USA and Southeast Asia: Brewers Association promotes craft beer in Southeast Asia

The Brewers Association, which promotes US craft breweries, has outlined plans to “convert interest” in American craft beer in Southeast Asia into “sustainable growth”, The Drinks Business reported on September 11.

The Brewers Association, a not-for-profit trade group representing more than 9,000 breweries across the United States, has devised an Export Development Programme (EDP) to advance promotional activities in Southeast Asia.

The association recently appointed Beer Asia, a Singapore-based consulting firm that helps businesses enter and grow in the Asia-Pacific markets, to drive growth on the ground in markets its members are looking to target.

Following an initial shipment of member beers from the US, Beer Asia has worked to activate a series of events, focused at both trade and consumers, in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

The Brewers Association has said its activities in the region are still in the early stages. However, the group has reported strong engagement for hop-forward offerings and solid interest in lighter, fruit-forward and experimental styles among consumers in Southeast Asia.

Its next step will be to launch three activations in Kuala Lumpur in September, with the aim of introducing Malaysian buyers and consumers to beers brewed by its members. The association has said it wants to reinforce premium positioning, cold-chain integrity, and quality narratives around US-brewed beer.

US breweries will need to compete against both local brands and international players in the Southeast Asian drinks market. The region produces a number of successful beers, with prominent national brands including Bintang in Indonesia, Beerlao in Laos, and San Miguel in the Philippines. Thailand is known for Leo, Chang, and Singha, while Vietnam is famous for Bia Hoi and various Saigon brands. Cambodia’s signature beer is Angkor. Malaysia is associated with Tiger Beer, and is also home to Carlsberg’s brewing hub in Asia.