【2018年1月25日，武汉】全球领先的啤酒酿造商百威英博集团旗下的颠覆性增长精酿事业部ZXVentures于今日举办武汉精酿工厂开幕仪式，并与中德啤酒学院达成战略合作。武汉精酿工厂是百威英博集团在亚太区的首个精酿工厂，力争打造中国最优秀的精酿，向消费者们提供种类丰富、风味多样的新鲜精酿啤酒产品。百威英博亚太北区总裁吉祥、武汉汉阳区常务副区长李艳明、中国轻工机械协会副理事长兼秘书长王欣、湖北轻工职业技术学院院长徐兵、湖北轻工职业技术学院中德啤酒学院书记程汉生、中德啤酒学院院长杜波涛、百威英博。
ZX Ventures精酿大师Joshua Staines亲自抽取“汉阳造”酒液
亚太北区超高端品牌市场副总裁徐嘉宏、百威英博亚太北区颠覆性增长精酿事业部负责人PedroAidar、中国酒业协会啤酒分会的代表以及众多嘉宾、媒体、国内精酿品牌创始人共同出席了本次活动，见证这一中国精酿史上的重要时刻。
带来引领时尚的极致精酿品味
近年来，精酿啤酒人气持续上涨，已然成为时尚人群的消费新宠，就连前美国总统奥巴马也一度在国际场合上，把鹅岛经典产品“312都市小麦”作为“家乡特产”赠予他国元首。精酿啤酒备受欢迎，源于其丰富多样的口味。配方的灵感与酿酒师个人的情怀有着密不可分的联系，可能是源于与初恋分享的那口奶油雪糕的甜美、或是童年父亲买回的水果糖的芳香——这注定了精酿啤酒不仅是各种原材料风味的载体，更是体现酿酒师感情的载体，因此精酿啤酒的风格存在着无限可能。
ZX Ventures精酿大师Leon Mickelson 带领来宾参观武汉精酿工厂
百威英博集团作为行业领先者，一直以来为消费者提供多种类、高品质的啤酒。百威英博亚太北区总裁吉祥先生表示：“百威英博进入中国已有30余年，始终致力于为中国消费者提供优质、上佳的啤酒产品体验，多年前便以战略性眼光布局超高端产品的引入。在精酿啤酒风靡全球的今天，中国精酿行业仍处于萌芽阶段，百威英博有责任推广精酿文化、促进行业发展。因此，百威英博颠覆性增长事业部ZX Ventures应运而生，旨在灵活应对精酿市场的变动，优化集团产业结构，为中国消费者带来更多高品质的精酿体验，助力啤酒消费升级。”
以国际尖端工艺 缔造完美中国本土特色精酿
武汉精酿工厂从德国引进量身设计的全自动酿造设备，运用国际先进酿造技术对关键生产参数实时调控。酿造过程中，专业的国际化团队实时指导、严格品控，确保苦度、色度、酒精度等风味指标符合配方标准，让每一滴精酿都让人回味。拥有了高标准的硬件和软件后，武汉精酿工厂能够生产以往进口的产品，减少产品在长途运输过程中可能产生的风味损失，在保持原汁原味的同时获得更好的新鲜度；另外，工厂还将生产高品质的国内精酿产品，如最近达产的拳击猫混合装，精选四款荣获国际大奖的精酿组成，产品口味覆盖入门级到品鉴级，帮助消费者循序渐进地认识精酿，推动精酿啤酒在中国的普及。
百威英博ZX Ventures武汉精酿工厂将酿造拳击猫、开巴、鹅岛精酿啤酒，为消费者带来新鲜的高品质佳酿
作为风味和品味的载体，精酿啤酒注定要融入不同地域的文化元素。ZX Ventures的酿酒师从武汉文化汲取灵感，借助武汉精酿工厂的工艺配套，创造出工厂的第一款本土精酿——“汉阳造”。“汉阳造”口味馥郁，寓意深远，象征着武汉实干的精神和对品质的不懈追求，这正是ZX Ventures对武汉文化和城市精神的致敬，也希望它能从武汉出发，成为中国精酿的一张名片，为消费者带来更多味觉风暴。
嘉奖为中国作出巨大贡献的酿酒大师：Michael Jordan（左）及Leon Mickelson（右）
百威英博亚太北区颠覆性增长精酿事业部负责人Pedro Aidar介绍到：“精酿啤酒的魅力之源必然是创新。中国文化博大精深，源远流长，毫无疑问，这就为精酿啤酒的推陈出新提供了取之不竭的灵感。除了‘汉阳造’，我们的精酿品牌鹅岛还与香格里拉精酿联合酿制了新产品‘消失的地平线’，从传统的文化入手，探索当地的特色香料和水果，孕育出了一款惊艳卓绝的佳酿。与本土文化共生共赢，就是我们坚定不移的发展目标和方向。”
携手中德啤酒学院 培养精酿新生代
“Brewing up the future, today!” 是ZX Ventures的愿景，而人才则是未来发展的关键。ZX Ventures携手中德啤酒学院，共同启动“精酿新生代”项目，打造高标准的精酿啤酒产学研平台，将通过为学生提供实习岗位、定期开展大师讲座或名师精选课程、设置工厂开放日等方式培养专业人才；同时，双方将共建精酿啤酒实验室，联合开发新配方，提升学生专业素养，为行业输送新鲜血液。
精酿大师、拳击猫酿酒大师Michael Jordan
业界交流是行业发展的催化剂，而国内精酿行业之间的对话沟通较少，也鲜见持续系统的行业合作，搭建一个稳定的行业交流平台正是ZX Ventures的“小目标”。在未来，ZX Ventures将紧密联合中德啤酒学院，运用“精酿新生代”的平台，带领学生们参与国际交流，让他们既有本土积淀，又拥有国际视野。
武汉市汉阳区常务副区长李艳明（左）与百威英博武汉工厂厂长付兆辉（右）共同发布“汉阳造”，致敬武汉文化
结合学校的教育、发展来看，此次合作更能发挥中德啤酒学院“双元制”教学制度的优势。在与武汉精酿工厂合作的短短数月内，校内优秀学生代表已经在精酿大师的指导下，联合开展了“酿造未来”的课题，并开发出两款融入了家乡味道的小麦啤酒，迈出了结合本土创新的第一步。谈及本次产学研合作，湖北轻工职业技术学院院长徐兵表示：“通过‘精酿新生代’这一高标准平台，学生能获得更先进、更全面的指导与实训，相信将来必定能在国内精酿行业体现自身价值，让中国精酿耀眼世界。”
