Asahi Breweries

Asahi Breweries, Ltd.
Native name
 アサヒビール株式会社
Kabushiki gaisha
Traded as TYO: 2502
TOPIX Large 70 Component
Industry Beverage
Founded 1889 (1889)
Headquarters Sumida, Tokyo, Japan
Key people
 Naoki Izumiya (President and CEO)
Products Beer, beverages
Revenue Increase ¥1.857 trillion (2015)[1]
Increase ¥135.119 billion (2015)
Increase ¥76.427 billion (2015)
Total assets Increase ¥1.902 trillion (2015)
Total equity Increase ¥891.829 billion (2015)
Parent Asahi Group Holdings
Website www.asahigroup-holdings.com/en/

Asahi Breweries, Ltd. (アサヒビール株式会社, Asahi Bīru Kabushiki Gaisha, TYO: 2502) is a leading brewery and soft drink company based in Tokyo, Japan.

As of January 2014, Asahi, with a 38% market share, was the largest of the four major beer producers in Japan followed by Kirin Beer with 35% and Suntory with 15%.[2]

Anheuser-Busch InBev agreed in April 2016 to sell Grolsch Brewery, Italy's Peroni Brewery and England's Meantime Brewery to Asahi; these deals closed on 12 October 2016.[3][4]

After acquiring SABMiller in October 2016, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV also agreed to sell the former SABMiller Ltd. business in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania to Asahi for US $7.8 billion. The deal closed on 21 December 2016 and included popular beer brands such as Pilsner Urquell, Tyskie, Lech, Dreher and Ursus.[5][6]

History

Asahi was founded in Osaka in 1889 as the Osaka Beer Company (大阪麦酒会社, Ōsaka Bakushu Kaisha).[7] During the First World War German prisoners worked in the brewery.[8]

In 1990, Asahi acquired a 19.9% stake in Australian brewery giant Elders IXL which has since become the Foster's Group, later sold to SABMiller.

In 2009, Asahi acquired the Australian beverages unit Schweppes Australia.[9]

In early 2009, Asahi acquired 19.9% of Tsingtao Brewery from Anheuser-Busch InBev for $667 million. The sale made Asahi Breweries, Ltd. the second largest shareholder in Tsingtao behind only the Tsingtao Brewery Group.[10]

In July 2011, Asahi acquired New Zealand juice maker Charlie's and the water and juice divisions of Australian beverage company P&N Beverages.[11]

In August 2011, Asahi acquired New Zealand's Independent Liquor, maker of Vodka Cruiser and other alcoholic beverages, for ¥97.6 billion.[12] In May 2013 its New Zealand operations expanded with the purchase of retail chain Mill Liquorsave.[13] Also, Asahi acquired the Australian brands and assets of Cricketers Arms and Mountain Goat Brewery in 2013 and 2015, respectively.[14]

In 2016, the company bought a number of breweries in Europe as a result of regulators' demands before SABMiller was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev.

In 2017, the company sold its 19.9% stake of Tsingtao Brewery for $937 million.[15]

Brands

Asahi Super Dry, as retailed in London, UK

The company's primary beer, from 1957 through the late 1980s, was Asahi Gold (overtaking Asahi Draft, its original formula, which remains in production).

In 1987 Asahi introduced Asahi Super Dry a product that transformed the modern beer industry in Japan. Asahi Super Dry is described as a highly attenuated lager without the heavier malt flavors of competitors' products, with a crisp, dry taste reminiscent of some northern German beers.[16] This highly successful launch led to a significant rise in consumer demand for dry beer and in turn to a dramatic turnaround in Asahi's business performance, surpassing Kirin in terms of both sales and profitability.

By early 2017, the Super Dry brand was Japan’s best-selling beer.[17]

Other beers produced include:

  • Asahi Draft – Lager (first produced in 1892)
  • Asahi Gold – Lager (former flagship product; first produced in 1957)
  • Asahi Stout
  • Asahi Z – Dry lager
  • Asahi Black – a 5% abv dark lager
  • Asahi Prime Time – German Pilsener style lager (only available in Japan)

Asahi Beer Hall

Asahi Breweries' headquarters in Tokyo were designed by French designer Philippe Starck. The Beer Hall is considered one of Tokyo's most recognizable modern structures.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2015_annual_financial_statement". Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  2. ↑ Kachi, Hiroyuki (January 16, 2014). "Japan's Beer Drinkers Still Not Raising a Glass to Abenomics". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  3. ↑ Phil Serafino; Rachel Chang (2016-04-19). "AB InBev Accepts Asahi Offer to Buy Grolsch, Peroni and Meantime Beer Brands". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Evison, James (12 October 2016). "Asahi Completes acquisition of Miller Brands U.K." Morning Advertiser. William Reed Business Media. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "Asahi Group to buy InBev beer brands for $7.8bn". Financier Worldwide. Financier Worldwide. February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  6. ↑ "Anheuser-Busch InBev to Sell Former SABMiller's Central and Eastern European Business to Asahi". Bloomberg News. Bloomberg. 21 December 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  7. 1 2 Oliver, Garrett, ed. (2012). The Oxford Companion to Beer. Oxford University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-19-536713-3.
  8. ↑ Romein, Jan (1962). The Asian Century: A History of Modern Nationalism in Asia. University of California Press. p. 124.
  9. ↑ Palmer, Daniel (December 25, 2008). "Asahi acquires Cadbury's Schweppes, Coca-Cola still eligible to make counter offer". Australian Food News. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  10. ↑ "Asahi buying Tsingtao stake". The New York Times. February 3, 2009. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  11. ↑ Fujimura, Naoko; Withers, Tracy (July 4, 2011). "Asahi Group to Purchase Charlie's, P&N Water, Juice Units". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  12. ↑ Kachi, Hiroyuki (August 18, 2011). "Asahi to buy Independent Liquor". The Australian. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  13. ↑ McBeth, Paul (May 20, 2013). "Independent Liquor buys Mill chain for undisclosed sum". Scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  14. ↑ Lynch, Jared (28 September 2015). "Asahi buys Australian craft beer brewer Mountain Goat". Fairfax Media. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  15. ↑ "Asahi to sell Tsingtao Brewery stake to Fosun, others for $937 million". Reuters. 2017-12-20. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  16. ↑ Oliver, Garrett (2012). The Oxford Companion to Beer. Oxford University Press. p. 503. ISBN 978-0-19-536713-3.
  17. ↑ "Asahi Thirsty for More Overseas Deals After SABMiller Buys". Bloomberg News. Bloomberg. January 17, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  • Official website
  • "Company history books (Shashi)". Shashi Interest Group. April 2016. Wiki collection of bibliographic works on Asahi Breweries
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