassador Neil Callaghan in a statement. "We've been lucky enough to brew beer with several Swedish breweries and attend Swedish beer festivals for many years and we know how knowledgeable and discerning the beer market is in that part of the world.
"To bring Florida flavor to Sweden with the help of Sweden's best importers in [Great Brands founder-manager Jörgen Hasselqvist] and his team is a true honor."
CCB's ales and lagers are available in 23 states, including Florida. The brewery — which, like Oskar Blues Brewery, is part of CANarchy, the collective of brewers founded in 2015 that challenges corporate convention in the name of independent craft beer — produces more than 90,000 barrels of beer annually.
