This Day, That Year

Item from Oct 31, 1987, in China Daily: Known as China’s best beer producer, the Qingdao Brewery in Shandong province has reached this year’s production target three months ahead of schedule. Its beer is popular in 29 countries and regions, and the company made more than $18 million from exports in the first nine months this year.

Tsingtao beer has quenched the thirst of tipplers the world over by diversifying its products to meet changing market demand.

About 550,000 bottles of Tsingtao beer are consumed daily around the world.

Compared with only three kinds of beer produced by the brewery in 1980s, Tsingtao now produces 183 varieties.

Last year, Tsingtao’s sales grew 12 percent in overseas markets, including 8 percent in Western Europe, 14 percent in Latin America and 45 percent in the Asia-Pacific region. The year-on-year increase reached 80 percent in South Korea, 55 percent in Russia and 97 percent in Costa Rica.

Tsingtao Brewery Co, which was previously the Nordic Brewery Co Ltd, was founded in August 1903 in Qingdao by German and British settlers.

To better promote the brand, the company has initiated a series of activities to rejuvenate its brand image in recent years.

It has launched several new products including special packages for festival events, high-end black beer and football packages to diversify and upgrade its portfolio.

Tsingtao is now among the world’s top 500 influential brands. Valued at more than 117 billion yuan ($17.6 billion), Tsingtao Brewery has been China’s leading brewer for 13 years.

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OCT 31 - NOV 1