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© 2016 AFPAsahi offers $3.5 bil for lager brands Peroni, Grolsch
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© 2016 AFP
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BertieWooster
Why doesn't Asahi just learn how to make a decent beer?
sighclops
@BertieWooster
I suppose it wouldn't matter, as beer sales in Japan are shrinking year-on-year. Add that in with the bleak economic outlook and its more a case of expand overseas or die!
Jordan Lloyd
You can't just make a beer overnight. Besides, Asahi is a very nice, crisp and refreshing lager. It's among my top 5. What lager do you like? Would be interesting to know if you think Asahi isn't good.
Scrote
It's a lot to pay for a couple of mediocre beers, neither of which I would choose to buy.
nath
I like Grolsch, granted not as much as Pilsner Budvar, Goesser, etc.
BTW, Japan has no local Lager Beer it is all Draft.
Kobe White Bar Owner
@ Its ME Budvar is one of my favorites as well. Asahi is just a safe acceptable larger.
Sabrage
As they say, "The best beer in the world is the one in your hand."
BertieWooster
Jordan,
I'm not an Asahi fan, I'm afraid. Asahi Dry when it first came out actually was dry, but year by year they've sweetened it up - without changing the labels of course.
Kirin has some fairly decent beers, and Sapporo IN HOKKAIDO is very good, especially Classic. Ebisu before it went belly up and was in Ebisu, near Shibuya in Tokyo was a very good beer. Since Sapporo took it over, it's lost most of its personality.
There are some good microbrews - easily available are Yona Yona and Ao Oni. But the biggest problem with Japanese beer is the tax. It's massive. Japanese breweries are strapped because they have to make the best they can with the cheapest ingredients they can get away with because of the crippling tax the LDP has chosen, in its infinite wisdom, to bestow upon it.
elkarlo
Jordan, good question. It is very hard for breweries to start a brand in a developed country. Usually a distributed is needed, and in a developed area, they may have steep fees, or refuse unless the brand can get popular quickly. Also the actual brewery, is expensive. When first established, it would not be running at full cap, so it would be losing money until it did.
That's why Sapporo bought Sliemens in Canada, yet is expanding as Sapporo in SE Asia. Kirin bought a brewery in Brazil, it's now Kirin Brazil. They also have 48% of San Miquel of the Philippines. Plus Lion of OZ/NZ. They also bought a majority stake in the big brewer in Myanmar. Kirin is doing well overseas wise. They also have Four Roses Whiskey Suntory bought Jim Beam. So they are done big acquisitions for a while
While Asahi bought a juice maker in the US recently. They also bought Calpisu, which prolly puts their foreign sales over 10% imho
dcog9065
Hopefully this means we'll see more of these beers in Japan at cheaper prices?
Jordan Lloyd
Very interesting. I have tried Sapporo Premium and I do like it, very refreshing. I have tried Yebisu only once, I found that it's an acquired taste, not a fan of it myself but perhaps I should try it more than once before coming to that decision.
Never tried any of those microbrews that you mentioned as my choice is very limited since I'm not in Japan at the moment. However when not in Japan, I always buy the imported beers to be sure that I'm drinking the real thing.
Recently I'm enjoying a Thai lager "Chang", It's one of my favourites. I recommend it if you haven't tried it already.
mr_jgb
Very good strategic move. Take advantage of strong Yen and buy more assets. Way to go.
BertieWooster
dcog9095
Not until they change the horrendous beer tax!
Interesting to note that whisky tax is not so high and the favoured tipple of Japanese high end government workers is not beer, but whisky.