Nile Breweries Limited, a subsidiary of AB InBev has launched a new beer- Nile Special Stout.
The “dark, bold and satisfying“Nile Special Stout, that is “brewed with the finest Ugandan malts and roasted barley” according to Moses Musisi, the retiring Nile Breweries’ Master Brewer goes on sale starting this Friday November, 29th 2019.
“Nile Special Stout is a stout Uganda can be proud of. It is brewed at the Source of the River Nile. The liquid is beautifully dark and has a truly satisfying rich taste with a long lingering but surprisingly clean after taste,” he told journalists at the launch held at Nile Breweries’ Kampala Office on November 27th 2019.
“It is a drinking experience crafted specifically for the growing appetite for richer and more rewarding beers in Uganda,” he added.
Musisi said Nile Special Stout is 99% made of Ugandan ingredients- barley and maize that are locally grown in Uganda, then malted in Jinja and brewed at the Source of the Nile, using water from the mighty Nile River.
Musisi is the brain behind some of Nile Breweries’ successful and award-winning brands such as Nile Special, Club and Eagle.
Speaking at the launch, Thomas Kamphuis, the Country Director, Nile Breweries Ltd, said Nile Special Stout was made largely in celebration of Mr. Musisi’s iconic career in brewing.
“Nile Breweries’ charismatic master brewer, Moses Musisi will start enjoying his well-deserved retirement in a few weeks. When discussing his retirement plans late last year he mentioned his passion for Ugandan beer and the lack of a proper Ugandan Stout,” narrated Kamphuis.
He told of how Musisi observed that while Uganda had local dark lagers and imported stouts on the market, he really wanted to “create a stout that will make Uganda proud.”
“We have tremendous confidence in Moses’ brewing skills; he is a definition of a true craftsman, so when he expressed his wish to do something truly remarkable and create something that will be of value for the country, we quickly agreed to move ahead with the project. It is fantastic to see that after many months of crafting the liquid he got it absolutely right,” said a triumphant Kamphuis.
Irene Mwoyogwona: Beyond the Numbers – How Pride Bank's Award-Winning CFO Combines Profitability and Social Impact“In my view this is the legacy every brewer wants to leave,” he said.
Nile Special Stout will be for sale to consumers from 29th November.
“As it is a black beer, launching on Black Friday is giving the launch a nice touch,” he said.
Amou Majok, the Nile Breweries Marketing Head said there will be a consumer launch at Kyadondo Rugby Club “where consumers can experience this great beer while we kick off the new rugby season.”
“As one of Uganda’s most iconic companies and the undisputed leader of the beer industry with 57.7% market share. We remain committed to brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. We are proud that 100% of our beers are made in Uganda,” she added.
Asked about competition, Mr. Kamphuis said that Nile Special Stout was eyeing a huge chunk of the 150,000 hectoliters stout market- that forms an estimated 5% of the formal beer market.
Nile Breweries, partnered with CEO EA Magazine for a marketing launch stunt, where an alleged hacker is supposed to have taken over Nile Breweries’ website demanding that the beer brewer releases the formula to a secret beer or the hacker releases it to the public within 24 hours.
When asked about the ‘Hack’ Majok commented: “In a world where attention is scarce, we needed to use a stunt that was ‘bold and strong’ to get the attention we believe this beer deserves. The campaign truly shows the power of social media and we have been blown away by how quickly it was picked up and the amount of attention it got.”
