UK: Kingfisher Beer Europe to distribute Indonesian lager Bintang in the UK

Kingfisher Beer Europe is set to launch popular Indonesian lager Bintang in the UK on-trade, the Morning Advertiser reported on January 18.

The company acquired UK marketing and distribution rights from owner Multi Bintang Indonesia, which is part of the Heineken company, with an eye to expanding the brand beyond restaurants and into pubs and bars.

Kingfisher CEO Damon Swarbrick said: “The brand is ideally positioned to capitalise on the burgeoning pan-Asian restaurant sector so we will initially be seeding it here.

He added: “However, we believe it has much wider potential and we have already secured a number of high-profile bar listings in London and Manchester.”

The beer, which has an ABV of 4.7%, will be available in 24x330ml and 12x620ml bottles this month.

Swarbrick added: “While the industry continues to explore craft beer, there is clearly significant demand for premium, authentic, easy-drinking world beers. We believe Bintang is perfectly suited to meet this demand.”

Heineken recently launched H41, a new lager made with ‘wild’ Patagonian yeast, to the UK on-trade.

The beer, a 5.3% ABV lager, was launched exclusively into Laine Pub Company sites in London and Brighton in December with an eye to expanding its presence further in the future.

The beer’s name is a nod to the co-ordinates of the mountain range where its yeast was found.

Heineken brand director David Lette previously said: “We are in perfect position to explore different tastes and flavours while remaining true to our iconic product.

19 January, 2017