Carlsberg Group Purchases 20% of Mikkeller

January 20, 2024 – Danish global brewer Carlsberg Group announced earlier this week that they have reached a deal with fellow Danish brewer Mikkeller to purchase a 20% stake in the brewery. Mikkeller’s statement said that the deal is “poised to strengthen the distribution of Mikkeller’s beer in Denmark, while Mikkeller will remain dedicated to developing new and innovative concepts, beers and events.”

Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, who started the beer brand in 2006, will stay on as CEO. He maintains a majority interest in the company, though the deal drops his direct stake from 59% to 53% (his total share is higher, however, due to indirect stakes through three trusts). Carlsberg Vice President of Finance Carsten Dalsgaard has also been added to the company’s board of directors.

Mikkeller has faced controversy in recent years, stemming from its alleged corporate culture of bullying, hostility, and harassment. The revelations led to the closing of several of its brewpubs in the United States, as well as the dissolution of a partnership with Three Floyds Brewing on their collaborative brand Warpigs. Mikkeller now owns the Warpigs brand outright, which will be included in the deal with Carlsberg.