Heineken buys out/into Stellenbrau

stellenbrau heineken deal

Heineken South Africa’s MD, Ruud van den Eijnden (left) and Stellenbrau owner Deon Engelbrecht close the deal at the Stellenbosch-based brewery (Image courtesy of Stellenbrau)

You’ve probably heard the news, but if you haven’t, Stellebrau have done a deal with Heineken and become a part of “the Heineken family”.

The reason for the vagueness of this blog post title is that at this stage nobody seems to know whether the world’s second largest brewer has bought Stellenbrau out completely or whether they have just bought a stake in the company. I have contacted both Stellebrau and Heineken and am waiting for comment. The full story will hopefully be in the next issue of On Tap.

Rumours of the deal have been doing the rounds for the past month, but Stellenbrau quietly announced the news on their website last Thursday, March 23. It is perhaps not a huge surprise though, considering Stellenbrau’s links with Namibia Breweries (some of their beers are brewed by the Windhoek brewer) and NBL’s ties with Heineken. I won’t rehash the press release and the comments made by the various players – you can head over here to read that.

Fellow craft beer enthusiasts will probably find the last paragraph of the press release a little odd – a list of qualities that apparently distinguishes Stellenbrau from other craft beer players in SA, including that their beers are more easy-drinking and lack that typical craft aftertaste. (Flavour??  😉 )

As I get more info I will pass it on. But in the mean time, what are your thoughts on this deal? Good on Stellenbrau for making some money? Will you continue drinking Stellenbrau’s beers? If they use the same recipes and ingredients but are owned by a megabrewery, do you still class them as craft?

5 Comments

  1. Jonathan

    I can’t hold back after reading that paragraph about the after taste. THAT IS EVERYTHING FFS! FFS MAN! Get me some Afro Caribbean or Woodstock brewery aftertaste!

    I am not the hugest Stellenbrau fan, their easy drinking beers don’t do it for me and also lets not forget the rooibos patent kak either – it shouldn’t be a surprise they have ‘sold out’.

    Reply
  2. Rob Cass

    I have no problem with the deal. Stellenbrau have obviously build a solid brand and have every right to use this opportunity to grow / cash-in. Not all ‘craft’ breweries are going to have the same goals and that’s good.

    I do have a problem with them painting themselves as these pioneers rebelling against the characteristics of “mainstream craft” (really???) by creating beers that are closer in flavour to mass-produced pale lager. Really taking liberties with advertisers license.

    Reply
    • Lucy Corne

      Mainstream craft is an interesting term isn’t it…!?

      Reply
      • Rob Cass

        Not conforming to non-conformism 🙂

        Reply
  3. Jacques van Zyl

    Now Heineken is probably also “just a big craft brewery”.

    Reply

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  1. Jack Black enters partnership with Heineken - The Brewmistress - […] is Heineken’s third foray into South African craft beer in the past year. In March 2017 they acquired Stellenbrau,…

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