Thai Beverages
Encyclopedia
Thai Beverage is Thailand's largest and one of the largest beverage alcohol companies in South East Asia with distilleries in Thailand, Scotland, Poland, Ireland, China, and France. Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Thai Beverage Plc has a market capitalisation in excess of US$4bn.
beer and Mekhong and Sang Som rum. It also has significant operations in Europe producing malt Scotch whisky, vodkas, gins, and liqueurs with over 20 distilleries in Scotland, France, Poland, and Ireland.
Chang Beer, which first started production in March 1995 at the brewery in the district of Bang Ban, Ayutthaya Province, is the top-selling brand in Thailand
. It managed to win 60% of market share in Thailand after a hard market fight with the previously biggest brand Singha
. In 2006, the company's market share was 49% of the beer market, according to research company Canadean.
of the English Premiership. Together they initiated five projects set up in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Thailand.
The Chang-Everton village consists of 50 houses and a football field, and following its completion, youth teams from area have competed for the Chang-Everton cup using the facilities.
Officials from Everton and Chang have been continually involved in the project.
Together they also sponsor Chang Everton Football Cup and any promising Thai footballers are invited to Liverpool
to trial with Everton.
ThaiBev brews Beer Chang , a pale lager
. Chang is the Thai
word for elephant
, an animal that has cultural and historical significance to Thailand. The logo for Chang Beer features two elephants facing one other.
Chang is brewed for the domestic market at 6.4% abv
; and for the export market at 5% abv. However, the two "versions" are in fact different beers, the export beer being a 100% malt beer like its domestic draught product, while the Beer Chang sold in-country in Thailand is brewed with rice.
In 2004, the company introduced Archa beer, at 5.4% alcohol by volume (abv). The beer won a gold medal at the 2007 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA). In 2006, the company launched Chang Light, 4.2% abv, and Chang Draught in bottles, at 5% abv.
In 2005 Carlsberg pulled out from the venture, resulting in Chang claiming US$ 2.5 bn in damages. A final settlement of US$ 120m was subsequently paid by Carlsberg.
. Rum is derived from distilling cane juice, sugar or molasses
until the product is with 60–95 degree alcohol content. The content is mixed with purified water to produce a satisfactory level of alcohol content before being transferred to age in charred oak barrels for at least one year. Before being bottled the liquor may be further mixed to adjust for desired color, aroma, and taste, but it has to have at least 40 degree alcohol content.
ThaiBev's most famous, but not highest selling, liquor brand, Mekhong, originated in 1941 at the Bangyikhan Distillery west of Bangkok
. Originally a state-owned distillery, it dates back over 200 years to the beginning of the current Chakri Dynasty. The launch of Mekhong was aimed at producing high-quality Thai liquor to stem the increase in the import of foreign liquor and to eventually replace imported brands. Sang Som however, has been the country’s most popular liquor brand for over 29 years, until 2006 holding almost 50% of the entire brown spirits market in Thailand. The company also produces Mungkorn Thong and Hong Thong and brands based on malt whisky, like Crown 99 and Blue, as well as Scottish whisky brands such as Hankey Banister and Pinwinnie Royal Scotch Whisky.
White spirits are distilled liquors made from molasses without any mixture or color, and produced in four strengths of varying degrees of alcohol: 28, 30, 35 and 40% alcohol per volume. The company's largest-selling white spirits are branded Ruang Khao or rice stalk. The labels are color-coded to reflect the alcoholic strength but do not have the brand name printed on them. Other brands in this category are Niyomthai and White Tiger.
ThaiBev's yeast cultures, used for fermentation, are grown in its own laboratory and propagated in a yeast propagation tank. The yeast, molasses diluted by water, steamed rice that has been sprayed with mould (to create sugar) and incubated for four days, and water are added into a fermenter and the mixture is allowed to ferment for approximately 72 hours. The liquid that is left at the end of the fermentation process is known as fermented mash.
Distillation takes place in a distilling column and a pot still, which is a large copper or stainless steel kettle. Distilling involves boiling the “fermented mash” and condensing its vapour. The spent sludge remaining in the pot still is removed to be processed. The company's white spirits are then diluted with demineralized water to the desirable alcohol content in a white spirits blending tank and sent to be packaged and bottled after filtering.
Brown spirits are diluted with demineralized water and then aged in oak barrels for three to eight years depending on the brand. The aged alcohol is then further diluted with demineralized water before bottling. Liquor concentrate alcohol and caramel are added. The brown spirits are passed through filters and then bottled and packaged. ThaiBev also makes Chinese herb spirits, with the brands Chiang-Chun and Sua Dum. These are produced by blending alcohol, white spirits, sugar, caramel and Chinese herbs, and then further diluting the mixture with demineralized water.
Brief details
Thai Beverage Public Company Limited owns and distributes a number of significant brands including ChangChang
- Groups of people :* Chang , a Chinese surname* Chang Naga, a tribe of Tuensang, Nagaland, India- Individuals :* Chang , a Korean surname* Chen Chung Chang, mathematician* Edmond E...
beer and Mekhong and Sang Som rum. It also has significant operations in Europe producing malt Scotch whisky, vodkas, gins, and liqueurs with over 20 distilleries in Scotland, France, Poland, and Ireland.
