Golan Heights Winery branches into beer
Company to invest NIS 3 million in collaboration with Golan Brewery to produce premium beer in nothern city of Katzrin. Founder of brewery: We aspire to be No. 3 in beer production after Coca Cola and Tempo
As part of the new initiative, some NIS 3 million (about $750,000) will be invested to expand Golan Brewery's production lines. Until now, the brewery put out 150,000 bottles a year, but now hopes are to boost that number to somewhere around a million.
The development stage of the new beer will be concluded within the coming months, in the framework of which a new, fresh, unpasteurized beer will be created from water taken from the Heights' Salukia Spring. The shelf life of Golan Brewery beer, which is sold under the names Golan, Galil, Emeq, and Bazelet, as of now stands at only a few days. New production techniques will lengthen this shelf life.
Currently, Golan Brewery's sales are mainly to private customers who visit the site. The company has not marketed its product to chain stores or private stores. However, given access to Golan Heights Winery's marketing apparatus, the brewery hopes to break into those sales points.
"Until now, premium beer holds a 15% share of the beer market. With the new step, we aspire to be the third player in the market after Coca Cola and Tempo and to do for beer what Golan Heights Winery did for wine," said Haim Ohayon, Golan Brewery's entrepreneur.
Golan Heights Winery CEO Anat Levy Rushansky reported that their entry into the field of beer is a strategic move for the company meant to round out the winery's product line and will target a young audience.
"This new product will be a new marketing platform for Golan Heights Winery in pubs, bars, and restaurants," said Levy Rushansky.
