Behind the Big Idea: Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn Brewery has long been a symbol of creativity and craftsmanship, embodying the urban grit and artistry of its namesake borough. For over three decades, the brand captivated craft beer lovers with its distinctive brews, building a loyal following in an increasingly competitive industry. But the brewing world was changing, and so were consumer tastes.

As younger, health-conscious drinkers began turning to hard seltzers, non-alcoholic beverages, and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails, the rules of the game shifted—it was clear that staying ahead would require a leap, not a step. The brewery found itself at a crossroads: should it double down on its legacy or boldly step into uncharted territory? Can a heritage brand embrace its future with boldness, clarity, and creative excellence where beer was just the beginning?

This is the story of how Brooklyn Brewery partnered with Motto to craft a forward-thinking innovation strategy, enabling it to thrive beyond beer and redefine its place in an evolving beverage landscape.

Challenge: A marketplace in flux

By the time Brooklyn Brewery approached Motto, it was clear the craft beer boom had reached its peak. The meteoric rise of hard seltzers like White Claw and the proliferation of functional beverages had created a fragmented market. Brooklyn Brewery’s leadership understood the stakes: without diversification, the brand risked losing relevance to emerging categories.

Internally, the company faced other hurdles. The brewery’s creative ethos, while a strength, often clashed with its operational realities. Ideas for new products bubbled up constantly but frequently stalled in execution. Innovation was sporadic and inefficient without a clear framework for evaluating which concepts to pursue.

Externally, the brand’s iconic identity posed its challenges. While the Brooklyn Brewery name resonated in the beer world, it struggled to translate seamlessly into other beverage categories. For products like spirits-based RTDs, a new approach would be necessary.

During an early workshop facilitated by Motto, a breakthrough emerged. Brooklyn Brewery’s most valuable asset wasn’t its beer but its craftsmanship and storytelling ethos. The challenge wasn’t about changing who they were; it was about finding new ways to tell their story.

Brooklyn Brewery was facing a classic innovator’s dilemma:

A Crowded Marketplace
The rise of health-conscious consumers, non-alcoholic alternatives, and RTDs created a fragmented market where beer was no longer king. Legacy competitors like Heineken and nimble disruptors like White Claw were claiming new territory at an unprecedented pace. Brooklyn Brewery needed to diversify, but it couldn’t risk diluting the authenticity that made its name​.

Innovation Bottlenecks
Internally, the lack of a formal innovation framework hindered agility. Ideas often stalled in development, weighed down by unclear decision-making criteria and fragmented team alignment. This bottleneck needed to be addressed urgently for a company known for its creativity.

Brand Limitations
While iconic in the beer category, Brooklyn Brewery’s name posed a unique challenge when expanding into spirits-based RTDs or health-forward non-alcoholic drinks. How could the brand retain its Brooklyn soul while stretching into categories it had never touched?

Strategy: Build a roadmap for innovation

Motto’s first task was to uncover the latent potential within Brooklyn Brewery’s DNA. The Motto team identified key opportunities that aligned with the brand’s strengths through immersive workshops and data-driven analysis. The process revealed that Brooklyn Brewery didn’t need to compete on novelty—it could compete on quality, sustainability, and cultural resonance.

The next step was creating a framework to operationalize innovation. Motto developed a streamlined “Innovation Roadmap” to guide Brooklyn Brewery’s decision-making, ensuring that ideas could move from conception to market efficiently.

The “Aha Moment”
During a discovery workshop with Motto, the leadership team recognized that Brooklyn Brewery’s biggest asset—its reputation for craftsmanship and quality—could be its key to unlocking new categories. The question wasn’t whether the brand could diversify but how it could do so authentically while maintaining operational feasibility.

Motto’s strategy for Brooklyn Brewery centered on creating a framework to turn great ideas into scalable innovations while protecting the brand’s heritage. We began with a deep dive into Brooklyn Brewery’s DNA. Through interviews, workshops, and cultural audits, the team uncovered two pivotal truths:

• Brooklyn Brewery’s consumers valued authenticity and creativity above all else.
• The brand’s potential stretched beyond beer—it could tap into broader cultural trends like wellness, sustainability, and convenience.

During this phase, it became clear that Brooklyn Brewery’s success in the “Special Effects” non-alcoholic line was not just luck but a roadmap. By leaning into sustainability and quality, the brand could dominate new categories.

