MicroBrewr 032: Export beer to tap new craft beer markets
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Maximus BumSoo didn’t like beer so he told his friends that he was allergic to hops. Finally, one night in London, he drank a London Pride and loved it! He emailed the company and spent the next 3 weeks learning about beer. Then he flew to London and got the exclusive distribution deal.
Now Maximus is CEO and President of London Ale & Co. in Seoul, Korea. They are the exclusive distributor of Fuller Smith & Turner’s beers from the United Kingdom.
If you have excess product or if you want to expand to new markets, you might want to export beer to tap new craft beer markets. American craft beer is popular in Korea, and other foreign markets are craving craft beer from the U.S. and elsewhere.
Some of Maximus tips on how to export craft beer:
- Contact your local governing agency about legal requirements.
- Pick an importer who loves your beer.
- Pick an importer with enough funds to move large shipments of your product.
- It’s best to ship the product with climate control the whole way, but it’s not always feasible.
- Get paid up-front.
Listener question:
From Nick Bray: Why are you doing this work?
Book recommendation:
- Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery by Steve Hindy and Tom Potter.
- Brewing Up a Business: Adventures in Beer from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery by Sam Calagione.
- The Oxford Companion to Beer by Garrett Oliver (Editor).
Check out the entire list of recommended books, click here.
An upcoming beer style:
Sour beer
Other resources:
- Exporting Alcohol Beverage from the U.S., TTB, International Affairs Division (IAD).
- Directory of State Alcohol Beverage Control Boards.
- Export Development Program (EDP), Brewers Association.
- U.S. craft brewers exporting beer – and ideas – around the world, Eric Gorski, The Denver Post, April 8, 2014.
- Why American Craft Beer Exports Are Booming, Lisa Wirthman, Forbes, July 11, 2013.
You can reach Maximus BumSoo and London Ale & Co. at:
Diagram showing the Chief Winds of the World and the Average Rainfall (1922) by Eric Fischer on flickr (CC BY 2.0) was modified from its original state.
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