"Today Švyturys commences a new stage. From the closed manufacturing space, we are changing into modern, open and social place, brewing a perfect craft beer. We are ambitious to increase the beer culture of the country and to make Švyturys Brewery the centre point of this culture not only within Lithuania, but also within the entire region. I am sure that this day also marks beginning of greater changes in the whole brewing market of Lithuania," said Rolandas Virsilas, the Managing Director for the Carlsberg Baltic and Švyturys-Utenos Alus (Lithuania).

Third major opening

Švyturys is the third major joint project of Brooklyn Brewery and Carlsberg Group in Europe. Previously, leaders of craft beer market in the US, through cooperation with Carlsberg Group, opened craft breweries in Stockholm (Sweden) and Trondheim (Norway).

"In Klaipėda, we found a passionate group of brewers who wanted to introduce new styles and flavors to beer drinkers in Lithuania. It was natural for us to partner with like-minded brewers, who wanted to advance good beer culture," said Robin Ottaway, the President of Brooklyn Brewery, who came from New York specially to the opening of the brewery.

Social, open, flexible brewery

The renovated brewery produces craft and specialties beer of Švyturys and Raudonos Plytos brands. Moreover, jointly with brewers of Brooklyn Brewery new products will be created. The minimal lot of the beer produced here is 5000 litres, allowing flexible and small batches of beer.

Red Brick Beer Workshop also moves into new premises. Their minimal beer lot is just 100 litres.

The new equipment, designed by the German company Esau & Hueber, should allow maturing at simultaneously even 18 types of beer. The hop extractor equipped in the brewery in a novelty not only in Lithuania but also worldwide. Such equipment adapted to industrial manufacturing appeared just a few years ago and are manufactured only by two companies in Europe.

The highest exceptionality of the brewery is linking of manufacturing, educational and leisure spaces and the essential word here will be openness.

"It is the place for beer events and culture events. We shall demonstrate to visitors all manufacturing processes, tell them about beer and its combining with food and arrange degustation. Since now, the brewing is becoming open part of the social life. It will be a special place in Klaipėda," Andrius Bagdzevičius, the Marketing Manager at Švyturys-Utenos Alus said.