Going Bicoastal: Mikkeller to Open Second US Brewery Inside New York Mets’ Citi Field

Once a nomadic “gypsy brewer” without a place to call its own, Denmark-based Mikkeller will soon be brewing out of two U.S. locations after announcing plans to open a brewery and restaurant inside Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets.

The 10,000 sq. ft. location, which is slated to open this fall, will include a 20-barrel brewhouse, numerous fermenters and a canning line, according to a press release.

The company is also planning to offer a “customer experience” that will include 60 beers on draft at its restaurant and a retail shop with merchandise and to-go beers available for purchase.

“Our new location at Citi Field provides convenient year-round access for craft beer and food fans from the five boroughs and beyond,” brewery founder Mikkel Borg Bjergsø said via the release.

Mikkeller Brewing NYC has appointed Jim Raras Jr., the former chief financial officer at Vermont’s Hill Farmstead, which is widely regarded as the top brewery in the world, to serve as the company’s executive vice president.

“Moving my family to a more urban area was the initial driver for leaving Vermont, but this opportunity exceeded anything we imagined,” he said via the release. “I am thrilled to be a part of this all-star team, working to redefine what a high-quality, beer-centric experience can be.”

The announcement comes three months after Mikkeller launched two canned beers – Henry Hops IPA and Say Hey Sally Pilsner – specifically brewed for Citi Field.

Mikkeller, founded in 2006, currently exports beer to more than 50 countries. The company grew in size and popularity by practicing “gypsy” brewing, an alternating proprietorship strategy that doesn’t involve owning brewing equipment or physical production space.

To get its beer made, Mikkeller partnered with highly acclaimed breweries around the world, including de Proef Brouwerij in Belgium, Indiana’s Three Floyds and Hill Farmstead.

That approach evolved last year, when Mikkeller opened its first, large-scale, brick-and-mortar brewing facility in San Diego, Calif.

As part of that arrangement, Alesmith sold its original brewery location to Mikkeller as it moved into a larger space. Bjergsø and Alesmith founder Peter Zien both hold ownership stakes in that business, formerly known as Mikkeller Brewing San Diego.

Once the Citi Field brewery opens, Mikkeller will operate 32 locations worldwide. Most of those outposts are bars, tasting rooms or bottle shops.