The Framework

Motto designed an “Innovation Roadmap,” a streamlined process to evaluate, prioritize, and execute ideas effectively:

• Stage-Gate Simplification: Simplifying the innovation process into clear, actionable steps—from ideation to market launch—allowed the team to assess viability quickly and confidently.
• Strategic Objectives: Brooklyn Brewery’s new goals included scaling non-alcoholic offerings, developing RTDs, and exploring ingredient-driven products like fonio-based beverages.
• Cultural Relevance: By anchoring the brand in cultural moments—like collaborations with Spike Lee and NYC Pride—Motto ensured Brooklyn Brewery stayed relevant to its core audience while expanding its reach.

Turning Strategy Into Action

With the roadmap in place, Brooklyn Brewery was ready to act. One of its first initiatives was scaling its non-alcoholic beer line, Special Effects. Positioned as a “better-for-you” alternative with bold flavor, the line tapped into growing consumer interest in health-conscious options. Building on its success, the brewery launched a non-alcoholic variety pack, quickly gaining traction in wellness-oriented markets.

Another milestone was Brooklyn Brewery’s entry into the RTD market. Historically, the brand had struggled to reconcile its identity with malt-based cocktails like Brooklyn Spritz, which didn’t resonate with consumers. With Motto’s guidance, the brewery developed a new spirits-based RTD line featuring crowd-pleasing classics like Margarita and Moscow Mule. The key wasn’t just great taste—creating a brand distinct from Brooklyn Brewery’s core identity while still embodying its craftsmanship.

Beyond products, the brewery leaned into cultural initiatives to solidify its relevance. A high-profile collaboration with filmmaker Spike Lee celebrated the intersection of Brooklyn culture and creativity, while sponsorship of NYC Pride reinforced the brand’s commitment to inclusivity. These initiatives weren’t just marketing campaigns—they were extensions of the brewery’s ethos, deepening its connection with both existing fans and new audiences.

Results that matter

Brooklyn Brewery’s transformation wasn’t just strategic; it was measurable. The new RTD line exceeded its first-year target, selling over 30,000 cases and gaining a foothold in key markets like New York and New Jersey. Meanwhile, the non-alcoholic product range saw double-digit growth, positioning the brand as a leader in a burgeoning category.

Operationally, the new innovation framework delivered significant benefits. By streamlining processes, Brooklyn Brewery reduced the time and resources required to bring products to market. This efficiency allowed the team to experiment boldly without fear of overextending.

Perhaps most importantly, the brewery redefined its cultural relevance. Its campaigns and collaborations earned media coverage across major outlets, while consumers embraced its expanded product lineup. Brooklyn Brewery was no longer just a craft beer brand—it was a multifaceted beverage innovator.

Revenue Growth
The RTD line exceeded expectations, selling over 30,000 cases in its first year. Non-alcoholic offerings saw double-digit growth, positioning Brooklyn Brewery as a leader in the health-conscious beverage space.

Audience Expansion
Brooklyn Brewery captured a younger, more diverse audience by entering new categories. Millennials and Gen Z embraced the brand’s RTD and non-alcoholic offerings, drawn to their quality and cultural resonance​.

Media and Industry Recognition
From glowing reviews of its RTD line to praise for its cultural campaigns, Brooklyn Brewery became a case study in how heritage brands could evolve. Media coverage and industry awards validated the brand’s bold new direction​.

Differentiation in a competitive market

Brooklyn Brewery’s journey offers valuable lessons for any brand navigating transformation:

Align Strategy with Identity: Expanding into new categories works best when it builds on a brand’s core strengths. Brooklyn Brewery’s success in RTDs and non-alcoholic beverages was rooted in its commitment to craftsmanship.
Frameworks Unlock Creativity: Structure doesn’t stifle innovation; it enables it. The Stage Gate process allowed Brooklyn Brewery to move quickly on the best ideas while minimizing risk.
Cultural Relevance is Non-Negotiable: Brands that connect authentically with their audience are the ones that endure. Brooklyn Brewery’s collaborations with Spike Lee and NYC Pride exemplify how cultural initiatives can amplify a brand’s impact.

Redefining what’s possible

Brooklyn Brewery’s transformation is a testament to the power of bold thinking and disciplined execution. By embracing its identity and investing in a clear innovation strategy, the brand not only adapted to a changing market but also expanded what it meant to be a brewery in the 21st century.

As brands across industries face their own moments of reckoning, Brooklyn Brewery’s journey offers a hopeful blueprint. With the right mix of vision, strategy, and cultural insight, even the most established names can find new ways to thrive.

For Brooklyn Brewery, the future is bright—and it’s brewing something big.