SCOTTISH craft brewer Innis & Gunn has signed a deal for the distribution of its beer in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and in Taiwan, with Dxcel International.
Innis & Gunn said the distribution deal, focusing on its flagship Original ale as well as the Ossian golden ale from Inveralmond Brewery, covered premium bars and restaurants as well as hotel chains and supermarket groups. Inveralmond Brewery was bought by Innis & Gunn in April last year.
Edinburgh-based Innis & Gunn, which recorded turnover of about £12.5 million in 2015, also noted that premium and super-premium drinks importer and distributor Dxcel operated an estate of Tap House pubs and Dean’s Bottle Shops in major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Taiwan has for decades been a key market for premium and super-premium Scotch whisky.
Innis & Gunn, which sold more than 23 million bottles of beer in 2015, highlighted the importance of exports to its business, and its successes in the North American and Swedish markets.
It announced that it would be enlisting the services of Alan Hepburn, a Scot based in Shanghai who has years of hotel industry experience, to work alongside Dxcel in supporting the sales and marketing plans.
Dougal Sharp, founder and master brewer at Innis & Gunn, said: “Exports have always been very important to us since we started 13 years ago. We’ve seen our products do exceedingly well in Canada, the US and Sweden and we thought it was about time we head into the largest beer market in the world.”
He added: “China excites us not only because of its size, but also its growing passion and thirst for great craft beer. In Dxcel International, we have found partners with not only the network to distribute beer but tremendous insight on consumer tastes and a joint passion on educating and informing consumers about the breadth of what great beer is and can be.”
Kevin Cowman, commercial director at Dxcel, said: “As the largest importer and distributor of craft beer in China, we are pioneering the growth of craft beer in this market and we are excited to be working with Innis & Gunn. We have laid the foundation of a strong alignment, a long-term partnership and a collaborative approach.”
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