E-Malt.com News article: USA & China: Empire Brewing Company eyeing China beer market entry

It may not be long before Syracuse's Empire Brewing Company is selling a tea infused beer in China, WSYR-TV reported on February 10.

The local brewer has a deal to use the tea from a Chinese company for the specialty beer planned for sale in China later this year.

It's being called Two Dragons in honor of the Chinese calendar sign.

Both the founder of Empire Brewing and the JingWei Fu Tea Company were born in the "Year of the Dragon."

Empire Brewing founder David Katleski says he’s confident Two Dragons will be a big hit in China, "It would give us a slight competitive advantage because number one it’s very crafty, number two it’s NY and the Chinese love anything Western, especially NY, and third it utilizes tea which is a staple in China."

This all came together thanks to an intensive seven day CenterState CEO trip to China last year, which included Empire founder David Katleski.

On the trip he met JingWei Fu Tea Company’s founder and the two hit it off.

Empire has received tea from the Chinese company already and has developed a recipe for the new beer.

JingWei Fu Tea Company Vice President Lou Ping says, "So unique, so special. I have never been so excited, I have never been so happy."

Central New York business leaders are just as happy and say this could be just the first of what they hope will be many similar deals putting local companies in China.

CenterState CEO President Rob Simpson tells NewsChannel 9, "This is a significant opportunity for us here in New York State to capitalize on what is a relatively untapped market."

The plan is for Empire to help the JingWei Fu Tea Company import its tea into the U.S. and for the tea company to help get Two Dragon beer into China.

Empire plans to refine the recipe the next few months and is looking for mass production around September for sale in the Northeast and then China by next year.


11 February, 2015