- ThaiBev
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"Chang (beer)" redirects here. For the Tibetan beverage, see Chhaang.
Thai Beverage (ThaiBev, Thai: ไทยเบฟ) is Thailand's largest and one of the largest beverage alcohol companies in South East Asia with distilleries in Thailand, Scotland, Poland, Ireland, China, and France. Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Thai Beverage Plc has a market capitalisation in excess of US$4bn.
Contents
Brief details
Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, company's President and CEOThai Beverage Public Company Limited owns and distributes a number of significant brands including Chang beer and Mekhong and Sang Som rum. It also has significant operations in Europe producing malt Scotch whisky, vodkas, gins, and liqueurs with over 20 distilleries in Scotland, France, Poland, and Ireland.
Chang Beer, which first started production in March 1995 at the brewery in the district of Bang Ban, Ayutthaya Province, is the top-selling brand in Thailand. It managed to win 60% of market share in Thailand after a hard market fight with the previously biggest brand Singha. In 2006, the company's market share was 49% of the beer market, according to research company Canadean.
Chang-Everton
In 2004 a deal was agreed for Chang to sponsor Everton Football Club of the English Premiership. Together they initiated five projects set up in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Thailand.
The Chang-Everton village consists of 50 houses and a football field, and following its completion, youth teams from area have competed for the Chang-Everton cup using the facilities.
Officials from Everton and Chang have been continually involved in the project.
Together they also sponsor Chang Everton Football Cup and any promising Thai footballers are invited to Liverpool to trial with Everton.[1]
The Beer Business
ChangThaiBev brews Beer Chang (Thai: เบียร์ช้าง), a pale lager. Chang (Thai: ช้าง) is the Thai word for elephant, an animal that has cultural and historical significance to Thailand. The logo for Chang Beer features two elephants facing one other. Chang is brewed for the domestic market at 6.4% abv; and for the export market at 5% abv. However, the two "versions" are in fact different beers, the export beer being a 100% malt beer like its domestic draught product, while the Beer Chang sold in-country in Thailand is brewed with rice.
In 2004, the company introduced Archa beer, at 5.4% alcohol by volume (abv). The beer won a gold medal at the 2007 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA). In 2006, the company launched Chang Light, 4.2% abv, and Chang Draught in bottles, at 5% abv.
The Chang/Carlsberg history
In December 2000 Carlsberg and Chang established a 50/50 joint venture, Carlsberg Asia, with the vision to create a significant brewing company in Asia.[2] The Carlsberg influence can be seen in the typography of the 'Beer Chang' logo, which resembles the classic 'Carlsberg Beer'.[3] In 2005 Carlsberg pulled out from the venture, resulting in Chang claiming US$ 2.5 bn in damages.[4] A final settlement of US$ 120m was subsequently paid by Carlsberg.[5]
The Liquor Business
ThaiBev produces brown and white spirits. Thai liquor is technically rum. Rum is derived from distilling cane juice, sugar or molasses until the product is with 60–95 degree alcohol content. The content is mixed with purified water to produce a satisfactory level of alcohol content before being transferred to age in charred oak barrels for at least one year. Before being bottled the liquor may be further mixed to adjust for desired color, aroma, and taste, but it has to have at least 40 degree alcohol content.
ThaiBev's most famous, but not highest selling, liquor brand, Mekhong, originated in 1941 at the Bangyikhan Distillery west of Bangkok. Originally a state-owned distillery, it dates back over 200 years to the beginning of the current Chakri Dynasty. The launch of Mekhong was aimed at producing high-quality Thai liquor to stem the increase in the import of foreign liquor and to eventually replace imported brands. Sang Som however, has been the country’s most popular liquor brand for over 29 years, until 2006 holding almost 50% of the entire brown spirits market in Thailand. The company also produces Mungkorn Thong and Hong Thong and brands based on malt whisky, like Crown 99 and Blue, as well as Scottish whisky brands such as Hankey Banister and Pinwinnie Royal Scotch Whisky.
White spirits are distilled liquors made from molasses without any mixture or color, and produced in four strengths of varying degrees of alcohol: 28, 30, 35 and 40% alcohol per volume. The company's largest-selling white spirits are branded Ruang Khao or rice stalk. The labels are color-coded to reflect the alcoholic strength but do not have the brand name printed on them. Other brands in this category are Niyomthai and White Tiger.
Production of ThaiBev Liquor
Molasses is the main raw material used for the production of ThaiBev's liquor, so that most of the products fall under the category of rum. Molasses is a by-product from the manufacture of raw sugar from sugar cane. As is the case with all distilled spirits, these are crystal clear when first distilled. Amber and dark brown spirits obtain their color from the extracts from the oak barrel during aging and from caramel, a natural coloring agent.
ThaiBev's yeast cultures, used for fermentation, are grown in its own laboratory and propagated in a yeast propagation tank. The yeast, molasses diluted by water, steamed rice that has been sprayed with mould (to create sugar) and incubated for four days, and water are added into a fermenter and the mixture is allowed to ferment for approximately 72 hours. The liquid that is left at the end of the fermentation process is known as fermented mash.
Distillation takes place in a distilling column and a pot still, which is a large copper or stainless steel kettle. Distilling involves boiling the “fermented mash” and condensing its vapour. The spent sludge remaining in the pot still is removed to be processed. The company's white spirits are then diluted with demineralized water to the desirable alcohol content in a white spirits blending tank and sent to be packaged and bottled after filtering.
Brown spirits are diluted with demineralized water and then aged in oak barrels for three to eight years depending on the brand. The aged alcohol is then further diluted with demineralized water before bottling. Liquor concentrate alcohol and caramel are added. The brown spirits are passed through filters and then bottled and packaged. ThaiBev also makes Chinese herb spirits, with the brands Chiang-Chun and Sua Dum. These are produced by blending alcohol, white spirits, sugar, caramel and Chinese herbs, and then further diluting the mixture with demineralized water.
References
- ^ http://www.pressreleases.info/EN/archive/2006/200602/20060220/20060220_67802.shtm
- ^ 31.08.05 Carlsberg Asia Presentation.pdf
- ^ ToffeeWeb
- ^ 31.08.05 Carlsberg Asia Presentation.pdf
- ^ http://www.carlsberggroup.com/media/News/Pages/changandcarlsbergagreeonsettlement-SEA2005.aspx
See also
External links
Categories:- Companies listed on the Singapore Exchange
- Beer and breweries in Thailand
- Companies established in 1991
- Joint ventures
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