Sodastream expands into beer world as it tags on craft coat tails
Sodastream is the latest brand looking to cash in on the craft beer trend by launching a home made beer system that works in a similar way to its fizzy drinks machines.
Named the Beer Bar, the at home system uses sparkling water and a unique beer concentrate to create a home crafted beer. The first drink out of the Beer Bar is the Blondie, which contains 4.5 per cent alcohol by volume, the average level found in most global beer brands.
"We are excited to launch a brand dedicated to serving the global growing trend of home crafted beer," says Daniel Birnbaum, chief executive of Sodastream. "Our core carbonation technology and distribution infrastructure provide a great platform for us to extend our business into this emerging category, and we choose to do so with a dedicated beer brand."
The Beer Bar will initially launch in Germany online and in retailers in Switzerland. Other markets are expected to launch the Beer Bar in late 2016 and 2017.
The somewhat unlikely move comes at a time when craft beer sales are soaring. In March US trade group Brewers Association reported a 13 per cent increase in volume in 2015, the eighth consecutive year of double-digit growth.