The Netherlands: Heineken to take full ownership of craft beer maker Oedipus

Amsterdam-based craft brewer Oedipus is set to come under the full ownership of Heineken, Het Parool and Nu.nl reported on June 21. Heineken, which previously held a minority stake in the company, acquired the remaining shares of the company earlier this month, to take full ownership of the formerly independent beer business.

Oedipus opened its brewery with an attached bar in 2015. The brewery is renowned for its colorful labels on beers, including Mannenliefde, Thai Thai, and Gaia. They later opened a second cafe location on Javaplein in Amsterdam-Oost.

By that point, Heineken had already bought a minority share in the Amsterdam craft brewery in 2019. According to Frederik van Droffelaar, the current business director at Oedipus, selling a stake to Heineken enabled them to rapidly switch from being focused on the hospitality industry, which was closed during the coronavirus pandemic, to supermarkets, which saw surging levels of sales. He added that the total acquisition is especially welcome now as breweries struggle due to the booming costs of raw materials and electricity as a result of the war in Ukraine.

"We can't avoid it; energy shortage, staff shortages, price increases, everything," Van Droffelaar said. "I'm now very pleased with the cooperation with Heineken, so we can make use of their purchasing power. That really brings stability."

The acquisition of Oedipus by Heineken coincides with its planned relocation. The craft brewery is scheduled to move into larger premises near its current location in Amsterdam-Noord next year.

Heineken has expressed its intent to maintain the essence of Oedipus's operations. A spokesperson for Heineken told Nu.nl that they were drawn to their “sense of community” along with their focus on art and music. "We believe we can learn from them, and them from us," stated the spokesperson.

Large brewing companies are demonstrating increasing interest in craft beers. Heineken already acquired the American brand Lagunitas and owns an online store called Beerwulf that sells various craft beers.

21 June, 2023