InBev rolls out strong beer brand Tennent's

InBev's big Indian dream is turning into realty with a country wide roll out of its four brands in about 200 outlets. During his recent trip to Mumbai, Raja Mukherji, CEO, InBev India International Pvt. Ltd. spoke to Ambrosia about the response that the Belgian beer has received and about the new strong beer brand Tennent's.

Excerpts: After launching power packed beer brands like Stella Artois, Beck's, Hoegaarden and Leffe, InBev has recently added a strong beer brand Tennent's to its exhaustive portfolio. This new strong beer brand was test launched in Gurgaon, followed by a full fledged launch in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Bangalore. Now it is gearing up to test the water in some other selective cities in the country.

"Tennent's is a Scottish beer and it has received great response from the market. Other InBev brands like Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Beck's and Leffe have a unique nature which is why they are so different from the competitors, said, Raja Mukherji, these are the beers which people have never had before.

All four brands of InBev are available in around 200 outlets across the country through imported root only. In spite of having its own breweries, why is InBev importing these brands? We can never brew Hoegaarden in India. Not because we do not want to but because no brewery is ready to give us that kind of facility which is required to brew such a unique beer, he added. We will continue to import these products until we match up to the same quality brewed in India. Though on trial basis the company is right now brewing Beck's in its local breweries, it will only brew its local brand Tennent's in India.

If it's Peroni drink it with finesse

When in Rome do as the Romans do was the standard travel advice dished out. The Romans are now history and the Italians have evolved into fashion icons and globally the trend is to follow the fashion statements of the Italians. For SABMiller which acquired a majority interest in Birra Peroni in May 2003, the challenge was make the number one Italian beer to a truly global brand. Naturally brand awareness was to be created around classic Italian style and culture.

Excerpts: Little wonder Peroni Nastro Azzurro, which epitomizes Italian style, has renewed its association as an Official Partner at the Lakme Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2009. Peroni, as part of its commitment to the world of style and fashion, has been associated with the previous 2 seasons of the Lakme Fashion Week with several unique initiatives. This time Peroni is looking at furthering this association with some interesting and classy happenings all with a little style and flair.

Some of the International Fashion events Peroni Nastro Azzurro has been associated with in the past are Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, where in they were the official beer provider, the international style bible, Vogue Italia, to create a retrospective photographic exhibition. The exhibition, ‘50 Years of Italian Style', viewed by some of the world's top photographers, Peroni Nastro Azzurro converted the bridge into a high-fashion catwalk for the first time, showing collections from some of Britain's hottest upcoming creative design talent, association with London Fashion Week.

Last gasp of the golden goose?

That ITDC's duty-free business is in the doldrums is known fact. But one visit to the duty-free head office on New Delhi's Parliament Street and you get the real picture. Nothing could be more uninviting.

It is an old decrepit building with an even bleaker office. Ten minutes after introducing myself as a journalist, I sit there waiting in the lobby( a run down sofa) wondering if anybody will ask me for water as it was hot outside. Nobody does. This is our state-run tourism body. It's funny how much you notice in the 20 minutes or so that one waits to see an official there.

An empty lobby area, barren walls save an old India poster depicting a Rajasthani man who's obviously much happier than the people he's peering out to. Empty naked woodwork stands mute, as if looted. The office is populated by women who mostly look over 50 and emanate the aura of retired government school teachers. Most of them look bored to death, some sitting at their desks with vacant stares. A casual glance at the rows of cubicles inside the office and small white computers from a bygone era accentuate the sense that this organization is living decades in the past and shows no signs of waking up either. No surprise then that once the King of the duty free shops business in India, ITDC has one lonely outlet left today - at Goa airport - and even that is under renovation.

With airports now in the hands of private players, ITDC has lost out to more professional bidders in the tenders floated for the various duty free retail outlets which offer among other luxury items, an array of the best spirits and wines from the world over. After much fanfare of a tie-up last year with Aldeasa, the No.1 Spanish operator of duty-free shops, even that venture saw a contract to set up duty free retail shop at the Sahar International Airport Terminal 2C, in Mumbai fall through. The firm operating the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) project terminated the deal after they sought a renegotiation and instead gave it to rival bidder - the Hong Kong-based luxury retailing firm DFS Group Ltd in a tie-up with Flamingo International. It was given for a lower fee of Rs 260 crore.

Alfa Laval - Cool to inflation blues

The technology powerhouse from Pune has been in the forefront of innovation and has served the brewing industry well. Now with rising oil prices yet another opportunity awaits the company in the form of ethanol plants, say's Nish Patel, MD, Alfa Laval.

Excerpts: As many industries feel the heat of economic slow down, Alfa Laval continues its double-digit growth. One of the key reasons being the company is very well diversified, with breweries accounting for less than 10 per cent of its revenues in India and even less globally. Over the years, Alfa Laval has emerged as a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based and its core competencies include key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling.

