In what appears to be a strategic move, Beervana, one of the trailblazing distribution companies of Indonesia’s growing craft beer scene, has announced its exit from the market after eight years of operations on the archipelago.
Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, the company opened their Indonesia business arm in 2016 using their considerable experience in the Southeast Asian kingdom to help popularize craft beer in a region traditionally dominated by mass-produced lagers.
Beervana, who have traditionally distributed US brands such as Deschutes, Rogue and Stone Brewing, at first focused on these brands to Indonesia but increasingly moved to a business model distributing locally produced craft beer.
According to a statement from Beervana, they have sold their Indonesian operations to a growing local distributor eager to carve its niche in the craft beer landscape, the Asia Brewers Network believes this to be Surabaya based Birhagia who have taken on distribution of Island Brewing, however details of the transaction remain under wraps.
Other Bali based breweries such as Kura Kura and Islands of Imagination that were on the Beervana books have opted to handle their own distribution for the time being.
Despite the burgeoning craft beer scene in Indonesia, with several new brands expected to enter the market in 2024, Beervana decided to shutter their operations there to focus on their Thailand business where their own brewing arm, The Brewing Project, is witnessed strong growth. “The timing was serendipitous,” noted Aaron Grieser, Co-Founder and CEO of Beervana Indonesia “With so many new and exciting developments with Beervana Thailand, the opportunity cost of me staying in Indonesia was mounting. So I put out a few feelers and found a pretty ideal successor to build on the foundation we’ve laid here in Indonesia. So while the decision to sell was heavy, in the end it was a no-brainer.”
Grieser and his family will relocate to Bangkok to join up again with business partner Brian Bartush and the Beervana Thailand team, ready to amplify their impact in Southeast Asia. The transition marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, with Beervana looking for new opportunities to continue its pioneering spirit in the region.
