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Joseph Vincenti

Founder, G. Vincenti & Sons

We are looking at export markets, which is one of the reasons why we built Beirut Beer in the Beqaa Valley, as it is halfway between Damascus and Beirut. The Syrian market is extremely important for us, and the Lebanese alcohol industry reflects positively on the Syrian market; all marketing on local TV is watched by Syrian consumers. Being halfway between Damascus and Beirut was a strategic decision, and the Syrian market is a target once those sanctions are removed. Beirut Beer should be the number-one beer in Syria because Syrian consumers highly view Lebanese habits and consumption. We sell to many wholesalers, and there is a large volume going to Syria in parallel markets. In addition, we are developing certain export markets such as the UAE, France, the UK, the US, and Australia. Lebanese restaurants are popular everywhere, and having a beer named Beirut in those restaurants would mean they offer a true Lebanese heritage. We have the capacity currently because our investment was built taking into account this capacity. Three-quarters of our volume will be sold locally while one quarter will be for export markets. Beirut was one of the most challenging brands to register and develop; yet, we did it. When we entered the market, we wanted to declare the fact that there is now 100% Lebanese beer.

Michiel Verhagen

Managing Director, Brasserie Almaza

We are the only distributing company in Lebanon to exclusively represent three of the top 10 spirits companies in the world. Since the company has a dominant position in the luxury premium spirits segment, we have developed The Cask & Barrel, a master class to train professionals and consumers in different luxury premium spirits and categories. It is a functional area because we organize many dinners and private tastings for different types of people. Vrinks is an upcoming project that will be the first online platform purely dedicated to the online sales of our spirits brand. This a platform that we are opening under G. Vincenti & Sons, and anyone in Lebanon can order alcohol and get it delivered to their home within 48 hours. People will find bottles and even services such as bartending, bar setups, and more. The civil war had a significant impact on the industry, as many companies left the country and started operating from Syria or other countries. We stayed in Beirut, and this marked a huge difference between G. Vincenti & Sons and other companies. In the post-civil war era, we had a dominant position in the local industry and decided to expand our reach to other parts of the region.

Nayef Kassatly

CEO, Nayef Kassatly

One of the key developments in the beer market over the last few years has been the launch of Beirut Beer, which after four years really started to make an impact. After continued high investments it managed to make inroads in the market, especially with the introduction of the 25cl small bottle with the ring pull. This is a new proposition to the consumer at a magical price point of LBP1,000 (USD0.67). In April 2018, we started with Almaza 25cl priced at LBP1,250 followed by Al Rayess 25cl at LBP750. This way we cater for all consumers’ wishes in terms of price and brand image. The Almaza 25cl launch was supported by a strong and smart media campaign including continuous presence on social media. So far it delivered the results we were aiming for as we gained market share. In addition to this, Almaza is back again at the top of mind, which means at the top of the shopping list of our consumers. In 2018, we celebrate our 85th anniversary. It is our ambition to stay the undisputed leader in the Lebanese beer market for at least the next 85 years. One could say that the introduction of Beirut Beer is helping us introduce necessary changes to the company.

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