News: Budweiser beer set to hit Indian market in June

(BL 24/04/2007) Hyderabad - Budweiser beer will hit the Indian market in June, according to its brewers in the country - Crown Beers, Hyderabad. Meanwhile, the company has announced the launch of a strong beer, Armstrong. Crown Beers is a 50:50 joint venture formed in February 2007 between the Hyderabad-based company and ABI, US. Budweiser beer would be available in 330 ml and 650 ml bottles from June, K.V.D. Prasad Rao, Joint Managing Director, told Business Line. The greenfield brewery near Sangareddy, about 100 km from Hyderabad, is ready and trial runs of the super premium beer are in advanced stage. Special equipment The arrival of special equipment has pushed the launch date to June from the earlier planned April-May, said Prasad Rao. The brewery has a capacity of five lakh hectolitres. Brewmasters from the St. Louis-based ABI and Crown Beers have worked on the product to ensure that Budweiser in India has the same crisp, distinctive taste enjoyed by consumers around the world, he said. Budweiser, an American lager that has been around since 1876, is brewed using a blend of US and European hops and a combination of barley malts and rice. Unveils Armstrong Meanwhile, Crown Beers has launched Armstrong in 650 ml for the Andhra Pradesh market, to begin with. It is being marketed through AP Beverages Corporation and is priced on a par with other strong beers in the country, Rao said. The company is planning sales of 50,000 cases a month. Other States Plans are to launch in Maharashtra and Karnataka shortly and grab a good share of the market in the summer. Crown Beers has firmed up plans for 2.5 lakh hectolitres by undertaking production of Kingfisher Strong of UB Spirits. It would soon tie up with the Thunderbolt brand, he added. For the remaining 2.5 lakh hectolitres, the venture will invest Rs 25-30 crore and complete the expansion by October-November 2007, he said.