Kaltenberg Castle Brewery, which is owned by HRH Luitpold Prince of Bavaria, has signed a consultancy contract with the Wuming Brewery in Zoucheng, Shandong Province, south-east of Beijing. The Wuming Brewery, which was founded 15 years ago, has an output of two million hl beer annually - and rising. Kaltenberg Castle Brewery has been engaged in know how transfer for more than 20 years. According to Kaltenberg Castle Brewery, the consultancy contract represents a first step towards a licensing agreement for Kaltenberg brands because it provides the potential licensor with the necessary technological means for the pro-duction of a high quality product. Negotiations for a licensing agreement between Kaltenberg Castle Brewery and Wuming Brewery will begin in the autumn.

Efes to brew MGD

Miller Brewing International has reached a licence agreement with the Efes Beverage Group to brew and market Miller Genuine Draft in Turkey. The Efes Beverage Group is the market leader in Turkey with an estimated 77% market share. The Efes Beverage Group owns eight breweries and four malting facilities in four countries. It also owns and operates five Coca-Cola franchises in southern Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.

Only flirting

Although the DB Group’s independent advisers had claimed that Asia Pacific Breweries’ offer for the rest of the shares was too low, Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) received acceptances from almost 4,000 DB Group shareholders, totalling 17 million shares. Thus APB raised its stake from 58% to 75%.

GMO labelling from March 2001

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said that South Korea will start genetically modified organism (GMO) labelling of corn, soybean and bean sprouts in March 2001. The state-run National Agricultural Product Quality Management Service would be in charge of assessing GMOs in the three products singled out for labelling. GMO levels of less than 5% in agricultural products would be considered GMO-free.

San Miguel enters market

Associated Breweries and Distillers have introduced San Miguel Pale Pilsen in the market with sales in Mumbai, Goa and Bangalore. The beer is packaged in 650ml bottles and 500ml cans. The market for San Miguel Pale Pilsen is believed to be 50,000 dozen-cases. In Banagalore, Associated Breweries is initially targeting a sales volume of 15,000 cases.

Brewing tea, brewing beer

The Warren Group, which has interests in tea gardens, has announced plans to diversify into the brewing and hospitality industries through its associate Darjeeling Plantation Industries Ltd. (DPIL). DPIL has applied for necessary licences in two states for the production of beer but the chairman Vinay K. Goenka would not disclose the names of the states.

Thank you but no

Kirin Brewery Co. ended a 10-year contract with San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong at the end of last year under which San Miguel produced Kirin’s lager beer. Kirin concluded that the demand for its beer would not recover following the region’s economic slump and decline in the number of Japanese tourists. Kirin will continue to sell its beer in Hong Kong by exporting it from Japan.

The Bond saga

In March, 80s tycoon Alan Bond (see Brauwelt International 1/2000) was released from prison.

Corona Man or conservative business principles today

When you think of Mexico, what picture immediately springs to mind? Are you thinking of men in ponchos and sombreros, perhaps Pancho Villa (steady now, this is political territory), or men with black moustaches in leather gear usually worn by Cowboys (or was that the members of the band Village People?). Anyway. One thing is certain: You are NOT thinking of Clint Eastwood.

That’s a shame. Wasn’t he the epitome of "cool" in the first Spaghetti Western "For a Fistful of Dollars" (1964) directed by Sergio Leone? A real hunk. You can bet that woman was thinking of him when she ordered a bottle of Corona Extra and slice of lime at lunchtime in the pub on the ground floor of New York’s Empire State Building where people usually go for a Bud.

All right, we confess. Oh no....

New brewing plant for Hanoi Beer Company (Habeco)

The government-owned Hanoi Beer Company (Habeco) in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi has placed an order with Ziemann for supply of a complete brewing plant, from malt receipt all the way to bottling and kegging plants. This plant will double the annual production capacity of Habeco‘s Hanoi brewery to 1 million hl of sales beer. The contract has been signed in Hanoi on October 22nd, 1999. The formal ceremony was attended by representatives of the Vietnamese government and the German embassy. This investment, in the double digit million range, will strengthen Habeco‘s market position in competition with national and international beer brands.