Well Wishes to Isaac! – Octopi Brewing Has Been Acquired By Asahi
In 2019, The Full Pint as a media outlet was at it’s peak in terms of content creation and an influential media outlet. It was that year that we decided to do 11 beer collabs with 11 different beer companies coast to coast. For years, we were trying to team up with someone we admired, Levi Funk, who had just started Funk Factory, a lambic inspired sour ale project in Madison Wisconsin. Levi was Luke warm to the idea of doing a sour ale collab with us, however he thought this would be the perfect opportunity to team us up with his newest project, Untitled Art. We were stoked to do anything with Levi, so we said sure. Then Levi pulled the old bait and switch. “Well actually, we’re going to do the collab with my partner, Octopi Brewing. And we’re going to do it with the founder Isaac.” In 2019, there was still a lot of grass roots rah rah about what defined craft beer, and one of the things that wasn’t so cool at the time was contract brewing. Needless to say, we went along with it with an open mind. Once Jonny and I flew out to Madison, we met with Isaac, and saw his brand new shiny, state of the art brewery. If you don’t know, Wisconsin oozes with beer culture. Octopi was no exception. While being a contract brewery, they were also a family friendly beer destination. They held events, beer releases, had food trucks and even activities for the kids. Every time we visited there; it always had a great turn out. It was my first experience seeing a craft brewery being enjoyed by regular people and not beer nerds.
The Full Pint went out and did two in person collabs with Untitled Art, and both times, getting together with Isaac was like getting together with an old friend or a family member. What stuck in my head in our second trip out for our 12th Anniversary was Isaac’s vision for Octopi. As we were watching new equipment being brought online, he told us that the craft beer market was being oversaturated, it was increasingly more difficult to go to market with his brands and that his best course of action to maintain this successful endeavor was to pivot to other beverages that could be produced and packaged in the same location. In that same visit, I tried my very first CBD seltzer. I thought, hmmm, maybe he’s on to something. Keep in mind, this was a half year before the global pandemic.
To read the news that Octopi Brewing had been acquired by Asahi to bring the Japanese lager production to the US didn’t make me sad, it made me happy. I watch so many people that I admire swim upstream to hang on to their business, at the cost of their family, their savings and their sanity. Here is someone who knows and respects beer, but knew in short order that his gigantic new beer factory wasn’t going to have the return on its investment if he had continued to produce in house and client contract beer. Maybe it would have, but maybe not.
While The Full Pint has been beating on sellouts and craft this and that for a long time, more important than beer itself is making sure the people that are making the beer we love are living a quality life. This is the best possible scenario. I would not be surprise if we don’t see Isaac.
See below the very corporate press release from Asahi.
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PRAGUE and WAUNAKEE, Wis., Jan. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Asahi Europe & International (AEI), the international branch of Asahi Group Holdings, today announced the acquisition of Octopi Brewing, a leading contract beverage production and co-packing facility located in Waunakee, Wis. The investment represents a significant step forward in accelerating Asahi’s growth journey along with its global ambitions for Asahi Super Dry, Japan’s most popular beer, which will now be brewed in the U.S. for the first time.
A significant step forward in accelerating Asahi’s growth journey along with its global ambitions for Asahi Super Dry.
Asahi to Begin Brewing Beer in U.S. Through Acquisition of WI-Based Octopi Brewing. North American production will allow Asahi to grow sales in North America while reducing distribution-related emissions. The investment represents a significant step forward in accelerating Asahi’s growth journey along with its global ambitions for Asahi Super Dry, Japan’s most popular beer, which will now be brewed in the U.S. for the first time.
Asahi to Begin Brewing Beer in U.S. Through Acquisition of WI-Based Octopi Brewing. North American production will allow Asahi to grow sales in North America while reducing distribution-related emissions. The investment represents a significant step forward in accelerating Asahi’s growth journey along with its global ambitions for Asahi Super Dry, Japan’s most popular beer, which will now be brewed in the U.S. for the first time.
