Indonesia joins global craft beer revolution
Jakarta: Defying an escalating anti-alcohol movement and conservative bureaucrats in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesia’s only craft brewer is tapping into demand for better quality booze among the country’s small number of drinkers.
Unimpressed by the generic, mass-produced drinks on offer, local businessman Bona Budhisurya and his brother-in-law Jacob Suryanata decided to come up with an alternative, and in 2011 introduced Stark craft beer with a wheat and dark wheat variety.
“We had been abroad and drank a lot of good quality beer,” said Budhisurya, a member of Indonesia’s Christian and ethnic Chinese minorities, adding that on his return to Indonesia he found that “there was no quality beer here”.
By producing such brews they have made Indonesia an unlikely new addition to the global craft beer revolution.
The trend has seen micro-breweries spring up worldwide as consumers sick of flat, flavourless ales and gassy lagers seek out something with more character. Major beer-consuming countries — such as Britain and the United States — have seen explosive growth in the sector.
Since its launch, Stark has expanded to include six varieties. But setting up a brewery is a risky move nowadays in Indonesia. Although most Indonesians are moderate Muslims and alcohol has long been available, growing opposition from politicians pushing a more conservative brand of Islam has created an uncertain climate. The government banned beer sales in the country’s minimarts in 2015, leading to sharp profit falls for major brewers, and Muslim political parties have proposed legislation to prohibit booze consumption entirely, although it seems unlikely this will pass.
It is hard to get permission to brew alcohol and only a handful of companies — such as Multi Bintang which produces popular local lager Bintang, and is majority-controlled by Dutch brewer Heineken — possess licences that they have had for decades. Due to religious considerations and high taxes that push up prices, relatively few Indonesians drink. But the market is still potentially huge in a country of 255 million people, and Stark sees a bright future.
“It does not matter whether it is local or imported — we are a craft beer, which means quality,” Budhisurya said. — AFP