Chang Beer, which first started production in March 1995 at the brewery in the district of Bang Ban, Ayutthaya Province, is the top-selling brand in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It managed to win 60% of market share in Thailand after a hard market fight with the previously biggest brand Singha
Singha
Singha, , is a 5% alcohol-by-volume pale lager produced by Boon Rawd Brewery. It is also available in 5% abv draught version as Singha Lager Draft, and the new 3.5% abv Singha Light introduced in 2006.- History :...
. In 2006, the company's market share was 49% of the beer market, according to research company Canadean.
Chang-Everton
In 2004 a deal was agreed for Chang to sponsor Everton Football ClubEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
of the English Premiership. Together they initiated five projects set up in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Thailand.
The Chang-Everton village consists of 50 houses and a football field, and following its completion, youth teams from area have competed for the Chang-Everton cup using the facilities.
Officials from Everton and Chang have been continually involved in the project.
Together they also sponsor Chang Everton Football Cup and any promising Thai footballers are invited to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to trial with Everton.
The Beer Business
Pale lager
Pale lager is a very pale to golden-coloured beer with a well attenuated body and a varying degree of noble hop bitterness. The brewing process for this beer developed in the mid 19th century when Gabriel Sedlmayr took pale ale brewing techniques back to the Spaten Brewery in Germany and applied it...
. Chang is the Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
word for elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
, an animal that has cultural and historical significance to Thailand. The logo for Chang Beer features two elephants facing one other.
Chang is brewed for the domestic market at 6.4% abv
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
; and for the export market at 5% abv. However, the two "versions" are in fact different beers, the export beer being a 100% malt beer like its domestic draught product, while the Beer Chang sold in-country in Thailand is brewed with rice.
In 2004, the company introduced Archa beer, at 5.4% alcohol by volume (abv). The beer won a gold medal at the 2007 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA). In 2006, the company launched Chang Light, 4.2% abv, and Chang Draught in bottles, at 5% abv.
The Chang/Carlsberg history
In December 2000 Carlsberg and Chang established a 50/50 joint venture, Carlsberg Asia, with the vision to create a significant brewing company in Asia. The Carlsberg influence can be seen in the typography of the 'Beer Chang' logo, which resembles the classic 'Carlsberg Beer'.In 2005 Carlsberg pulled out from the venture, resulting in Chang claiming US$ 2.5 bn in damages. A final settlement of US$ 120m was subsequently paid by Carlsberg.
The Liquor Business
ThaiBev produces brown and white spirits. Thai liquor is technically rumRum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
. Rum is derived from distilling cane juice, sugar or molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
until the product is with 60–95 degree alcohol content. The content is mixed with purified water to produce a satisfactory level of alcohol content before being transferred to age in charred oak barrels for at least one year. Before being bottled the liquor may be further mixed to adjust for desired color, aroma, and taste, but it has to have at least 40 degree alcohol content.
ThaiBev's most famous, but not highest selling, liquor brand, Mekhong, originated in 1941 at the Bangyikhan Distillery west of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. Originally a state-owned distillery, it dates back over 200 years to the beginning of the current Chakri Dynasty. The launch of Mekhong was aimed at producing high-quality Thai liquor to stem the increase in the import of foreign liquor and to eventually replace imported brands. Sang Som however, has been the country’s most popular liquor brand for over 29 years, until 2006 holding almost 50% of the entire brown spirits market in Thailand. The company also produces Mungkorn Thong and Hong Thong and brands based on malt whisky, like Crown 99 and Blue, as well as Scottish whisky brands such as Hankey Banister and Pinwinnie Royal Scotch Whisky.
White spirits are distilled liquors made from molasses without any mixture or color, and produced in four strengths of varying degrees of alcohol: 28, 30, 35 and 40% alcohol per volume. The company's largest-selling white spirits are branded Ruang Khao or rice stalk. The labels are color-coded to reflect the alcoholic strength but do not have the brand name printed on them. Other brands in this category are Niyomthai and White Tiger.
Production of ThaiBev Liquor
Molasses is the main raw material used for the production of ThaiBev's liquor, so that most of the products fall under the category of rum. Molasses is a by-product from the manufacture of raw sugar from sugar cane. As is the case with all distilled spirits, these are crystal clear when first distilled. Amber and dark brown spirits obtain their color from the extracts from the oak barrel during aging and from caramel, a natural coloring agent.ThaiBev's yeast cultures, used for fermentation, are grown in its own laboratory and propagated in a yeast propagation tank. The yeast, molasses diluted by water, steamed rice that has been sprayed with mould (to create sugar) and incubated for four days, and water are added into a fermenter and the mixture is allowed to ferment for approximately 72 hours. The liquid that is left at the end of the fermentation process is known as fermented mash.
Distillation takes place in a distilling column and a pot still, which is a large copper or stainless steel kettle. Distilling involves boiling the “fermented mash” and condensing its vapour. The spent sludge remaining in the pot still is removed to be processed. The company's white spirits are then diluted with demineralized water to the desirable alcohol content in a white spirits blending tank and sent to be packaged and bottled after filtering.
Brown spirits are diluted with demineralized water and then aged in oak barrels for three to eight years depending on the brand. The aged alcohol is then further diluted with demineralized water before bottling. Liquor concentrate alcohol and caramel are added. The brown spirits are passed through filters and then bottled and packaged. ThaiBev also makes Chinese herb spirits, with the brands Chiang-Chun and Sua Dum. These are produced by blending alcohol, white spirits, sugar, caramel and Chinese herbs, and then further diluting the mixture with demineralized water.