AB InBev’s venture capital division ZX Ventures has announced it will open a new craft brewery in Wuhan, China in order to tap into the growing market for premium beers in the country.
The facility represents AB InBev’s first dedicated craft beer facility in Asia, and will produce craft beers for its Goose Island, Boxing Cat and Kaiba brands.
AB InBev has provided a professional team to provide guidance to brewers and ensure quality standards are being met at the new facility.
Pedro Aidar, head of specialities ZX Ventures APAC North said: “The ZX Ventures craft brewery has been tailored to meet the demand for the small-scale production of high-quality beer.
“Drinking craft beer is a developing trend in China. We chose to set up the brewery in Wuhan because we have had over 30 years’ experience selling beer in the city, and we have noticed that consumer preferences have switched from traditional beer to craft beer.
“In recent years we have seen consumer preferences switching to a more diverse range of premium products, and this market share has continued to see strong growth.
“So, setting up a brewery to meet the demand for top-notch products was an easy choice.”
AB InBev has been strengthening its position in the Chinese market over the last few months, as the establishment of the Wuhan facility follows the inauguration of a brewery in Fujian province in December 2017.
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