The addition of a North American production facility will allow Asahi to grow sales in the U.S. and Canada, as well as offer significant sustainability benefits, including reducing emissions and supporting Asahi’s ambition to become carbon neutral across its wider supply chain by 2050.
“Local production in North America has been an ambition of ours for some time because of the benefits it will bring,” said Paolo Lanzarotti, CEO, Asahi Europe & International. “With complementary strengths and a shared growth mindset, Asahi and Octopi maintain a commitment to creating meaningful connections with our partners, the communities in which we operate and the planet.”
Octopi Brewing’s modern production facility was built from the ground up in 2014 to make a wide range of beverages, including beer and ready to drink products, using state-of-the-art packaging lines that can accommodate multiple styles and sizes of bottles and cans for maximum flexibility.
Victoria Segebarth, Managing Director, EMEA & Americas at Asahi Europe & International said, “By making this investment we are taking a major step forward in accelerating the growth journey of our global brands, expanding awareness, reach and access across North America through existing and new on and off trade partners”
Over the coming year, Octopi will be integrated into AEI’s U.S. subsidiary, Asahi Beer USA, and will begin production of key global brands Asahi Super Dry and Kozel for the North American marketplace along with a wider portfolio of brands for distribution and sale in Canada. Octopi will continue its co-packing operations and its existing leadership team will remain in place under Isaac Showaki, President, Octopi Brewing
Asahi will also invest additional capital to help meet the technical standards required to produce Asahi Super Dry, under the supervision of Japanese brew masters in the U.S. following the same exacting standards, recipe and brewing process used in Asahi’s existing breweries.
First introduced in 1987, Asahi Super Dry is Japan’s #1 bestselling beer and has become a global icon of modern Japan. Brewed to authentic Japanese standards using only the finest ingredients and latest technology, Asahi Super Dry delivers a crisp, clean and quick finish that never lingers.
Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd., is a global food and beverage production leader headquartered in Tokyo with a diverse portfolio of brands, including premium beers such as Asahi Super Dry, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Kozel, Pilsner Urquell, and Grolsch.
About Asahi Europe & International
Asahi Europe & International is the international branch of Asahi Group Holdings, a global beverage and food company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan. It is the outcome of years of acquisitions, which allowed Asahi Group Holdings, a traditional Japanese producer of beer, whiskey and a wide range of food products, to establish and strengthen its business in Europe and around the globe. As of 2020, the business is established under the Asahi Europe & International organization. Building on centuries of European brewing heritage, the business runs 19 production facilities in 8 countries across Europe, and is the custodian of some of the best beer brands in the world, including Asahi Super Dry, Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch and Kozel. Within the Asahi Group, the remit of Asahi Europe and International is also to develop and manage all export markets globally, outside of Japan and Oceania. Covering 90 markets and with over 10,000 passionate colleagues on board, through our shared purpose of creating meaningful connections, the business is well positioned to inspire people around the world to drink better.
About Asahi Super Dry
Asahi Super Dry was first created in 1987, redefining the beer category and introducing to the world a new taste in beer. Today, Asahi Super Dry is Japan’s No.1 beer and we are proud that our innovative brand has become a global icon of progressive Japan. Asahi Super Dry is brewed with precision to the highest quality standards, under the supervision of Japanese master brewers. Our advanced brewing techniques deliver a dry, crisp taste and quick, clean finish. We’re constantly innovating at our brewery to improve production technology and quality management. This commitment to progressive brewing will help us share Asahi Super Dry with the whole world. For more information, please visit: asahisuperdry.com.
About Octopi Brewing
Octopi Brewing is the premier contract beverage facility in the Midwest. Built to cater specifically to the needs of modern beverage clients, it is the fastest growing production brewery in the Midwest and the fourth largest production brewery in Wisconsin. Octopi Brewing sends products to 45 states and five countries in Europe.
