San Miguel Beer in Market Watch

The Philippines’ very own San Miguel Beer (SMB) is starting to make its presence felt in the international market. One of the leading industry magazines in the United States, Market Watch, recently featured San Miguel as one of the local beers that have successfully gained a loyal following outside its home base.

Owing to San Miguel Corp.’s good distribution management and strategic marketing initiatives, the well-loved beer is seeing wider distribution in US restaurants serving tapas and pan-Asian cuisine. Illinois-based Wein-Bauer, Inc., one of the several importers of SMB, says the brew performs very well in a variety of markets primarily because it enjoys both Latin and Asian heritage.

But recently, sales has been sustained not only by Asians or Filipino migrants in the US, but also American beer drinkers. It shows the brand is attracting a broader market segment apart from its traditional pool of Pinoy beer drinkers.

Wein-Bauer stressed on the brew’s best feature, "light, tropical-style pilsner," which puts it on the same league with the likes of Corona Extra, Mexico’s leading export brand.

The article added that SMB and San Miguel Dark (Cerveza Negra) are getting attention even in off-premise locations. Chicago’s Sam’s Wine & Spirits, whose owner Sam Rosen was named Market Watch’s 1996 Retailer of the Year, endorses to its customers San Miguel Dark as the "best-tasting dark beer." The retailer reported San Miguel Dark bested other beers during the recent beer-tasting session at Sam’s Wine & Spirits, even exceeding those of the flagship.