• Burmese
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
28 °c
Ashburn
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

Myanmar Beer Undergoes Facelift as New Rivals Emerge

Timothy Mclaughlin by Timothy Mclaughlin
December 21, 2015
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Myanmar Beer Undergoes Facelift as New Rivals Emerge

A waiter carries a tower of Myanmar Beer in Rangoon’s 19th Street on Dec. 8. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

RANGOON — Drinkers buying a beer at Rangoon’s roadside bar shacks used to face a limited choice: more likely than not, they would order a mug of Myanmar Beer, sometimes with a shot of coarse whisky to give the light local brew an extra kick.

These days there is more variety, thanks to the arrival of Denmark’s Carlsberg and its Dutch rival Heineken, which began brewing in Burma this year as economic reforms uncorked a market protected under military rule.

Now, Myanmar Brewery Limited (MBL), the military-linked producer of the old favourite Myanmar Beer and four other brands, faces stiff competition from global giants for a rapidly growing consumer market set to lift beer consumption from among Asia’s lowest.

RelatedPosts

Timeline: Key Events in the Life of Myanmar’s Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Updated Timeline: Key Events in the Life of Myanmar’s Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

June 17, 2025
5.4k
Israel-Iran Conflict: Latest Developments

Israel-Iran Conflict: Latest Developments

June 17, 2025
115
China’s Bet on Myanmar Junta Risks Backfiring

China’s Bet on Myanmar Junta Risks Backfiring

June 17, 2025
1.1k

Just months after opening, Heineken is doing so well it plans to double capacity at its Rangoon facility to 50 million litres from 25 million litres, said Lester Tan, managing director at the APB Alliance Brewery Company which produces Heineken.

The company has accelerated an expansion plan it had expected to execute after three or four years, he said.

“Heineken volumes have just gone through the roof, it has taken us all by surprise,” Tan said.

Heineken’s economy brand Regal Seven is “slowly chipping away” at Myanmar Beer’s competitive advantage, he said.

Still, Myanmar Beer commands about two-thirds of the country’s beer market by volume. And the company has not sat complacently on its market dominance—like other state-backed firms, MBL has moved swiftly to overhaul both its image and products to appeal to Burma’s new consumers.

“There are a lot of the challenges in the market,” said Hiroshi Fujikawa, who became MBL managing director this year after Japan’s Kirin purchased a 55 percent stake for $560 million from Singaporean firm Fraser and Neave (F&N).

“One is that Heineken and Carlsberg came into this market this year and launched premium and local beer products. So the competitive situation in the market will definitely be changing and be more and more fierce.”

While Heineken and Carlsberg were building their breweries, MBL rolled out a sleeker bottle, ramped up its promotional efforts and began targeting a younger generation by sponsoring hip-hop and electronic dance music concerts, a work around to the country’s strict ban on alcohol advertisements.

The history of investment of foreign brewers in MBL—even during sanctions—has helped keep it in contention. Kirin’s purchase came following a dispute between F&N and Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL), a military-backed conglomerate that holds a 45 percent stake in the brewery. F&N had been involved in the firm since the mid-90s.

As in other industries in Myanmar’s emerging economy, one of the biggest challenges to growth for the brewers is finding skilled workers.

“If I take a look at the individuals, the workers here, there is a lot of potential to be improved,” Fujikawa said of MBL and UMEHL. Kirin has started taking staff to Japan for training, he added.

UMEHL is one of the country’s two major military-backed conglomerates with sprawling interests in industries ranging from gem production to supermarkets. Its profits help fund pensions and welfare for members of the armed forces and their families.

UMEHL is targeted by US sanctions, which prohibit US businesses from working with the group.

Japan’s firms have not been subject to similar restrictions, but Fujikawa said that he was aware there was reputational risk for Kirin in working with the group.

New Generation of Drinkers

MBL posted a net income of $51 million on sales of $201 million in 2014.

