KBE Drinks inks distribution deal with Sapporo

KBE Drinks has announced a new addition to its exciting portfolio with the signing of a three-year distribution agreement for their packaged products with Japanese giant Sapporo Breweries Limited. As the premiumisation trend continues unabated in the drinks industry, KBE Drinks have been searching for the right Super-Premium lager to complete its range, and in Sapporo, they now have the perfect brand to enter this emerging sub-category. With an ABV of five per cent, Sapporo Premium Beer is available now in 650ml cans.

Sapporo Premium Beer is the product of Japanese precision craftsmanship, taking the very best traditional approaches and adding an innovative twist. Their first Master Brewer, Seibei Nakagawa, crossed the globe to Germany to assimilate their rich history of brewing knowledge and bring it back to Hokkaido. They have been perfecting the beer with cutting-edge technology ever since, even developing their own genetic strains of barley and hops, refining every detail to brew an unmistakably crisp and balanced beer.

“We are so thrilled to confirm the addition of Sapporo Premium Beer to our growing portfolio of beer, cider and spirit brands," said Shaun Goode, Chief Operating Officer of KBE Drinks. "Consumers are increasingly looking for more sophisticated and aspirational brands that not only taste great, but also have a strong heritage. Sapporo definitely fits this profile, proven by the fact its grown by 19 per cent in the last year, so we’d advise retailers to stock up and enjoy the sales.”

Satoru Morita, General Manager of Sapporo Europe B.V., added “Whilst Sapporo has been hugely successful in the Japanese food occasion and is stocked in many of the UK’s finest Japanese restaurants, we are keen to see it expand further into the UK off-trade where we think consumers will love its distinctively crisp taste. In KBE Drinks, we believe we have found the perfect distributer to unlock this opportunity.”