Asia Pacific Breweries
 |
|
| Type | Public Subsidiary of Heineken International |
|---|---|
| Traded as | SGX: A46 |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | 1931 (as Malayan Breweries Limited) 1990 (as Asia Pacific Breweries) |
| Headquarters | Singapore |
| Key people | Simon Israel (Chairman) Roland Pirmez (CEO) |
| Products | Beers and lagers |
| Parent | Heineken International (95.3%) |
| Subsidiaries | DB Breweries |
| Website | Asia Pacific Breweries Homepage |
Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) is an Asian brewery company founded as Malayan Breweries Limited (MBL) in 1931, in a joint venture between Heineken International and Fraser and Neave, and given its present name in 1990.
It currently controls 30 breweries in 14 countries in the Asia Pacific region, selling over 40 beer brands and variants. Heineken is the largest shareholder with a 95.3% stake.[1] The company is listed on the Singapore Exchange.
Contents |
History[edit]
In 1931, Fraser & Neave formed a joint venture with Holland’s Heineken to venture into the brewing business. The brewery, Malayan Breweries Limited produced Tiger Beer, and later acquired Archipelago Brewery, which produced Anchor Beer.[2]
In 1990, Malayan Breweries changed to its present name, Asia Pacific Breweries.
In 2004, APB acquired 90% of DB Breweries.[3]
In 2010, APB acquired PT Multi Bintang Indonesia from Heineken International BV[4]
On August 2012, Fraser & Neave has accepted an offer from Heineken to acquire its stake in APB for US$4.1 billion.[5] Shareholders approved the deal during the extraordinary general meeting held on September 28, 2012.[6]
Key brands[edit]
The company’s main brands includes Tiger Beer, Anchor, Baron’s Strong Brew, Bintang Beer, DB Bitters, Tui, ABC Extra Stout and Archipelago Brewery Company range of beers. It also brews Heineken under a license from its parent company.
Tiger beer[edit]
Launched in 1932, Tiger beer became Singapore's first locally brewed beer.[7] It is a 5% abv bottled pale lager. APB's flagship brand, it is available in more than 60 countries worldwide. The flagship brand has entered in a number of beer tastings competitions and has performed well. At the 2011 World Quality Selections, organized by Monde Selection, the brand has won a Gold Quality award.[8] According to Brand Finance’s Top 100 Singapore brands 2012 Report, Tiger is amongst Singapore’s top 10 most valuable brands.
Tiger in popular culture[edit]
The “It's Time for a Tiger” slogan for Tiger Beer has run for decades since its inception in the 1930s.
The writer Anthony Burgess named his first novel Time for a Tiger (the first part of the Malayan trilogy The Long Day Wanes) after the advertising slogan.[citation needed] The beer was popular in the Malaya of the 1950s, where Burgess was working.
Burgess reveals in his autobiography that, when his Time for a Tiger was published, he asked the manufacturer, then Fraser and Neave, for a complimentary clock with the Tiger beer slogan. The brewery declined to offer this or any other free gift to him. But, fourteen years later, when Burgess was more famous, it relented. In 1970, the company offered Burgess the privilege to consume any of their beers free of charge while in Singapore. However, in his own words Burgess wrote in response: “But it was too late, I had become wholly a gin man.”
The beer can was also seen being poured in the 2002 movie The Transporter with Jason Statham. Crates of Tiger appeared in the 2008 film Tropic Thunder. Also, in the 2001 Hong Kong action thriller The Accidental Spy it's the preferred beer of Buck Yuen (played by Jackie Chan) who orders it by name in a bar and, also has an empty bottle of Tiger by his bed in the next scene as he wakes up from a dream.
In the movie The Odd Angry Shot about the Australian Special Air Service during the Viet Nam war, Tiger is considered the beer of choice among American and Aussie troops. Tiger is seen as a favourite among British troops during the Malayan emergency in the film "The Virgin Soldiers".
Heineken[edit]
Heineken Lager Beer is another flagship product of APB. It is a 5% abv pale lager that was first made in 1868 and brews under a license from its parent company.
Bintang Beer[edit]
Bintang Beer, is a 4.7% abv Pilsner brewed by APB's subsidiary PT Multi Bintang Indonesia in Indonesia.
Tui Beer[edit]
Tui, is a 4% abv pale lager brewed by APB's subsidiary DB Breweries in New Zealand.
Distribution[edit]
- APB has breweries in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Vietnam, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Sri Lanka, Laos and Mongolia. The company has a strong market share in several countries within the Asia Pacific Region, primarily in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
- In Malaysia, Tiger Beer is produced and marketed by Guinness Anchor Berhad (GAB).
- In the UK, Tiger Beer can be found in more than 8,000 premium bars/clubs and distribution outlets in its major cities.
- Tiger Beer gained considerable popularity in Detroit in October 2006 due to the Detroit Tigers Baseball Team's entrance into the 2006 World Series.[9]
See also[edit]
- Beer and breweries in Asia
- Get Your Sexy Back - A moderate drinking campaign in Singapore
References[edit]
- ^ "APB will remain "cornerstone" of Asia Pacific business, says Heineken". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ Frankham, Steve (17 June 2008). Malaysia and Singapore. Footprint Travel Guides. p. 539. ISBN 978-1-906098-11-7. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ^ "Asia Pacific completes takeover of DB Breweries". Modern Brewery Age. 2004.
- ^ "APB completes acquisition of Indonesia’s Bintang Beer". Pack Web Asia. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Heineken reaches US$4.1b deal for Asia Pacific Breweries". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ "Heineken takeover of Tiger Beer maker approved". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- ^ www.tigerbeer.com, The Name Behind the Brand, Milestones
- ^ Performance of the brand
- ^ "Guzzling Tiger Beer catches on in Detroit". Detroit Free Press. 2006-10-19.
