Tag: Craft beer

Global craft beer company Brew Dog partners Asahi to expand presence in Japan

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JAPAN – Scotland-based independent craft brewer BrewDog has entered into a joint venture (JV) in Japan with Asahi Breweries, to accelerate distribution of the company’s craft beers in the Asian country.   The JV will be known as “BrewDog Japan” and is the first of its type for BrewDog, which says it will retain a controlling interest.    BrewDog Japan will operate as a standalone entity with its own sales, marketing, and back-office teams and will focus exclusively on the distribution and marketing of key BrewDog brands such as Punk IPA, Hazy Jane and Elvis Juice…

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Indian craft-beer brand Bira 91 to open fifth brewery to capture rising demand for flavorsome tipples

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INDIA – Bira 91, a fast-rising Indian craft-beer brand, is set to expand its market share even further after its owner B9 Beverages Pvt announced plans to open a fifth local brewery in India as it seeks to capture swelling demand for more flavorsome tipples.  The new brewery in Madhya Pradesh — Bira’s second in the central Indian state – is expected to be ready before the end of the eyar and will initially add 400,000 hectoliters a year.  According to Ankur Jain, B9 Beverages chief executive office,  the capacity at Bira’s new planned unit has the potential to be…

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BrewDog plans a new experimental small batch brewery to double down on eclectic beer production

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UK –  Scotland-based multinational brewery and pub chain BrewDog has announced plans of converting the entire old DogTap space into an experimental small batch brewery to enhance its capacity to produce eclectic beers.   In a LinkedIn post, BrewDog Founder and CEO James Watt noted that during the pandemic, the craft beer company had to reduce the amount of the more eclectic beers that it made to enable it survive the headwinds brought by the pandemic.  Even with these measures, BrewDog swung into the red last year as booming sales of its craft beers online during Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns failed to offset the impact of bar closures.  Despite…

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South African craft brewery Brewsters Craft launches limited edition of mango beer in celebration of women

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Company name: Brewsters Craft Product type: Craft beer Innovation: New flavour Brewsters Craft, a female-focused brewery, contract facility, lab and beer education space has launched a limited edition of its Mango Beer, under its Tolokazi craft beer brand. According to Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, the owner of the company and the first black woman brewery owner in South Africa, the limited edition was released in celebration of the International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day. The mango beer was developed to honour Yamekela Mbakaza-Bhelekazi, Brewsters Craft’s head brewer. The proceeds from the sales of…

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SA craft breweries in dire need of resumption of alcohol trade or risk collapse

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SOUTH AFRICA – The current ban on alcohol sales in South Africa is pushing craft brewers to the brink of closure with 87.5% of the businesses at a risk of shutting down permanently due to the economic impact of the ban. Already, 30% of the local breweries have been forced to permanently shut their doors and 165,000 people have lost their jobs. This was revealed by Craft Brewers Association of South Africa (CBASA) who undertook a survey amongst its members to assess the impact of COVID-19 and its related restriction…

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SA’s beer industry crosses fingers that the alcohol ban won’t prolong beyond mid-January

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SOUTH AFRICA – It’s just days after the government of South Africa reinstated the ban on alcohol sales that the industry players have already started feeling the pinch brought by the move. The Beer Association of South Africa (BASA) has called for the lift of the renewed ban, saying small craft brewers would not survive if it was extended beyond mid-January. The prohibition, designed in part to ease the burden on hospitals from vehicle accidents and drinking-related violence, was implemented nationwide on December 29. However, this being the third ban…

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Rising Trends in Craft beer in Africa as Pandemic Takes its Toll

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South Africa is the pioneer of Craft beer in Africa with its first craft brewery, Mitchell’s Brewery, opening its doors in 1983. In less than 3 decades, the craft beer landscape in the rainbow country has changed tremendously and is now dotted with over 215 breweries, according to Craft Brewers Association South Africa. Craft beer, which in 2015 accounted for accounted for just 1% of total beer sales, has grown tremendously in the past few years and now accounts for more than 5% of beer volume consumes in South Africa.…

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Fintech acquires Armadillo Insight to bring actionable intelligence to alcohol industry

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USA – Financial Information Technologies (Fintech), one of the leading business solutions providers for the alcohol beverage industry, has acquired Armadillo Insight, to expand its specialized technology across the alcoholic beverage industry. Armadillo Insight is a company that turns complex craft beer data into sales and marketing intelligence that drives product placement across chain retailers. Fintech said that the acquisition furthers its mission to deliver specialized technology that maximizes efficiency and improves communication across the three tiers of the alcohol industry. Fintech has been providing solution to solves the unique…

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India craft beer brand Bira 91 raises US$30m to expand its footprint

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INDIA – Bira 91, a craft beer brand owned by B9 Beverages, has raised US$30 million in pre-Series C funding round led its existing investors Sequoia India and Sofina, a Belgium-based investment firm. The investment round also saw participation from Mumbai-based consumer-focussed venture capital fund, Sixth Sense Ventures and Korean private equity fund, Neoplux as well as several high reputation family offices. Established in 2015 by B9 Drinks, Bira 91 consists of a crew of over 500 people and has presence in ten international locations, including over 400 cities. To date,…

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Scottish craft brewer BrewDog enters Indian market in global expansion drive

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INDIA – BrewDog, a multinational craft brewer and pub chain based in Scotland, has unveiled plans of expanding into India with the opening of 35 pubs and the launch of several bottled beer brands. According to an ET Retail report, BrewDog plans to initially open 22 tap beers and three commercial ones, including its flagship brand Punk IPA and a wheat beer brewed specifically for the country. BrewDog sees a clear opportunity in India, a market that has recorded rapid growth in the craft beer space, increasing the number of…

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