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Asahi Europe & International (AEI), the global division of Asahi Group, has acquired US contract brewer Octopi Brewing. Octopi Brewing built a "modern production facility" in 2014, designed to produce various beverages, such as beer and ready-to-drink products. The facility is equipped with packaging lines capable of accommodating a variety of bottle and can styles and sizes, providing maximum flexibility. The acquisition accelerates Asahi's "growth journey along with its global ambitions for Asahi Super Dry," Japan's most popular beer, said the company. This will mark the first time Asahi Super Dry will be brewed in the US. According to Asahi, the addition of a North American production facility enables the business to grow sales in the US and Canada while providing sustainability benefits, including emission reduction and supporting Asahi's goal to achieve carbon neutrality across its wider supply chain by 2050. In the next year, Octopi will be merged into AEI's US subsidiary, Asahi Beer USA. It will begin the production of key global brands like Asahi Super Dry and Kozel for the North American market. Additionally, Octopi will handle a broader portfolio of brands for distribution and sale in Canada. Octopi will continue its co-packing operations, and its current leadership team, led by president Isaac Showaki, will remain in place. Asahi also plans to invest additional capital to meet the technical standards for producing Asahi Super Dry in the US. This process will be overseen by Japanese brew masters, following the same standards, recipe and brewing procedures used in Asahi's existing breweries. Paolo Lanzarotti, CEO of AEI, said: "Local production in North America has been an ambition of ours for some time because of the benefits it will bring. With complementary strengths and a shared growth mindset, Asahi and Octopi maintain a commitment to creating meaningful connections with our partners, the communities in which we operate and the planet." Victoria Segebarth, managing director of EMEA & Americas at AEI, added: "By making this investment, we are taking a major step forward in accelerating the growth journey of our global brands, expanding awareness, reach and access across North America through existing and new on and off trade partners." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.