Where is Shipyard American Pale Ale brewed?
By Mark Porter Last checked 5 September 2026 How we check
Shipyard American Pale Ale is sold as a beer from the United States. It is brewed in Britain by Carlsberg Britvic; the pack names the company, not the brewery.
What to drink instead 6 beers on the same shelves that are what they say
Listed by Asda when last checked. The product pages are among the sources below.
Every beer on the shelf by strength · How the units are worked out
More about the brand: rights, style, when it was created, where it is brewed at home
Partly verified
At least one of those three claims rests on a secondary source or an inference, a disagreement between sources is still open, or a split supply has a format that has not been read.
Owner, UK rights holder, UK strength and UK origin verified: the Asda 10 x 440ml listing prints Country of Origin United Kingdom while its product copy still says 'From his family-owned brewery in the heart of Portland, Maine'. The manufacturer address on the pack is the company's Wolverhampton office rather than a stated brewing site, so the site remains inferred as Burton.
The small print on the base of a current can or bottle, giving the producer name and address, would settle this.
In short
On the shelf, Shipyard American Pale Ale presents as American: Maine brewery branding, 'American Pale Ale' descriptor, Stars and Stripes and New England imagery. Since 2025 it has been brewed in Britain by Carlsberg Britvic; before that Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company made it. The pack names Carlsberg Britvic, not the brewery; the site on record is Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and the site is inferred. The UK version is 4.5%; the strength in the United States is not established. Ownership of the brand is split by territory: Shipyard Brewing Company (US); UK rights held by Carlsberg Britvic. On the recipe: Shipyard came into the portfolio through Marston's, which brewed the range in the UK under licence from the Maine brewery.
This page is about the packs sold in supermarkets. Draught in pubs can come from a different brewery, and this page does not cover it unless a format table says so.
What to buy instead of Shipyard American Pale Ale
Shipyard American Pale Ale is sold as American and brewed in Britain, at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, at 4.5%.
| Beer | Why it is on the list | Strength here |
|---|---|---|
| Coopers Original Pale AleThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed at Regency Park, Adelaide, South Australia in Australia. 4.5% here, the same strength as Shipyard American Pale Ale. | 4.5% |
| Greene King Abbot AleBritish, and honest about it | British, brewed at Westgate Brewery, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. 5.0% here, 0.5 percentage points stronger than Shipyard American Pale Ale. | 5.0% |
| Hobgoblin RubyBritish, and honest about it | British, brewed at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. 4.5% here, the same strength as Shipyard American Pale Ale. | 4.5% |
| Shepherd Neame SpitfireBritish, and honest about it | British, brewed at Faversham, Kent. 4.2% here, 0.3 percentage points weaker than Shipyard American Pale Ale. | 4.2% |
| Black Sheep Best BitterBritish, and honest about it | British, brewed at Masham, North Yorkshire. 3.8% here, 0.7 percentage points weaker than Shipyard American Pale Ale. | 3.8% |
| Adnams Ghost ShipBritish, and honest about it | British, brewed at Sole Bay Brewery, Southwold, Suffolk. 4.1% here, 0.4 percentage points weaker than Shipyard American Pale Ale. | 4.1% |
Chosen by rule, not by taste, and no beer pays to appear: how the list is made.
Who has brewed it here
| Years | Brewer | Site | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? to 2020 | Marston's plc (UK licensed production) | Not established | carlsbergbritvic.co.uk |
| 2020 to 2025 | Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company | Not established | carlsbergbritvic.co.uk |
| 2025 to now | Carlsberg Britvic | Burton upon Trent (inferred) | carlsbergbritvic.co.uk |
What changed
- 5 September 2026: pack wording was not established, now "Country of Origin: United Kingdom. Packed In: United Kingdom. Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Co. Ltd, Wolverhampton, WV1 4JT. Carlsberg Breweries, J.C. Jacobsens Gade 1, 1799 København V., Denmark. Product copy: 'From his family-owned brewery in the heart of Portland, Maine.'" (source)
Questions people ask
Where is Shipyard American Pale Ale brewed?
The beer sold in the UK is brewed in Britain by Carlsberg Britvic. The pack names Carlsberg Britvic, not the brewery; the site on record is Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and the site is inferred.
Is Shipyard American Pale Ale brewed in the UK?
Yes. The pack names Carlsberg Britvic, not the brewery; the site on record is Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and the site is inferred.
Is Shipyard American Pale Ale really American?
The branding is American, but the beer sold in Britain is brewed in the UK. The pack names Carlsberg Britvic, not the brewery; the site on record is Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and the site is inferred.
Who owns Shipyard American Pale Ale?
Shipyard American Pale Ale is owned by Shipyard Brewing Company (US); UK rights held by Carlsberg Britvic, headquartered in Portland, Maine, United States. In the UK the brand is handled by Carlsberg Britvic under licence.
What strength is Shipyard American Pale Ale in the UK?
Shipyard American Pale Ale is 4.5% ABV in the UK. A UK pint is 2.6 units.
What does the Shipyard American Pale Ale label say about where it is brewed?
The UK label text on record reads: "Country of Origin: United Kingdom. Packed In: United Kingdom. Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Co. Ltd, Wolverhampton, WV1 4JT. Carlsberg Breweries, J.C. Jacobsens Gade 1, 1799 København V., Denmark. Product copy: 'From his family-owned brewery in the heart of Portland, Maine.'".
See also
Every beer sold as United States · What else is brewed at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
Sources
- Carlsberg Britvic (carlsbergbritvic.co.uk), 5 September 2026: Shipyard American Pale Ale 4.5%, American IPA 5.0%, Session Pale Ale 3.4%, Low Tide 0.5%, brand origin United States
- Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (carlsbergbritvic.co.uk), 22 May 2020: Shipyard listed among Marston's licensed and distributed brands entering the joint venture
- Asda (asda.com), 5 September 2026: Shipyard American Pale Ale Beer Cans 10 x 440ml: alcohol by volume 4.5; Country of Origin United Kingdom; Packed In United Kingdom; manufacturer 'Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Co. Ltd, Wolverhampton, WV1 4JT. Carlsberg Breweries, J.C. Jacobsens Gade 1, 1799 København V., Denmark.' Product copy on the same listing: 'From his family-owned brewery in the heart of Portland, Maine'.
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