Shipyard Brewing strikes second global marketing deal in less than a month

Courtesy / Shipyard Brewing Co. Shipyard Brewing Co. is building a partnership with Australian brewer Rocks Brewing Co.

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By Staff

Portland-based Shipyard Brewing Co. is expanding its global presence by establishing a partnership with Rocks Brewing Co. in Sydney, Australia.

Beginning Friday, Shipyard will exchange signature brews with Rocks, according to a news release. Rocks was founded in 2008 by Simon Osborn and today is part of Sydney's growing independent beer industry.

Shipyard’s selection includes, appropriately, its Export Ale, the company's flagship product; a blueberry ale; and an Australian take on Shipyard’s Finder IPA that uses Aussie hops. Two of Rocks’ most popular beers, Hangman Pale Ale and Governor Golden Ale, will start flowing at Shipyard’s Portland tasting room at a launch party on Jan. 9, 2020.

The alliance was the idea of Australian native Dave Phillips, who conceptualized the exchange after meeting Shipyard founder Fred Forsley at Shipyard’s taproom. What started as friendly banter grew into a larger conversation about international markets and eventually a marketing exchange between the continents.

“Aussies are a lot like Mainers,” Phillips said in the release. “We’re down to earth, practical and always up for a chat over a beer. Having spent a lot of time as a beer tourist in and around both the Australian and American beer scenes, I saw in Fred that same pioneering spirit that I saw in Simon Osborn and his team at Rocks Brewing Co. It was a natural fit to put both Shipyard and Rocks together for this alliance.”

Forsley said, “This is an incredible opportunity to ally with Rocks and to continue to share our products with fans across the world. We look forward to testing the program and realizing the potential for these brands to grow in each respective market.”

The exchange comes on the heels of Shipyard’s announcement in November of a 15-year trade extension with its United Kingdom partner, Marston’s PLC.

Shipyard is Maine’s largest brewer, with an expected global output of 160,000 barrels in 2019. This past April, Forsley told Mainebiz he’d like to see the company continue to grow globally with Shipyard brands.