Besides offering complete process and knowledge solutions to the breweries, Alfa Laval has an extensive product portfolio including separation equipment like high speed eparators, decanters and membranes as well as hygienic flow equipment including pump valves, heat exchangers, fittings and Alfa Laval Toftejorg tank cleaning equipment. Says Patel, process solutions provide the highest revenues and cater to the chemical, energy, paper pulp, food, brewing processing and food industry like vegetable oil.

The company's equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimizing the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol.

Praj shaping the future of alcohol

When oil touched US$143 a barrel there was a furore and with food prices also on the rise it was riot time. Alternatives like ethanol were bandied around but in the same breath it was made clear that it should not come at the cost of food or the environment. This food v/s fuel debate is important to Praj as its 350 references account for 10 per cent of the world ethanol production. Ambrosia speaks to Abhay Chaudhari, Executive VP, Praj Industries.

Excerpts: Almost all the ethanol made around the world is now derived from either corn starch or sugarcane. That's why many companies are looking for ways to break down cellulose instead. If successful, they would be able to use that technology to lower production costs dramatically - by using items such as corn stalks, wood chips, or even landfill waste - and gain access to a much larger supply of feedstock.

For Praj Biodiesel plants is a new area introduced in the last fiscal. This group has developed in-house technology for different biodiesel feedstock in the first generation. It is also working on non-food crops like Jatropha, Pongemia and second generation crops like algae.

For starters, biofuels have been shown to help control the cost of petroleum. A recent report by Merrill Lynch (MER) found that "oil and gasoline prices would be about 15% higher if biofuel producers weren't increasing their output." That means a barrel of oil today would cost more than $130, instead of about $115, and gasoline would be going for $4.50 at the pump instead of nearly $4. Indeed, the price of petroleum has risen nearly twice as fast as that of corn and soy in the past five years.

This augurs well for Praj. Over the last two decades ethanol production has doubled. Almost 20 billion litres of annual capacity has been added through new plants, expansion and modernisation. Given this scenario, the challenge for Praj is to provide solutions to customers based on feedstock, says Shashank Inamdar, CEO & Managing Director. The company is also seeking to derive chemicals from alcohol traditionally obtained from petroleum.

Financial Crisis on Wall Street Means Americans Will Drink More

Wall Street's roller coaster ride is costing Americans more than money. As consumers choose to cut costs and opt for "stay@home" the importance of alcohol in the home is growing and beverage alcohol companies need to strategically abound to repackage and reposition this most widely used social lubricant says Dr. Mohan Krishna.

People in the US are tightening their belts but they would still be in High-spirits! Experience shows that the spirit, wine and beer market in the U.S. will continue to grow despite whatever is happening on Wall Street. Undoubtedly, we can see an impact on American consumption habits, for example a shift to off premise, and more volume in the mid-price segment.

Consumers in the US view alcohol as an indulgent pleasure that they are not willing to give up despite the tight economic environment. Despite tighter finances, higher fuel costs and more expensive bar tabs, Americans are not drinking less. Instead, they are increasingly opting to drink at home.

Recessionary pressures are driving shifts in consumer behavior. One such shift is the movement toward cooking at home, which has renewed interest in alcohol as a culinary enhancer rather than just a mere intoxicator. Moreover, as consumers choose to cut costs and opt for "stay@home", the importance of alcohol in the home is growing and beverage alcohol companies have to strategically abound to repackage and reposition this most widely used social lubricant.

Interestingly, though, wine seems less sensitive to economic downdrafts than either beer or spirits, which suggests that there is a socio-economic dimension to "oenophilia" that the people drawn to wine tend to be more affluent. Hope, this may help the U.S Billion Dollar wine exports to stay afloat.

Hong Kong International Wine Fair opens up new avenues for the trade

Following Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2008, Hong Kong International Wine Fair was held recently as an aggressive step to further enhance position of wine trade and exports in to Asia. Celia Cheng reports.

In view of 28.8 per cent increase in professional visitors than Vinexpo of 2006, in additions, 45 per cent of visitors from Hong Kong and Macau, 55 per cent from 19 other Asia-Pacific countries. Statistics show strong demand from market of Hong Kong and mainland China while visitors from China were twice of 2006. To reinforce market positioning of Hong Kong among Asian countries, Hong Kong International Wine Fair was held in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the same famous exhibition venue of Vinexpo Asia-Pacific to attract potential buyers, traders, wine cellars, vineyards and equipment operators of different countries to new opportunities.

Edge of tariffs exemption
Before international wine events of Vinexpo Asia-Pacific and Hong Kong International Wine Fair, tariffs exemption policy was approved this February by Mr. John C Tsang, the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region who marked a significant milestone to reinforce powerful edge of wine development against competitors. Obviously, government supportive policy offer effective impact to existing wine suppliers, wine traders, retailers, bars and restaurants in Hong Kong.

It's IndSpirit time again

The festive season is here again and IndSpirit 2008 could be the perfect platform for those in the industry to underline their presence. And in an industry where advertising communication is frowned upon; the exhibition provides the perfect place to tom tom product attributes to a captive target audience and all the movers and shakers in the industry.

