— Taps Into SABMiller’s Portfolio to Capitalize on U.S. Import Growth — Expands Distribution of Poland’s Tyskie
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ — Miller Brewing Company announced today that it will expand its international brand portfolio by importing three of SABMiller’s recently acquired South American brands.
In January 2007, Miller will begin importing the No. 1 Colombian beer Aguila and leading Peruvian brands Cristal and Cusquena. Miller will also expand distribution of Tyskie, the leading Polish brand that is currently sold in Chicago and New York City.
While Miller’s top two import priorities will remain expanding Peroni and Pilsner Urquell distribution, the company is capitalizing on its parent’s rich global portfolio of No. 1 brands.
“As the import category continues to gain momentum, we are fortunate to tap into a global portfolio of brands that have great potential in today’s America,” said Tom Cardella, executive vice president of sales and distribution, Miller Brewing Company. “We believe such brands could represent the next wave of import growth.”
Miller sees an opportunity based on the increasing diversity of the U.S. population; growing retailer interest in world beers, and consumer trading up into import brands.
According to The Beer Institute, imports have grown 11.3 percent through July 2006. In 2005, the U.S. import category grew 7.2 percent to represent approximately 12.4 percent of the total U.S. beer market, selling 25.6 million barrels.
About the Brands
Aguila is Colombia’s No. 1 brand with a 56 percent market share. It is a cultural icon, dominating the Colombian social and sports landscape. With nearly 2 million expatriate Colombians living in the U.S., there is a sizable market to tap. The brand is currently available in New York and Miami.
Brewed since 1922, Cristal is Peru’s No. 1 selling beer with 52 percent share, combining a light-bodied liquid with strong Andean imagery. It has been the No. 1 U.S. import from South America over the last seven years, primarily appealing to the approximately one million Peruvian consumers in the U.S.
Cusquena is a Peruvian beer from Cuzco, the seat of the Inca empire. The brand is wrapped in the mythology of Inca gold and was recently awarded with the “Superior Taste Award” by The International Taste and Quality Institute of Belgium.
Tyskie, currently celebrating its 375th anniversary, is the No 1. brand in Poland, Central Europe’s leading beer growth market. The brand is rich in heritage from its origins near the beautiful city of Krakow and has since been elevated to national prominence, appealing to discerning consumers as the finest Polish beer with a full, satisfying taste. Americans of Polish descent in Chicago have long appreciated this brand and Miller is pleased to extend this opportunity further across the country beginning with the more than 6.5 million Polish-Americans in the U.S.
About Miller Brewing Company
As one of America’s oldest brewers, Miller Brewing Company continues the commitment of founder Frederick J. Miller to brew “confoundedly good beers” with “uncompromising quality.” Through more than 150 years of innovation and brewing excellence, Miller has built a broad portfolio of award-winning beers that capture approximately 18 percent of the U.S. beer market. Miller beers have won 105 medals — more than twice as many as its major competitors — at the biannual World Beer Cup and annual Great American Beer Fest since 1996, when the World Beer Cup debuted. Miller’s flagship brand, Miller Lite, is the great tasting, less filling beer that defined the American light beer category in 1975. The company also brews smooth, golden rich Miller Genuine Draft using a unique cold-filtering process that Miller introduced in 1985. Miller’s oldest brew is Miller High Life, the champagne of beers. Miller imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell and Foster’s, and it offers regional craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. Near-premium beers include Milwaukee’s Best Light, Steel Reserve, Olde English 800, Mickey’s Malt Liquor, Icehouse and Sharp’s, a non- alcohol brew. Miller also offers the Sparks line of caffeinated alcohol beverages. Miller is a wholly owned subsidiary of SABMiller plc, the world’s second largest brewer. For more information, visit http://www.millerbrewing.com/ .
CONTACT: Peter Marino of Miller Brewing Company, +1-414-931-4973, or marino.peter@mbco.com , or Investors, Gary Leibowitz of SABMiller plc, +44 20 7659 0119, or gary.leibowitz@sabmiller.com
