E-Malt.com News article: USA: AB InBev invests in growing its craft beer brands domestically and abroad

Anheuser-Busch InBev is making a number of sizable investments to grow its acquired craft beer brands both domestically and abroad, according to recent reports.

The world’s largest beer company is planning a large-scale international expansion for its biggest craft offering, Goose Island, and making significant investments to scale production capabilities for its Blue Point and Karbach Brewing brands in their respective home markets of New York and Texas.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Goose Island’s global strategy will begin to materialize in 2017, as it begins operating outposts in six countries, including:

•Sao Paulo, Brazil,
•Seoul South Korea,
•Shanghai, China
•Monterrey, Mexico
•Toronto, Canada
•London, England

“It’s plain and simple — if we don’t do it, somebody else is going to,” Goose Island President Ken Stout told the Tribune.

In addition to increased product availability and the potential to brew large-scale batches of Goose Island beer at AB InBev breweries abroad, physical expansion takes three forms: Goose Island Brewhouses, Vintage Ale Houses and branded Goose Island pubs.

According to the Tribune, brewhouses in Sao Paolo, Seoul and Shanghai were set to open this month. The company’s Vintage Ale House concept also opened this month in London and a branded pub serving Goose Island beer opened in Mexico. Brewhouse openings in Toronto and Philadelphia are planned for early-to-mid 2017.

Meanwhile, AB InBev is also making considerable investments to expand distribution and production capabilities at two of its other U.S. craft breweries: Blue Point and Karbach.

Since purchasing Long Island’s Blue Point Brewing in 2014, AB InBev has expanded distribution of that company’s products from 15 to 46 states, and the final four are slated to come online in 2017, according to Newsday.

Production of Blue Point products has increased 75 percent, Newsday noted, and Blue Point president Todd Ahsmann said the company plans to grow volumes by 20 percent in 2017.

Blue Point is currently in the midst of relocating to downtown Patchogue, where it was founded, as part of a $35 million expansion effort. The company is taking over a 53,000 sq. ft. building previously occupied by Briarcliffe College. Plans call for increased production capabilities, a restaurant and at least 20 new hires, according to Newsday.

A similar expansion at recently acquired Karbach Brewing is also on tap in Texas, the Houston Business Journal reported Monday.

Karbach will expand into more than 43,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space and 8,200 sq. ft. of office space as part of a planned $4.5 million project that is expected to be completed next summer.

The new location, adjacent to its current facility, will expand Karbach’s canning operations and feature additional space for storage and barrel-aging.

Karbach expects to produce upwards of 150,000 barrels by 2019, according to the outlet.


30 December, 2016