Italy: Birra Peroni brings Czech beer Kozel to Italy

Italian beer brand Birra Peroni has boosted its portfolio of premium beers in Italy with the addition of Czech brand Kozel, the ESM Magazine reported on April 29.

In Italy, Kozel will be produced in the Padua plant, in both Premium Lager and Dark Lager variants, reports La Repubblica.

With a presence in 48 countries, the Czech beer brand sells 4.5 million hl globally.

The premium lager segment accounts for 30% of the beer market in Italy, and is the fastest growing category, with international lagers accounting for �613 million worth of sales in 2019.

Named after a billy goat, the Kozel brand began 150 years ago in the Czech Republic, in the village of Velk� Popovice.

Its products include Kozel Premium Lager (4.6% vol) and Kozel Dark Lager (3.5% vol), with both brands receiving more 200 awards over the years, in recognition of their quality.

The launch of the Kozel brand is only one of the elements of Birra Peroni�s growth strategy in Italy, sales director Davide Gibertini told La Repubblica.

In response to the growing trend for zero alcohol beer, earlier this year Birra Peroni, which is owned by Japanese drinks giant Asahi, launched the Nastro Azzurro Zero beer. It expects non-alcoholic beers to account for 20% of turnover in 2030.

The main Birra Peroni brand will be revisited this year, with a new label and packaging, and bottle traceability be introduced, allowing consumers to discover the entire supply chain.

The company aims to become carbon neutral in all breweries and reduce its carbon footprint by 30% in 2030, with the entire supply chain carbon neutral by 2050. In addition, it will only use sustainable water supply sources and reduce 15% of all plastic packaging by 2025.