Asahi Europe & International

What Asahi Europe & International does

Asahi Europe & International (AEI) is the European and international beverage subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. (Japan), formed in 2021 following Asahi Group's 2016-2021 European M&A expansion that consolidated premium and regional beer brands across the continent. AEI operates 19 production sites in 9 countries producing 40.8 million hectoliters of beer annually, supported by 10,000+ employees and headquartered in Prague with a registered UK office in Woking. The company's portfolio combines global premium icons — Asahi Super Dry (Japan's #1 beer), Peroni Nastro Azzurro (UK's leading premium lager), Pilsner Urquell (world's first pilsner, brewed continuously since 1842), Kozel, and Grolsch — with regional champions including Fuller's (UK), Birra Peroni (Italy), Kompania Piwowarska/Tyskie/Lech (Poland), Dreher (Hungary), Ursus/Timisoreana (Romania), and Plzeňský Prazdroj brands (Czech Republic), plus non-alcoholic variants (Birell, Asahi 0.0%, Peroni 0.0%, Kozel 0,0%), Cornish Orchards cider, Frisco cocktails, and the recently launched Asahi Zeitaku Shibori RTD in the US.

AEI's revenue model is B2B/B2C beverage sales through multi-channel distribution spanning on-trade (pubs, restaurants, bars, hotel partners including TD Coliseum), off-trade (major retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose, Co-op in the UK and equivalents across Europe), direct venue partnerships, and dedicated third-party distributors (Wismettac for US RTD). The company pursues a dual brand strategy of global premium hero brands alongside regional/local hero brands in each market, supported by event-driven experiential marketing (Scuderia Ferrari HP partnership, Royal Ascot, BST Hyde Park, Women's Rugby World Cup 2025) and brand activations at flagship venues.

Underlying operations are anchored by proprietary brewing infrastructure, a patented TopClip plastic-free can-multipack packaging system, an AI-enabled Revenue Growth Management tool built on Microsoft Azure with EY's framework (deployed across five European markets), and a major SAP S/4HANA migration (Project Odyssey) across ten European countries. AEI is governed by aggressive 2030 sustainability commitments — 100% carbon-neutral breweries, 100% reusable/recyclable packaging, 2.75L water-per-liter beer, 20% non-alcoholic portfolio share, and 100% sustainable ingredient sourcing — with a North American buildout now anchored by the Jan 2024 Octopi Brewing acquisition in Wisconsin.

Name

Asahi Europe & International

Legal name

Asahi CE & Europe Services s.r.o.

Website

https://asahiinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Asahi Europe & International is the European and international beverage subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings, producing 40.8 million hectoliters of beer annually across 19 sites in 9 countries, serving on-trade, off-trade, and venue channels through premium global brands (Asahi Super Dry, Peroni, Pilsner Urquell) and regional heroes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Beer Brewing

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Alcohol Importers & Brand Owners (Wholesale) (CRAOAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beverage Import/Export & Cross-Border Wholesale (AFAIAGAL)

Keywords

• Premium beer brewing
• Beverage manufacturing
• Brewery operations
• Lager production
• Alcoholic beverages

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beer and Beverage Sales: Sale of premium beer brands including Asahi Super Dry, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Kozel, Grolsch, and local hero brands through on-trade (pubs, restaurants) and off-trade (retail) channels

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Asahi Europe & International is the European brewing and beverage arm of Asahi Group Holdings that produces, markets, and distributes a portfolio of premium and mainstream beer brands, ciders, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages. The company operates 19 production sites across 9 countries and exports to more than 60 markets worldwide, managing heritage labels such as Asahi Super Dry, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, and Grolsch.

Product overview

Asahi Europe & International operates a portfolio of global and regional beer brands across 19 production sites in 9 countries. The portfolio includes flagship global brands (Asahi Super Dry, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Kozel, Grolsch), acquired regional brands (Fuller's, Dreher, Šariš, Tyskie, Lech, Ursus), non-alcoholic variants (Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%, Asahi Super Dry 0.0%, Kozel 0.0%, Birell), ready-to-drink products (Zeitaku Shibori), cider (Cornish Orchards), and specialty beer variants. The company recently expanded into North America through the acquisition of Octopi Brewing in Wisconsin to produce Asahi Super Dry locally. Sustainability commitments include carbon neutrality by 2030 and supply chain neutrality by 2040.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Asahi Super Dry: Japan's No.1 Beer - Dry and crisp with a quick, clean finish
• Peroni Nastro Azzurro
• Pilsner Urquell
• Kozel
• Grolsch Premium Pilsner
• Tyskie
• Lech
• Ursus
• Dreher
• Fuller's London Pride
• Asahi Super Dry 0.0%
• Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%
• Birell
• Šariš
• Gambrinus
• Radegast
• Żubr
• Timisoreana
• Fuller's ESB
• Frisco
• Proud

