SodaStream gets into the beer business with new home brewing system
Published June 1, 2016
Sodastream CEO Daniel Birnbaum posing for a photograph at the SodaStream factory next to the city of Rahat, Israel. (Dan Balilty/AP Images)
(JTA) — SodaStream, the Israeli company that brought homemade carbonated drinks to kitchens around the world, is making a bid to conquer the home pub with the introduction of Beer Bar, its first homemade brew.
The company announced the addition in a news release Monday, spurring share prices to soar, according to the Israeli financial publication Globes.
Crafting a homemade beer requires the same simple steps as making the company’s other beverages: adding a packet of flavored concentrate to freshly carbonated water, which SodaStream’s device generates in seconds. Current flavors include a variety of fruit mixes and colas.
The Beer Bar’s resulting beverage, called Blondie, is 4.5 percent alcohol by volume, which is on par with other global beers.
In the news release, SodaStream described the beer as having “a smooth authentic taste, and a hop filled aroma.”
The company announced an initial rollout for the home brewing system in beer-friendly Germany and Switzerland with plans to expand distribution in other markets later in 2016 and in 2017.
The food website Eater reported that the cost of one liter of the Blondie concentrate is approximately $3.34. One bottle of concentrate makes three liters of beer.
“We are excited to launch a brand dedicated to serving the global growing trend of home crafted beer,” SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum said in the news release. “Our core carbonation technology and distribution infrastructure provide a great platform for us to extend our business into this emerging category, and we choose to do so with a dedicated beer brand.”
