LONDON, United Kingdom: East Imperial, the global purveyor of ultra-premium beverages, announce the appointment of The Lion Brewery as its US bottling partner.
Under the terms of the agreement, The Lion Brewery will bottle East Imperial’s entire range, including the award-winning Grapefruit Tonic, Mombasa Ginger Beer and Yuzu Lemonade. Bottling is expected to start in early 2023.
Utilising a US-based bottling partner will enable East Imperial to benefit from significant logistical savings and reduce the capital costs involved in expanding in the fast-growing US market. This will form a key part of East Imperial’s margin improvement programme over the coming year.
It will also provide East Imperial with the flexibility to react to the needs of the market and scale up quickly as demand continues to grow.
East Imperial is already an established brand in the US luxury beverage market, with existing clients including the Peninsula hotels in Beverley Hills and Chicago, Faena Hotel in Miami Beach and Mondrian South Beach in Miami. The company’s US revenues were up 132% year-on-year in the six months to June 2022. With the market experiencing rapid growth in demand for premium mixers, this appointment aligns with the company’s wider strategy to meet increasing US demand whilst significantly improving operational efficiency and margin.
Today’s announcement follows East Imperial’s distribution agreement with Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), one of the largest distributors in the US, signed earlier this year. East Imperial’s products are now available to on-trade and off-trade markets across 11 US states. and the company will soon be expanding into additional states in partnership with RNDC as part of the next phase of its US expansion.
Founded in 1905, The Lion Brewery, based in Wilkes-Barre, PA is well-established and highly experienced in working with leading brands in the US soft-drink industry. Its bottling facility is strategically located to offer favourable freight rates to East Imperial’s key markets across the country.
Tony Burt, Founder and CEO of East Imperial, said: “We’re delighted to be announcing our partnership with The Lion Brewery. We have big ambitions for growth in the US and local bottling will offer us the chance to do this while benefiting from significant margin and logistical advantages.
I am pleased that we have found a bottling partner who shares our high standards in sourcing and bottling the best quality ingredients to make the best possible product for our discerning clientele. I am incredibly excited about the US opportunity for ultra-premium mixers, and now with local bottling and national distribution in place, East Imperial is well positioned to capitalise on this, and reach new customers across the country.”
Founded in New Zealand and Singapore in 2012, East Imperial produces a range of ultra-premium mixers that sell throughout APAC, US and EMEA. Guided by a clear strategy to capitalise on the growing demand for premiumisation across the beverage industry, East Imperial has sold over 20 million bottles in over 20 countries since its founding, with popular products including Old World Tonic, Grapefruit Tonic, Yuzu Tonic and Mombasa Ginger Beer. In 2022, East Imperial won 8 medals at the coveted Tonic & Mixers Masters Competition in London.
The company was founded on the philosophy of creating exquisite products defined by heritage, tradition and authenticity. All products are made from the highest quality, all-natural ingredients, reflecting East Imperial’s commitment to providing a sustainable product and minimising environmental impacts at every stage of the manufacturing process.
The Lion Brewery was built in 1905 and is located in the Northeast region of Pennsylvania. In addition to its own line of beers, they work with many leading and well-recognised US brands, producing contract beverages including beers, soft drinks, maltas, and energy drinks.