Products and services

• Asahi Super Dry Iconic Japanese super dry lager, flagship brand of the Asahi portfolio, brewed and distributed for on-trade and off-trade channels across Europe and beyond.
• Peroni Nastro Azzurro Italian premium lager positioned for the on-trade and premium off-trade segment, sold across European markets.
• Pilsner Urquell Czech premium pilsner, the original pilsner, brewed at Plzeň and exported to global markets as a super-premium offering.
• Kozel Czech mainstream lager distributed across Central and Eastern European markets.
• Grolsch Dutch premium lager with a heritage dating back to 1615, recognized for its distinctive swing-top bottle.
• Tyskie Polish mainstream lager produced and distributed within the Polish market.
• Lech Polish mainstream lager distributed in the Polish market as part of the Kompania Piwowarska portfolio.
• Somersby Fruit-flavored cider sold across multiple European and international markets.
• Ciderboys Craft-style cider range distributed internationally as part of the cider portfolio.
• Birell Non-alcoholic lager sold across European markets, primarily in Central Europe.
• Meantime Brewing Company London craft brewery producing a range of craft beers for the UK on-trade and off-trade markets.
• Fuller's Brewery London-based heritage brewer producing traditional ales, including London Pride, for the UK and export markets.
• London Pride Premium British ale produced at the Fuller's Griffin Brewery in London.
• Dark Star Brewing

Quantifiable outcome

• 40.8 million hectoliters of beer produced annually across 19 production sites
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• TD Coliseum / Oak View GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2025Asahi Canada named founding partner of transformed TD Coliseum arena in Hamilton, Ontario. Launch of House of Peroni - 150-seat members-only lounge. First major venue presence in Canada bringing premium beverage offerings to 18,000-seat venue.
• Octopi BrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2024Acquisition of Octopi Brewing, Wisconsin-based beverage production facility, marking AEI's first production facility in North America. Facility produces Asahi Super Dry for US and Canadian markets along with Zeitaku Shibori RTD products. Strategic move to expand North American presence and reduce emissions through local production.
• EY and MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to implement AI-enabled Revenue Growth Management tool built on Microsoft Azure platform with EY's RGM framework. Addresses data silos and process inefficiencies from rapid M&A expansion. Tool provides descriptive, prescriptive, and predictive analytics for trade promotion optimization across five European markets.
• OptimummajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSelected as ERP training partner for Project Odyssey - major SAP S/4HANA transformation programme migrating from SAP ECC 6 across ten European countries. Optimum leads comprehensive ERP training delivery including user readiness, adoption support, blended learning materials, and multilingual knowledge base.
• Scuderia Ferrari HPflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnership with Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% entering second year. Partnership supports 20% non-alcoholic portfolio target by 2030. Includes Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli series sponsorship, The Italian Way campaign activations, and fan engagement initiatives.
• Microsoft, Agritecture Consulting, Hop Growers UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for sustainable hop growing in Czech Saaz region. Uses modern technology to efficiently irrigate crops, helping hop growers address climate change impacts on water usage.
• Saplo, CREA, Italian UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus Peroni partnership with Saplo Malting Plant, CREA (National Research Centre for Agriculture), and six Italian university departments of agriculture. Creates barley growing system to enhance quality and sustainability while fostering innovation.
• TwencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeat supply contract with Twence, regional supplier of sustainable energy. From 2022, Twence supplies 100% green heat to Grolsch brewery, reducing CO2 emissions by 72% (5,500 tonnes) per year.
• Plzeňská teplárenskámajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeven-year agreement for supply of renewable heat to Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery starting 2021. Partnership supports journey towards carbon neutrality by 2030.
• Local Renewable Energy Supplier (Poland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPower purchase agreement for 100% green electricity to three Polish breweries (Tyskie Browary Książęc, Dojlidy Brewery, Lech Browary Wielkopolski) since 2020.
• WismettacmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distribution partner for Asahi Zeitaku Shibori RTD product launch across priority markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, New York, New Jersey, Honolulu, Seattle, Miami, Chicago, and Denver.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Constellation Brands: Premium beer importer in North America (Corona, Modelo) overlapping with AEI's premium import positioning in US and Canada.
• Anheuser-Busch InBev: Global brewing leader (Stella Artois, Budweiser, Corona) — operates broadly across AEI's geographies and premium segments at much larger scale, defining the premium lager category.
• Diageo: Global premium alcohol company with European beer (Guinness) and broader spirits exposure, competing for the same premium at-home and on-trade occasions that anchor Peroni and Asahi Super Dry.

Direct peers

• Heineken: World's second-largest brewer operating a multi-country European beer platform with premium and local-hero portfolios, the closest structural comparable to AEI's regional champion model.
• Molson Coors Beverage Company: North American-focused brewer with growing premium import portfolio, directly comparable to AEI's North American build-out via Octopi Brewing and Asahi Super Dry local production.
• Kirin Holdings: Japanese brewer and beverage parent overlapping with AEI's Asahi Japan origins — both pursue a Japanese heritage beer play (Kirin Ichiban vs Asahi Super Dry) across international markets.
• Carlsberg Group: Denmark-headquartered brewer with premium and mainstream beer brands across Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, overlapping directly with AEI's CEE and UK positions.
• Suntory Holdings: Japanese beverage group with growing European beer and RTD presence (Suntory Beer, Orangina Schweppes), and parent-organisational structure highly comparable to Asahi/AEI relationship.

Regional players

• Royal Unibrew: Nordic-focused multi-beverage brewer with a similar mix of acquired regional beer brands and energy/non-alc lines — comparable scale and category structure to AEI's Nordic and Northern European operations.

Emerging players

• Boston Beer Company: US craft-led brewer with innovation focus (Samuel Adams, Truly) competing in the premium and non-alc adjacencies that AEI is increasingly targeting with Peroni 0.0% and Zeitaku Shibori.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asahi Europe & International