Asahi has added new bottling capacity to its Octopi beer production site in the US, following a multi-million investment.
The business installed a new bottling line at its facility in Waunakee, Wisconsin, which has the ability to produce up to 20,000 bottles per hour.
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Asahi invested $35m into several projects, including this bottling line in 2024.
A statement from the Japanese group’s US subsidiary Asahi Beer USA said the installation “reinforces Octopi’s position as a leading co-manufacturing partner for beverage brands scaling across formats and retail channels”.
It added: “At a time when many beverage producers are consolidating around cans, this investment reflects a deliberate strategy to support continued demand for bottled formats among super-premium, international, and multi-format brands.”
Asahi acquired the Octopi contract brewing business two years ago. The acquisition allowed it to brew the Asahi Super Dry beer brand in the US.
“Asahi Super Dry is one of the fastest growing beer brands in the USA across bottles, cans and kegs,” said Paul Verdu, managing director of Asahi Beer USA.
“By investing in a high-speed bottling line alongside our existing canning and kegging capabilities, we are now localising supply across all core pack formats, reducing reliance on ocean freight and ensuring the freshest product possible to our customers and consumers.”
In the statement, the business said the new line will produce several “key Asahi Super Dry formats”, including 12 oz six-pack bottles and 21 oz 12-pack bottles, which will launch in the US from the middle of September.
Asahi announced the appointment of Verdu to lead the US business in March last year, as well as the $35m investment.
In addition to the bottling line, the group said in 2025 that the money had gone towards various areas of the business, such as “new brewing equipment and processes” and “the maximisation of the existing square footage to include new safety and quality control equipment”.
