KBE Drinks has signed a three-year distribution agreement with Japanese company Sapporo Breweries Limited, the makers of Sapporo premium beer.

The distributor said Sapporo was an ideal partner amid the growth of premiumisation in the drinks category.

Sapporo beer has an ABV of 5.0% and is available in 650ml cans.

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Shaun Goode, chief operating officer at KBE Drinks, said: “Consumers are increasingly looking for more sophisticated and aspirational brands that not only taste great, but also have a strong heritage. Sapporo definitely fits this profile, proven by the fact it’s grown by 19% in the last year, so we’d advise retailers to stock up and enjoy the sales.”

Satoru Morita, general manager of Sapporo Europe B.V., added: “While Sapporo has been hugely successful in the Japanese food occasion and is stocked in many of the UK’s finest Japanese restaurants, we are keen to see it expand further into the UK off-trade where we think consumers will love its distinctively crisp taste. In KBE Drinks, we believe we have found the perfect distributer to unlock this opportunity.”

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