中国轻工机械协会副理事长兼秘书长王欣女士参与啤酒知识培训
精酿啤酒的魅力愈发增长，是选择钟意的口味，或是成为酿酒师、将心中的那份情怀赋予到麦汁里，都由你来决定。现在，请将好奇心转化为行动，让我们共同感受这醉美的品味，酿造更美好的未来！
Brewing up The Future, Today!
AB InBev’s ZX Ventures Partners with BTA to Preach Craft Beer in China
January 25, 2018, Wuhan, China – ZX Ventures, the disruptive growth craft beer business under world-leading brewer AB InBev, inaugurated its Wuhan craft brewery today. It also reached a strategic partnership with China’s leading brewing school, BTA (Brewing Technologies Academy). Being AB InBev’s first craft brewery in APAC, the new Wuhan facility will be dedicated to hatching the country’s top-notch craft beers. The inauguration gathered VIPs including Jean Jereissati, President of AB InBev APAC North, Li Yanming, Executive Deputy Governor of Hanyang District, Wang Xin, Secretary General of the China Light Industry Machinery Association, Cheng Hansheng, Council Chair of Brewing Technologies Academy, HBLITI, Du Botao, Dean of Brewing Technologies Academy, HBLITI, John Xu, VP of High-End AB InBev APAC North, Pedro Aidar, Head of Specialties of ZX Ventures APAC North, as well as the representative from the China Alcoholic Drinks Association’ Beer Branch, industry guests, journalists, and founders of China’s native craft beer brands, who jointly witnessed the moment of key significance of China’s craft beer history.
Ultimate Craft Brewing Tastes That Set the Trend
The past few years have seen the rise in popularity for craft beer, which has become a trend-setter both in China and around the world. The concept of craft beer is of such unique novelty that former US President Barack Obama once presented one of Goose Island’s classic offerings, 312 Urban Wheat Ale, as his hometown specialty to heads of states at major international occasions. The diversity in tastes and styles are one of the many reasons that craft brewing has become popular. The recipes often incorporate the brew master’s personal experiences and influences leading to liquids rich in story and background. These stories ensure that all craft beers are more than a carrier of flavor that combines different ingredients and styles, but are each also masterpieces that inspire endless possibilities for the brews of the future.
