Octopi Brewing, a contract brewer and co-packing facility located in Wisconsin, US will be the first brewery in the country to produce Asahi Super Dry, as the acquisition allows Asahi to grow sales in the US and Canada while reducing emissions.
Chief executive Asahi Europe and International, Paolo Lanzarotti, 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," Lanzarotti added.
Over the coming year, Octopi will be integrated into AEI's US subsidiary, Asahi Beer USA, and will begin production of Asahi Super Dry and Kozel for the North American marketplace, along with a wider portfolio of brands for distribution and sale in Canada.
Asahi will also invest additional capital to help meet the technical standards required to produce Asahi Super Dry, under the supervision of Japanese brewmasters in the US, following the same standards, recipe and brewing process used in Asahi's existing breweries.
Victoria Segebarth, managing director, EMEA & Americas at Asahi Europe and International said: "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."
