The former international cricketer Brett Lee is co-owner of Sydney Beer Co. that currently is present in Australia, Malaysia and China
New Delhi: Former international fast bowler Brett Lee will be bringing his beer brand to India, next year, he said during Sunday’s episode of The Kapil Sharma Show.
Lee is co-owner of Sydney Beer Co. in Australia, maker of premium lagers under the same brand name.
The cricketer, counted among the world’s top 5 fast bowlers, had appeared along with Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle on episode 333 of The Kapil Sharma Show which was aired on Sony TV on Sunday. Lee and Gayle were on the show to promote their track ‘Oh Fatima’ for which they collaborated with singer Arko Pravo Mukherjee.
“I have a question for Mr Brett Lee. You have a beer company in Sydney, right?” asked Archana Puran Singh, who appears as a special guest on The Kapil Sharma Show.
“Yeah, it’s going well. And, it’s coming out to India next year,” the ace bowler Lee announced in reply.
“We launched in Australia back in 2016. We’re in Malaysia and China and coming out to India next year. Very, very excited.,” added Lee.
The beer was launched a year after Lee retired from all forms of cricket in 2015, hanging his shoes on a 20-year illustrious career. With a bowling speed of 161.1 km per hour, Lee was a force to reckon with in international cricket.
According to the company’s website The Sydney Beer Co. was established with the purpose of giving a locally-produced premium lager alternative to mainstream Asian and European brands that dominated the Australian market at the time.
“A beer Sydneysiders would be proud to call their own,” the website stated.
Available in 330 ml cans and bottles the lager is priced at AU$59.99 for a case of 24 bottles or cans. It is available at selected premium independent bottle shops as well as leading retailers in New South Wales in Australia such as Dan Murphy’s, BWS, Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor, according to the company website.
The beer will be yet another entrant in India’s sizzling beer market, which already has several international as well as local brands vying for the consumer’s palette.
The beer market in India was valued at Rs 383.6 billion in 2022, according to the IMARC group, which expects the market to reach Rs 622.4 billion by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1% during 2023-2028. Currently, while there are numerous brands in it, with more than 90% of the market share United Breweries Limited (UBL) and Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) dominate the country’s beer market.
However, according to a wisevoter.com ranking, India holds the 149th rank in the world for beer consumption, which stands at 0.23 litres per capita. And while there is growing appreciation for craft beers, the premium lager market in India too is likely to expand at a high CAGR between 2022 to 2032 according to Future Markets Insights.
According to Statista, by 2027 the out-of-home consumption of beer in places like bars and restaurants will account for 24% of spending and 16% of volume consumption. This means that there is a lot of scope for more players in the market, which bodes well for Lee and his brand, the Sydney Beer Co.
