Beamish & Crawford have signed a marketing and distribution deal with French brewers Kronenbourg to market Beamish stout and ale in France.
Beamish will be replacing Guinness and Kilkenny in Kronenbourg’s drinks portfolio.
Beamish & Crawford managing director Mr Alf Smiddy said today: "Beamish Stout is a uniquely Irish product and has huge international appeal. The brand's performance abroad has been very impressive in recent years and we are very eager to continue to grow the brand name at home and overseas".
Sales of Beamish stout account for 7 per cent of the Irish stout market, which is dominated by Guinness. But the company sees room for expansion overseas.
"The fact that Beamish Stout is the only Irish stout brewed exclusively in Ireland will be a very strong selling proposition in France," said Kronenbourg marketing director Mr Marc Roubaud.
Beamish and Kronenbourg are subsidiaries of Britain’s Scottish and Newcastle plc, Britain’s largest brewer and the second-largest in Western Europe.