New Belgium to assume brewing of Kirin beers
FORT COLLINS — New Belgium Brewing Co. will assume production of parent company Kirin’s beers at the end of the year, as a contract-brewing agreement with Anheuser-Busch expires.
All U.S. production of Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light will be moved to New Belgium Brewing facilities in Fort Collins and Asheville, North Carolina.
New Belgium production, marketing, and sales of Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light is expected to begin in January 2025.
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“I want to thank Kirin for entrusting New Belgium as stewards of Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light across the United States,” New Belgium CEO Shaun Belongie said in a prepared statement. “We’re excited to grow our production portfolio and we’re confident in our capacity to expand upon the success of these powerful brands.”
New Belgium Brewing is a subsidiary of Australian-based beverage group, Lion, a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings Co. Lion acquired New Belgium in 2019.
“We appreciate Anheuser-Busch’s many years of strong business partnership supporting Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light in the U.S. Moving these brands to New Belgium is a logical decision as we consider the strategic direction of our business in the U.S for years to come” Masakazu Ashida, general manager of Overseas Business Department, Kirin Brewery Co., said in a written statement.