By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
King Features and Bodebrown Brewery have launched a licensed craft beer based on Popeye the Sailor Man called Popeye Progressive Lager.
Based in the Brazilian state of Paraná, Bodebrown is an award-winning craft brewery that has gained fame through its ongoing licensing partnership with the Iron Maiden rock band.
“Bodebrown is one of the most innovative breweries in Latin America and we are impressed with the creative approach they took in developing a craft beer that embodies Popeye’s essence right down to the spinach,” said King Features VP, Carla Silva. “We’re thrilled to have such a unique product in the market for Brazilian fans as they celebrate the start of the summer season as well as the new year!”
The new Popeye-themed Progressive Lager is a German Pilsner-style beer that is crafted using Bavarian yeast, hints of fresh spinach and both tettnanger and hallertau tradition hops.
The label for the Popeye Progressive Lager beer cans features an illustrative interpretation of King Feature’s Popeye the Sailor Man character.
The co-branded beverage debuted during an event at Bodebrown’s production plant in Brazil on Dec. 16, 2023.
Bodebrown intends to launch the Popeye Progressive Lager product at retailers throughout Brazil in time for the character’s upcoming 95th anniversary in 2024.
“Our goal was to create a beer to be enjoyed in a relaxed manner in everyday life, paying homage to one of the most well-known and versatile styles in the world, German lagers,” said Bodebrown CEO, Samuel Cavalcanti. “And for that, we also brought another icon from the world of culture and fun into the realm of craft beers—Popeye. This partnership with King Features represents another chapter in Bodebrown’s international presence that makes us very happy.”
Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional character that was created by cartoon illistrator, Elzie Crisler Segar, in 1929.
Since its initial creation, the Popeye brand has grown into a multi-platform entertainment franchise that includes comic books, cartoons, video games, movies, licensed consumer products and more.
The licensing rights to the Popeye franchise are owned by the international production and distribution company, King Features.
The licensing deal with Bodebrown was brokered by Vertical Licensing on behalf of King Features to celebrate Popeye’s 95th anniversary in 2024.
A division of Hearst Newspapers, King Features Syndicate specializes in content syndication, character licensing and franchise development.
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