Kofola ČeskoSlovensko increases stake in Latin American brewer

Czech brushed drinks subordinate Kofola ČeskoSlovensko has raised the size of its involvement successful Latin American drinks concern Alta Fermentación.

In a connection to investors contiguous (26 January), the institution said it would beryllium expanding its stock successful the Panama-headquartered brewer and distiller by 10%, giving it a 49% holding successful the company. Financial presumption were not disclosed.

Alta Fermentación manages 3 microbreweries: The Pub SAS, Cervecería La Rana Dorada successful Panama and Cerveceria Sinners successful Ecuador.

The Pub SAS concern produces the Pola del Pub and Germania brew brands successful Bogotá and besides runs a concatenation of 13 El Irish pubs successful the city.

Alta Fermentación besides owns the Panama-based rum distiller Pedro Mandinga. Its scope includes silver, spiced and blended rums, arsenic good arsenic flavoured liqueurs.

The radical besides also operates the Colombian java roaster Colo Coffee which sells java nether the Colo marque and runs 9 cafes successful Bogotá.

Kofola said Alta Fermentación is expected to publication implicit $20m successful income and much than $4m successful EBITDA successful 2025.

In a abstracted statement, Jannis Samaras, the CEO of the Kofola Group, said: "Coffee primitively introduced america to Latin America. It was important for america to get prime beans for our java brands, which we administer chiefly to the Czech and Slovak gastronomy and to the Adriatic. However, Colombia and Panama began to unfastened up abstraction for our further Latin American development.

"With the acquisition, we are acquiring 3 recognised microbreweries, prime brands of section beers that are 1 of the fewer disposable successful Colombia, Panama and Ecuador connected tap, arsenic good arsenic a web of astir 40 authentic pubs and cafes.

"It was besides indispensable for america that the founders of Alta Fermentación are gathering their concern with akin verticals arsenic america and are trying to deliberation astir their drinks from effect to product. I judge that acknowledgment to synergies, we volition beryllium capable to summation ratio connected some sides and multiply sales."

Kofola anticipates the woody volition beryllium finalised by the extremity of the archetypal fractional of 2026.

According to the associated statement, Alta Fermentación is aiming to go the "leading" drinks and trade beers shaper successful Colombia and Panama by 2030.

Berny Silberwasser and Tomas Delfino from Alta Fermentación said: “We judge that the synergies we make volition not lone assistance america unfastened caller locations and present a franchise concept, but besides to motorboat our cardinal brand, the La Rana Dorada brew specialty, connected the planetary market.”

Towards the extremity of past year, Kofola ČeskoSlovensko lowered its net forecast for its 2025 fiscal twelvemonth aft booking a diminution successful third-quarter gross and EBITDA.