Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/746412
44 / the tasting panel / november 2016 BEER All-Stars HEINEKEN CREATES FIVE POINTS TRADING COMPANY FOR ITS INTERNATIONAL BEER PORTFOLIO by Jesse Hom-Dawson H eineken USA is a beer powerhouse, with brands like Dos Equis, Tecate, Strongbow and its eponymous label under its belt. However, with the launch of Five Points Trading Company in January 2017, Heineken USA will highlight other international beer brands in their portfolio, bringing them to the fore- front. The creation of Five Points Trading Company, named after the five points of Heineken's red star logo and the well-known neigh- borhood of yore in lower Manhattan, will, according to Five Point's General Manager Charles Littlefield, "allow our current marketing and sales organization to maintain focus on our four core HEINEKEN USA brands while enabling Five Points to direct its energy and resources to developing the potential of these new to the company acquisitions." The portfolio—which includes Tiger from Singapore, Red Stripe from Jamaica, Birra Moretti from Italy, Affligem and Mort Subite from Belgium, Murphy's Stouts from Ireland, Prestige from Haiti and Sagres from Portugal—is truly global, showcasing beers from all over the world. Five Points will take over U.S. import of the beers, and Littlefield sees the separa- tion as a new opportunity. "As millennial beer drinkers become more global and more adventurous with their taste, each of the brands will leverage a unique origin, provenance and personality in its proposition to the target consumer. We are already hard at work developing our go-to-market strategy; by connecting to each brand's deep and distinct heritage, the marketing initiatives will focus initially on driving distribution and on generat- ing consumer discovery and trial." Drinkers, particularly Millennials, have become more discerning in their beer tastes, and there's been a rise in the popularity of more unique beers in past years. People don't just want a beer; they want a sour, or a porter or a stout. They also want a story that goes with the prod- uct. Whether it's the monks who brew Affligem or how Tiger is completely brewed by solar power energy, each of the beers in the Five Points portfolio has a rich history and story worth telling.