And the Winner is…Aruba’s Balashi Beer!
The inherent nature of Aruba’s island lifestyle has many locals and visitors reaching for an ice-cold beer. Grocery shelves, bar taps, and restaurant coolers are filled with dozens of imported brands of beer to choose from, including the world’s top-selling international brands. Standing tall in the mix of imported beer brands, Aruba’s national brewery, Balashi Brewery, produces three distinct local beers—the original and signature brew, Balashi; the celebrated beach beer, Chill; and the tropical-inspired craft beer, Magic Mango.
The International Wine and Spirits Report (IWSR) is the industry standard for tracking brand, market, and category performance globally, collecting and analyzing volume data, retail shelf prices, and demographic and economic statistics for more than 160 countries. The IWSR recently released it’s 2022 analysis, and Aruba’s very own Balashi Beer is the island’s top selling beer, garnering an impressive market share of 28%, followed closely by Chill with a market share of 24%. Released in 2020, Magic Mango brought in 2% of the market share, topping the sales of more than a dozen other craft beers imported to the island.
In total, Balashi Brewery commands an impressive 54% of the market share of beer on the island. “We are thrilled to once again be at the top of Aruba’s beer market—it’s a win for Balashi Brewery but also for Aruba and the power of local ingenuity and the dedication to quality from our local workforce,” says Marketing Manager Rowald Werleman. “We are thankful for the support of our local community for Aruba’s locally brewed beer, and for the visitors that come here with an open mind and a desire to support local products” he adds.
Balashi Brewery continues to grow in market share, up 2% from the IWSR results posted last year. Investments continue to be made, expanding production recently by 35% to accommodate the market demand for Balashi, Chill, and Magic Mango.