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Miller, Coors vs. Japanese Beer Makers - Suntory, Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo

by BBelew57 on October 9th, 2007

Coors and Miller Lite are mixing it up in hopes of competeing against the US industry leader Anheuser-Busch, brewer of Budweiser, Michelob and Bud Light…and keeper of half the market.

London Based SABMiller will have a 58% interest and MolsonCoors Brewing will own the rest.

The new venture will be called MillerCoors and will sell:

1. Miller Lite,

2. Miller Genuine Draft,

3. Coors,

4. Coors Light

5. Molson Canadian

By combining operations the two firms hope to pour (pun intended) more into marketing its brands to consumers and compete more effectively against Bud and friends.

But…what about in Japan, where more beer is brewed to the taste of Japanese consumers? Can MillerCoors, AnheuserBusch compete? Do they want to?

Japan has five major beer brewers -  

• Asahi breweries
  • Asahi Super Dry
  • Asahi Black
  • Asahi Hon-nama (happoshu)

• Kirin breweries
  • Kirin Lager Beer
  • Kirin Ichiban Shibori
  • Kirin Fukkoku Lager (A series of historical beers corresponding to recipes used during the reigns of the Taisho and Meiji Emperors)
  • Kirin Tanrei (happoshu)
• Sapporo breweries
  • Sapporo Black Label
  • Yebisu
  • Yebisu Black
  • Yebisu - The Hop
  • Hokkaido Nama-shibori (happoshu)
• Suntory breweries
  • Suntory Malt's
  • Suntory - The Premium Malts
  • Super Magnum Dry (happoshu)
• Orion breweries
  • Orion Draft Beer
  • Orion Special
  • Orion Original
  • Orion Southern Star
  • Orion Cider
  • Orion Dry
  • Orion Premium

Japan likes her own tastes. It's tough for any beer maker or otherwise to compete. 

What kind of beer do you like?

See also:

Miller, Coors Vs. Chinese Beer Makers - Tsiingtao, Zhujiang, Yanjing

Miller, Coors Beer - this Joke's for You

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POSTED IN: Doing Business in Japan