Heineken to produce no-alcohol beer in Belarus

GOMEL, 28 October (BelTA) - Heineken will start the licensed production of no-alcohol Zlaty Bazant beer in Belarus in November, Heineken managing director in Belarus told BelTA. Currently, the Bobruisk unit of the Heineken Brewery company (former Syabr brewery) is testing the technology of producing the new type of beer, and is doing the necessary paperwork. The no-alcohol beer will extend the lineup of Zlaty Bazant products that are already present on the domestic market. Heineken has been consistently working on developing the import-substituting licensed production in Belarus. The key strategy is to use only domestic feed stock and make the maximum use of local materials. The company puts emphasis on the latest technologies and complex changes in the approaches to quality management. A new level in the quality of products has secured the company’s stable second place in the rating of the Belarusian breweries (accounts for nearly 20% of the market). “But at the same time the imported beer still accounts for almost 30% of the Belarusian market. This figure is two times lower in the majority of countries. In some countries it makes up only 5%,” Aleksei Chernyayev said. Heineken N.V. brewery (the Netherlands, Amsterdam) was founded in 1864. Heineken has wide international presence through a global network of distributors and breweries. Heineken owns 119 breweries in more than 65 states. The company’s principal international brand is Heineken, but the group brews and sells more than 170 international premium, regional, local and specialty beers. The company came to Belarus in 2007. The manufacturing area includes Heineken Breweries (Bobruisk) and Rechitsapivo.

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