Cobra Beer
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Cobra Beer is a British beer company founded in 1989 by Karan Bilimoria. The company is based in Fulham, southwest London. Originally brewed in Bangalore, India, for export to the United Kingdom, the company now has contract brewing operations in the UK (Charles Wells), Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and India
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[edit] History
Cobra Beer Ltd. was founded in 1989 by Karan Bilimoria, then aged 27 and £20,000 in debt. A Cambridge law graduate and qualified Chartered Accountant, Bilimoria launched Cobra Beer when it became clear to him that Britain needed a smoother, less gassy lager, that appealed to both ale drinkers and lager drinkers alike, and also complement all types of cuisines.
Cobra was first brewed in Bangalore in 1990 and imported to the UK for seven years. In 1997 Cobra commenced brewed under licence with Charles Wells in the UK. A 125 year old, family run brewery and the largest independent brewery in the UK, Charles Wells brew leading international beer brands including Kirin from Japan and Red Stripe from Jamaica.
Cobra Beer is considered a premium beer, using a unique blend of barley malt and yeast, with maize, hops, and rice. The bottled beer is extra smooth and less gassy whilst retaining a premium strength of 5%.
[edit] Success
With no prior knowledge of the marketplace, Karan Bilimoria had entered the most competitive beer market and sixteen years later, Cobra Beer is stocked in over 6,000 restaurants and in most major supermarkets and off licence chains in the UK. Cobra Beer has also increased its presence mainstream retail outlets and is available in nearly 6,000 pubs, style bars and clubs. Now one of the fastest growing beer brands in the UK, having been exported to more than 45 countries worldwide, and with subsidiaries in India, South Africa and the US. The company continues to grow with a compound annual growth rate of more than 42% in the last ten years.
[edit] Awards
Cobra Beer was awarded one Grand Gold Medal and 11 Gold Medals at the 2006 Monde Selection, Brussels - World Selection of Quality, two Grand Gold Medals and nine Gold Medals in 2005, two Grand Gold Medals and four gold medals in 2004, and Gold for three successive years at the 2003, 2002 and 2001 Monde Selection awards. Monde Selection also presented Cobra with the International High Quality Trophy in 2006 for its achievements. Created in 1961 Monde is the oldest and most representative organisation in the field of Quality Selections worldwide.
[edit] European operations
Recently, Cobra commenced brewing with Browar Belgia in Poland, to meet the demands for Cobra in the European and worldwide market. Part of Belgium’s Palm Breweries, Browar Belgia is one of Europe’s leading and most modern breweries and Poland’s fourth largest brewer. The move signifies Cobra's commitment to becoming a global brand and diversifying into new markets by offering a full range of packaging formats, including cans and multipacks. Recently, two of Browar Belgia’s brands, Frater and Wojak, were both awarded with gold medals at one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world – the Brewing Industry International Awards 2004.
Cobra Beer has also partnered with Mount Shivalik Group, the largest independent brewing company in India, to brew Cobra under licence for India’s rapidly growing domestic market. This is a turning point in Cobra Beer’s history, as it recommences brewing in India after a gap of seven years and this time, will brew Cobra in India for India.
[edit] Wine
In November 1999, Cobra Beer diversified into wine with the launch of General Bilimoria Wine – named after Karan’s father. Initially there were two wines in the range, a Merlot and Terret-Sauvignon from the Languedoc region in the south of France. The 1998 vintage was a phenomenal success, selling out within months of its launch and the portfolio was expanded at the beginning of 2001 with the launch of three new wines from the same region including a Marsanne-Roussanne and a Syrah. In 2002, three premium quality South African varietals were added to the range: Pinotage, Colombard-Chardonnay and a Shiraz-Pinotage. The Pinotage is produced in the Stellenbosch region by Beyers Truter, winner of International Wine Maker of the Year 1991 award. A Spanish range comprising a Dry Muscat and a Tempranillo have been added in 2004, along with a Chenin Blanc from South Africa.
[edit] Products
Cobra is presently produces four varieties of beer:
- Cobra 5% Premium Beer
- Cobra 0.0
- Cobra Lower Cal
- King Cobra
Cobra 5%
A blend of barley malt and yeast with maize, hops and rice gives Cobra 5% ABV its distinctive, clean and extra smooth taste. It comes in two sizes, 660 ml and 330 ml.
Cobra Lower Cal
Cobra Lower Cal is double-filtered, great tasting and extra smooth but with the added advantage of having fewer calories and fewer carbohydrates. A 330ml bottle of Cobra Lower Cal contains less than 100 calories, zero fat and 4.1 grams of carbohydrates – around half the amount in most regular lagers.
Cobra 0.0%
Cobra 0.0% is a premium quality alcohol-free beer. It is full-flavoured and well-rounded with a hint of sweetness on the tongue. Cobra 0.0% has all the trademark smoothness and character of Cobra 5.0% without the alcohol. It's ‘the Cobra for when you can’t have a Cobra’.
King Cobra
The world’s first double fermented lager, King Cobra is a superior quality strong lager. It is fermented a second time in Belgium’s Rodenbach Brewery to bring out the subtleties and character of its ingredients. It's presented in a champagne-style bottle and available in 750 ml and 375 ml sizes.
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[edit] References
- ^ Cobra Beer - Corporate Fact Sheet' publisher = Cobra Beer (2007). Retrieved on January 24, 2007.