IndSpirit has had its highs and lows but as India emerges as one of the most promising nations of the next decade, it is celebration time. But while many may question the popping of champagne corks prematurely, Ambrosia feels that the show INDSPIRIT 2008 must go on. But that is not without a reason. India is on a high with a population that is young and dynamic unlike many developed countries. While the poor of the country are always in the news, the middle class and the rich are eager to show case their new found prosperity. The nation is in the process of creating wealth in order to be able to disburse it but in a country where 50 per cent of the citizens are below 25 years is eager to use their wealth to celebrate their victories.

For the wine and spirit industry so linked to celebration this could be good news. As some of the major global markets in the west mature to a point of no return it is the wonder markets of the East that are attracting the multinational's and the local players to make India their focal point. India is now regarded as the largest spirits market in Asia-Pacific accounting for a huge chunk of regional revenues. The country's beer market is estimated to be around 155 million cases a year and growing at 15 per cent annually. This has created a beeline of top brewers from all over the world keen to get their labels on the shelves and into the hearts of consumers. The good news for them is the per capita consumption could be around 500 ml miniscule when compared to those in the west particularly Europe which could be as high as 200 liters

Whom do we trust - a Spectator, an Enthusiast or an Advocate!!

In the world of wine critics, points call the shots, when it comes to differentiating a good wine from a bad one. However, the credibility of these points is still questionable. A report:

Excerpts: Wine trading has been prevalent since time immemorial. Earlier, when wine trading was possible only in adjoining regions, majority of people would drink wines that were produced in their region or regions near by. Slowly the wine producers and traders started taking their wines across the regional boundaries. Then came a time when almost every wine drinking region/country would have wines from various other parts of the world – leaving the consumers more and more confused by the ever increasing array of new labels in the wine stores and the supermarkets.

Then came the era which saw the emergence of various wine critics. These critics took initiative and started rating and comparing wines on the basis of various parameters. One such name that emerged in early 80's was Robert Parker. Robert Parker was a lawyer who later turned into a self-employed wine critic. He introduced the most structured 100-point system to the wine world in 1978, when he started a wine-buying guide called "The Wine Advocate" which he started publishing every two months. He started scoring wines on a scale of 50 to 100. Another big name to mention would be Marvin Shanken, the editor and publisher of Wine Spectator, which helped to popularize the 100-point system. This rating system was easy for the consumers to understand that a wine with a score of 95 should be better than that with 80 points and probably also worth paying that extra buck.

Köln the city of kolsch & eau de cologne

Kölsch-beer, eau de cologne and old cathedrals, Köln, the city of breweries is home to many major attractions including its food. If you are visiting the city for the first time like me during Photokina, all you have to do is keep a day in hand, carry your best camera; a city map and you are set. Rojita B.Tiwari reminisces her experience about the city.

Excerpts: The 2,000-year-old city, Köln (also known as Cologne), has always been the center for culture and commerce. The city has more restaurants and pubs than any other city in Germany. And much to the visitors comfort today it has also become the center for media and entertainment. Call it blessing in disguise or God's providence but the best time to visit the city is during the Photokina itself. Beginning of the Oktoberfest in Munchen when the whole of Germany - along with lakhs of visitors from around the world - is drowning itself with gallons of beer, the first time visitor gets a chance to capture some of the best sights. Lots of beers to try out and all with a fun element to it. So, let's go on a day tour of Cologne and explore some of the interesting aspects of this ancient city.

Sunrise at the Rhine River

In India, there is an old saying that you should begin your day by praying to the Sun God. Not only because I believe in it but also for the shake of all the amateur as well as professional photographers I would advise you not to miss the sunrise at the Rhine River - which flows through the heart of the city. So, if you are an early riser, do head to the riverbank.

MANRE - A new fine dining & clubbing destination

When a new restaurant opens in Delhi and is not just a fine dining restaurant but also a club/lounge destination for the hip and happening, people get divided in their opinion. There are those who sigh and revel in the newness and celebrate it and then there are those who begin to ring the toll bell, predicting the downfall, pointing the shortcomings and generally pulling down the hopes of the owners.

Is Manre any different? Yes… and No! Owned by Ramola Bachchan, it is but natural that it has its own share of celebrity bashing by those who do not believe that Ramola can make a successful business of the outlet. Yet, that is not fair at all because behind the Bachchan name is a hard working woman who has put in a lot of thought and effort in bringing about this dream true and she will try her hardest, with a team of helpful professionals, to make it work.

The Décor
Located on the fourth floor of the new MGF Mall in South Delhi high hopes of a visitor begin with the dedicated lift to take you without any stop to Manre. Step out and gasp at the astute use of mirrors and metal. Yes, there are a few single steps that could be difficult to manoeuvre after a couple of drinks but they are all well lit and a helping hostess invariably points them before you trip, just in case you are busy gawking at all the flash stuff on display without seeming to be paying it any attention.