Special beers
Heineken Italia and Interbrew have agreed by mutual consent to
end their licensing and distribution contracts in Italy. These
contracts allowed Heineken Italia to produce and distribute the
Interbrew brands in Italy as from 1995. As of February 2003,
Heineken Italia has introduced its own range of specialty beers.
Heineken has been doing business in Italy since 1974, when it
bought Birra Dreher S.p.A., a company that was founded in Vienna
in 1773. It first entered the Italian market in 1865 when it opened
its first brewery in Trieste. Its current distribution is vast and
widespread, and ranges from large hypermarkets to food industry
retailers and dealers. Heineken Italia employs about 1,100 people
and produces and sells nearly 5.75 million hectolitres of beer.
The new range of special beers offered by Heineken Italia is
distinguished by its breadth and quality and brings together
eight brands meant for an exclusive market: consumers who are
always on the lookout for rare, original and distinctive products.
The different brands have been developed to meet the demands
of a select and sophisticated public that share a passion for high
quality beer and the desire to experiment with new sensations
and quality flavours. Massimo von Wunster, Heineken Italia
General Manager, says: "I look at the work done by our people
with sincere admiration. We have presented the new specialty
portfolio to the traditional wholesalers' convention preceding
the Rimini Fair. The feedback of the more of than 1,000 people
attending was beyond any optimistic expectation. It makes us
confident that we'll effectively develop the new brands together
with our trade partners."
The new special beers - Affligem, Amstel 1870, Brand, Doreleï,
Fischer Blonde, Fischer Tradition, Gasoline and Wieckse Witte -
were distributed through the horeca channel from February 2003.
Distribution through this channel will be made through Dibevit
Import S.r.l., a new company owned by Heineken Italia and born
from the merger between Dibevit S.r.l. and Civitelli Import S.r.l.
Dennis Heijn, Heineken Italia Commercial Director, says: "I am very
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