Being inarguably the leader of the brewing industry, AB InBev has long been committed to providing consumers with beers of varying styles and outstanding qualities. Jean Jereissati, President of AB InBev APAC North, proudly introduced the brewers’ efforts to strive for excellence: “AB InBev has been in the China market for more than 30 years, and remains devoted to providing quality and premium beer-based experiences to Chinese consumers, and took an early step years ago to strategically introduce high-end offerings. In an era when craft beer is now sweeping the globe, China’s own craft brewing industry is still in its start-up phase. That’s why AB InBev considers it an inevitable responsibility to promote both culture and growth of the craft brewing industry in this country. These are the reasons behind the establishment of our disruptive growth business division, ZX Ventures, the creation of which is just aimed at flexibly addressing changes of the craft brewing market, optimizing our business structure, presenting Chinese consumers with more premium craft beer experiences, and aiding consumption upgrade of China’s beer industry.”
Cutting Edge Solutions to Deliver Perfect China-Style Craft Brews
Equipped with tailor-made fully-automatic brewing facilities imported from Germany, the Wuhan craft brewery will be able to take advantage of world-leading brewing technologies to ensure real-time monitoring of key production specifications. During the brewing process, a professional international team will be on standby to provide guidance and enforce strict quality control. This will ensure the bitterness, color, and alcohol content can comply with requirements of original recipes, and each drop of craft beer to be bottled can achieve its full flavor potential. Boosting both hardware and software of high standards, the Wuhan craft brewery can now proudly release previously only imported products and such localized production can help reduce the possible loss of tastes and flavors incurred during long-haul transportation to guarantee better freshness and authenticity. In addition, the brewery will also deliver high quality domestic craft beer products. They include the Boxing Cat Mixed Pack which was recently released into the sales channel, combining four internationally awarded craft beer recipes that cover entry-level to connoisseur-level tastes, to help consumers gradually understand craft brewing and drive its growing popularity in China.
As a carrier loaded with both flavor and style, craft beer is destined to integrate cultural elements of different regions. After drawing from Wuhan’s unique history and culture, ZX Ventures’ brewmasters have also utilized the craft brewery’s technical infrastructure to create its first local craft beer, Hanyang Zao. With strong fragrance and far-reaching implications, Hanyang Zao serves as a symbol of Wuhan's steadfast spirit and relentless pursuit for quality. ZX Ventures hopes that Hanyang Zao and other brews produced in the craft brewery can go beyond Wuhan’s local market and become forever embedded in China’s craft brewing industry.
Pedro Aidar, Head of Specialties of ZX Ventures APAC North, offered his introduction to the emerging craft brewing business: “The charms of craft beer lie with innovation. We all know that China has a rich culture, plus a long-running history. That has undoubtedly provided endless inspirations to help innovate the craft brewing business. Apart from Hanyang Zao, our craft beer brand Goose Island has also worked with Shangri-la Beer to co-brew a brand-new craft beer offering, the Lost Horizon, which, as a product of stunning beauty, connects to China’s traditional culture by exploring local spices and fruits. Growing and winning with local culture will be our unshakable development target and direction.”
Partnership with BTA to Nurture New Generation Craft Brewing Talents
With “Brewing up the future, today!” as its vision, ZX Ventures sees talent as the key to its future development. That’s why it has joined hands with BTA to co-launch a talent program titled “New Brewing Generation”, in a bid to build a high-standard craft beer platform that combines both the industry and academia. Zx Ventures hopes to help develop professional talents by providing internships, offering regular master lectures or select courses, and setting up brewery open days. At the same time, both sides will co-build a craft beer lab to jointly develop new recipes, raise students’ professional capabilities, and help feed the industry with new ideas.
While industrywide exchange is essential to common growth, China’s craft beer industry is still lacking in beneficial dialogues and exchanges, nor sustained systematic partnerships. So, ZX Ventures also sees creating a stable industrial exchange platform as one of its missions. In the future, ZX Ventures will work closely with BTA and take advantage of the joint talent program to provide students with rare opportunities of international exchanges that can bring both local insights and international visions.
Regarding BTA’s academic strength and development, the partnership will also better bring into play advantages of the academy’s dually-oriented education system. Within months after the kick off of the partnership with the Wuhan craft brewery, BTA’s outstanding student representatives have undertaken a research topic titled “Brewing for The Future” under the instructions of AB InBev’s brewmasters, and developed two wheat ales with strong hometown influences, a firm step towards integration of locally-based innovations. When speaking of the school-brewery partnership, Xu Bing, President of Hubei Light Industry Technology Institute, said: “Through such a high-standard platform like ‘New Brewing Generation’, our students will be able to access more advanced and more comprehensive instructions and practices. We’re confident that they will surely be able to show their values in China’s craft brewing industry, and help China’s own craft beer recipes shine around the world.”
The door is now open both for consumers to experience what craft beer can be and also for those interested in bringing their own recipes to fruition. We invite you to a world full of possibilities in flavor and innovation. Join us on this journey as we together brew for a better future.