Research firm Euromonitor International estimates the $375 million market will quickly grow to be worth $675 million in 2018. The country’s 51 million population consumed an average of 3.2 litres per person in 2013, a tenth of the volume washed down in neighbouring Thailand.

Capturing the loyalty of the growing number of young drinkers will be as important as keeping the existing customer base, said Fujiwaka.

“We have to be innovative,” he told Reuters. “They do not want to drink what their fathers drank.”

MBL plans to introduce a new premium beer to compete with Carlsberg and Heineken’s play for the pricier market.

MBL is not alone in responding to the threat from challengers who until recently were locked out of the country.

State-owned telecoms provider Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) struck a deal with Japan’s KDDI Corp and Sumitomo Corp last year to compete against foreign telecoms firms in the newly opened sector.

MPT plans to start selling pre-loaded SIM cards to tourists for a couple of dollars, unthinkable just a few years ago when a SIM cost hundreds of dollars and mobile phones were a rarity.

State-run Myanmar Airways rebranded itself as Myanmar National Airlines last year. It has upgraded its fleet and added international routes.

Your Thoughts …
Timothy Mclaughlin

Timothy Mclaughlin

Reuters

Similar Picks:

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang
Burma

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang

by Hein Htoo Zan
November 28, 2023
98.3k

Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army troops are opening roads and pathways through forests for people to flee Kokang’s capital as...

Read moreDetails
Burning Alive in Myanmar: Two Resistance Fighters Executed in Public
Burma

Burning Alive in Myanmar: Two Resistance Fighters Executed in Public

by The Irrawaddy
February 7, 2024
89.3k

People’s Defense Force says junta troops told every household in the village to send one member to witness the double...

Read moreDetails
Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State
War Against the Junta

Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State

by The Irrawaddy
November 29, 2023
87k

Brotherhood Alliance member says it now has complete control of Kokang’s northernmost section after the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 125...

Read moreDetails
Depleted Myanmar Military Urges Deserters to Return to Barracks
Burma

Depleted Myanmar Military Urges Deserters to Return to Barracks

by The Irrawaddy
December 4, 2023
59k

The junta said deserters would not be punished for minor crimes, highlighting the military’s shortage of troops as resistance offensives...

Read moreDetails
As Myanmar’s Military Stumbles, a Top General’s Dissapearance Fuels Intrigue
Burma

As Myanmar’s Military Stumbles, a Top General’s Dissapearance Fuels Intrigue

by The Irrawaddy
April 19, 2024
46.9k

The junta’s No. 2 has not been seen in public since April 3, sparking rumors that he was either gravely...

Read moreDetails
Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow
Burma

Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow

by The Irrawaddy
February 12, 2024
44.7k

Ethnic armed grouping says it will continue Operation 1027 offensive until goal of ousting the junta is achieved. 

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Thai Government Says It’s Not Ignoring Shrimp Sheds Slavery

Gulf War Trauma Began Japan’s Retreat from Pacifism

Indonesian Police Foil String of ‘Jihad’ Attacks

Indonesian Police Foil String of ‘Jihad’ Attacks

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Is TNLA, Under Chinese Pressure, Conceding Northern Shan Gateway to the Regime?

Is TNLA, Under Chinese Pressure, Conceding Northern Shan Gateway to the Regime?

5 days ago
1.3k
China is Systematically Dismantling Tibetan Monastic Traditions

China is Systematically Dismantling Tibetan Monastic Traditions

2 days ago
1.2k

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta Attacks to Reclaim KIA’s Jade and Rare Earth Strongholds

    Myanmar Junta Attacks to Reclaim KIA’s Jade and Rare Earth Strongholds

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • China’s Bet on Myanmar Junta Risks Backfiring

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • China is Systematically Dismantling Tibetan Monastic Traditions

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Updated Timeline: Key Events in the Life of Myanmar’s Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Defusing the Thai-Cambodian Border Row

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.