Asia Pacific Breweries Maker of Tiger Beer. Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) was formed in 1931 as Malayan Breweries, a joint venture between Fraser & Neave and the Dutch brewers Heineken. It established Singapore’s first brewery and launched the Tiger Beer brand in 1932. It added Anchor Beer to its product range in the 1940s, as well as SP Lager in Papua New Guinea in the 1950s. Time for a Tiger, the title of the 1956 first novel of British author Anthony Burgess, is a reference not to the wild cat but to the beer.
Reflecting its regional aspirations, the company was renamed Asia Pacific Breweries Limited in 1990. By 2006, APB operated 29 breweries in ten countries— Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, India and Sri Lanka.
Group sales for the financial year 2005 were $1.44 billion. The company oversees a portfolio of over 40 beer brands including Tiger Beer, Anchor Beer, Baron’s Strong Brew and ABC Extra Stout, as well as the international brew, Heineken. Besides its flagship Tiger Beer, another homegrown brand, Anchor, is brewed and sold in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and southern China. APB brews and markets Heineken in six countries: Singapore, Malaysia, China, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam. The brewer offers a range of other brands in overseas markets: in Shanghai, it offers the REEB brand, and a Tiger variant named Tiger Crystal that caters to an increasing demand for light beers; in New Zealand, it offers brands such as Tui, Export Gold and Monteith’s; in Vietnam, Bivina and Amber Stout; in Thailand, Cheers; and in Papua New Guinea, APB’s range— which includes SP Lager, South Pacific Export Lager and Niugini Ice Beer— has gained over 90 per cent of the market.