The Chennai-based SNJ Breweries has tied up with SABMiller to bottle the popular Haywards 5000 in Tamil Nadu.

This is a re entry for the brand after a gap of over five years.

The significance, according to market sources, is that Haywards 5000 is a market leader in most States in which it is present and is among the top competitors for Kingfisher Super Strong Beer in the same segment.

Haywards 5000 is bottled in most States by Skol Breweries, owned by the multinational SABMiller. In Tamil Nadu, the prevailing policy demands that it be bottled locally.

SNJ Breweries has a capacity to manufacture over 10 lakh cases a month — a case is 12 bottles of 650 ml each.

The Brewery has its own range of beer brands including SNJ 10000, High Voltage and British Empire, a high end product brewed from imported malt.

SNJ Breweries, established last year, uses equipment set up by Ziemann of Germany, the world's largest supplier of brewery equipment. The unit is about 70 km south of Chennai on NH45.

This summer beer lovers are not likely to have a shortage of their favourite brew as nearly half a dozen breweries are in full swing.

These include Chennai Breweries, Empee Brewery, Mohan Breweries, Kals Brewery and Apollo Brewery. Together, the capacity is about 47 lakh cases of beer a month. According to official statistics, beer sales are estimated at about 284 lakh cases in 2011-12 as compared with 271 lakh cases in the previous year.

>rbalaji@thehindu.co.in

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