Asahi Group Holdings

Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. is a Japanese company, a global distributor and producer of beer, spirits, food overseas, soft drinks, and others. The company headquarters is in Tokyo, Japan. The company has various brands associated with it. The Alcoholic Beverages brand is associated with manufacturing and distribution of beer-type beverages, shochu, RTD (Ready-to-Drink), whisky and spirits, wine, and others. Soft Drinks brand is associated with products such as tea-based drinks, coffee, carbonated soft drinks, water, fruit, and vegetable drinks. The Food segment provides confectioneries, pharmaceuticals, supplements, baby products, freeze-dried foods, seasonings, and retort-pouch foods.

The Overseas segment offers food and beverage in other countries. Asahi group believes in the vision of “Connecting the blessings of nature to the next generation based on the concept of ‘Neutral & Plus’”. The company promotes the ideology of “GlocaI Value Creation Company” by transforming the domestic business toward Value-Focused Management and making the international businesses a further growth engine. In 2021, Atsushi Katsuki is appointed as the new president of Asahi Group Holdings. The company made an annual revenue of approximately. 198 billion dollars in 2021.

History of Asahi Group

Asahi Breweries, Ltd. was a successor company which was formed by the union of three companies called Suita Village Brewery in the year 1889- Osaka Brewery, Ltd., Japan Brewery, Ltd. and Sapporo Brewery, Ltd. Komakichi Torii was appointed as the joint union company’s president in 1853. In May 1892, the company launched “Asahi Beer”. In February next year, the company was reorganized as Osaka Brewery, Ltd. In 1900, the company launched Japan’s first bottled draft beer “Asahi Draft Beer” without heat treatment. In March 1906, Dainippon Beer Co., Ltd. was established as a joint venture of Osaka Brewery, Ltd., Nippon Brewery, Ltd., and Sapporo Brewery, Ltd. In June 1907, the company as a joint venture launched “Mitsuya Cider Champagne Cider. In Feb. 1927, Nishinomiya Plant completed and “Asahi Draft Extra-large 2 litre Bottle” was launched. In 1930, “EBIOS Tablets”, pure beer yeast tablets was launched. In June 1944, the opening of Dainippon Brewery Science Institute, the second foundation period with innovations. In 1949, Dainippon Brewery Ltd. was split into Asahi Breweries, Ltd. and Nippon Brewery, Ltd. under the Excessive Economic Power Deconcentration Act Tamesaburo Yamamoto was appointed President. In 1958, “Asahi Beer”, the first canned beer in Japan was launched. In Nov. 1964, Hokkaido Asahi Breweries, Ltd. was established through joint investment with local capital in Hokkaido. In 1965, the development of the world’s first outdoor fermented liquor tank and installation at three plants: Nishinomiya, Azumabashi, and Hakata. Fukushima (Beverage Division) Plant and Nagoya Plant were completed in 1972 and 1973, respectively. In 1984, Chiba Kampo Pharmaceutical Research Institute Co., Ltd. was established (currently Asahi Group Foods Ltd.). In 1987 Mar., Asahi Super Dry, the first Japanese dry draft beer was launched which became a hit, revolutionizing the beer industry. The company expanded into the international market- China, Europe, and Russia. In 2001, the company achieved the top share in the domestic beer/low-malt beer markets. In 2002, the company acquired an alcoholic beverage business from Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. and established Asahi Kyowa Brewery Co., Ltd. (merged with Nikka Whiskey Distilling Co., Ltd. in January 2006. In 2008, the company developed a next-generation lightweight can lid “206 Diameter Super End”. In April 2008, it acquired all shares of Australian beverage company Schweppes Australia- Schweppes Australia Tullamarine Factory. In 2011, the entire united brand transitioned to “Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd.”, a pure holding company. In 2013 and 2014., Asahi groups acquired Calpis Co., Ltd. and made it part of Asahi Soft Drinks Co., Ltd., acquired shares of Nadaman Co., Ltd. by Asahi Breweries, Ltd. and Enoteca Co., Ltd., a major domestic wine dealer. In 2017, there was the acquisition of beer business and other related assets of the former SAB Miller in five Central and Eastern European countries (creating a subsidiary). In 2019, Asahi Groups acquired a premium beer and cider business and other related assets of Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C., and the U.K. In 2020, the group acquired AB InBev’s Australian business (Carlton & United Breweries business).

Awards

Year	Award Won
1893	“Asahi Breweries” won the highest award at the World’s Columbian Exposition”Best Honors Award” received at the World’s Columbian Exposition
1900	Asahi Beer won the highest award at the World’s Fair in Paris
1997 Dec.	“Asahi Super Dry” ranked No. 1 brand of the year (based on the sales volume announced by each company in the industry)
1998 Apr.	Established Asahi Breweries U.S.A. (currently Asahi International) and was featured in Billboard as “JAPAN’S No.1 BRAND” (in Los Angeles)
2001 Sep.	Asahi Forest obtains International Forest Certification (FSC Certification)
2011 Apr.	Asahi Super Dry won the highest award of “Champion Beer” at The Brewing Industry International Awards 2011
2012 Mar.	Taketsuru Pure Malt 25 Years Old first received the world’s highest award in the World Whiskies Awards 2012 for the Blended Malt Whisky Category
2014 Apr.	“Asahi Super Dry” won the gold medal at World Beer Cup 2014
2015 Jan.	Asahi Breweries, Ltd. was selected as “Tokyo 2020 Gold Partner”
2015 Nov.	Asahi Super Dry, winner of Brussels Beer Challenge 2015 Gold Medal
2017 May	Five products, including Taketsuru Pure Malt 25 Years Old and Single Malt Yoichi, won gold medals at the International Spirits Challenge 2017
2017 Oct.	Asahi Super Dry Instant Dry won the Gold Medal at Brussels Beer Challenge 2017 (Gold Medal for 3 consecutive years from 2015)
2018 Jun.	“Nikka Cafe Vodka” won the “Trophy” as the highest award in the Vodka category at International Spirits Challenge 2018. Taketsuru Pure Malt 21 Years Old and Taketsuru Pure Malt won Gold Medal. “Nikka Coffey Vodka”, the top winner of the category and 2 gold medal-winning products.
2019 Jun.	“Taketsuru 25 Years Pure Malt” won the Trophy as the highest award in the Japanese whisky category at the International Spirits Challenge 2019 and the world’s highest award in the blended malt whisky category at the World Whiskies Award 2019.