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San Miguel beer has a proud and rich heritage that
dates back to 1890 when a Spanish entrepreneur,
Don Enrique Maria Barretto de Ycaza, opened the
first brewery in Southeast Asia, “Fabrica
de Cerveza de San Miguel.”
It was no less than Spanish Governor-General of
the Philippines then, with the Archbishop of Manila
and a Spanish Marquis who led a thirsty throng that
streamed through the gates of the newly inaugurated
brewery of Señor Barretto who must have been
the happiest man that night in old Manila. After
all, he had the power of a Spanish Royal Grant to
start the brewery.
Señor Barretto led his guest to a specially
constructed pavilion where awaited a feast fit for
the crews of several galleons. An artillery band
began playing a march. And then, to the joy of all
present. San Miguel Beer, in all its pale golden
glory, began pouring forth the first beer fountain
ever seen in the Philippines. “A brilliant
success!” exclaimed La Oceania Español,
one of the leading newspapers of that era.
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San Miguel Beer through the years has generated
a cult following among beer aficionados the world
over. It is a border-crossing favorite of drinkers,
according to Asian Brand News. It ranked 20th
all over the world in terms of 2003 sales volume.
As early as 1914, San Miguel was being exported
to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guam. It was a global
brand long before drinkers ever knew what a global
brand was.
Today, San Miguel operates breweries in Vietnam,
Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and in the People’s
Republic of China including Hong Kong. San Miguel
Beer is being exported to Taiwan, South Korea,
Japan, Micronesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia,
Maldives, Bangladesh, Jordan, Unit Arab of Emirates,
Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, Pakistan, Panama, Nigeria/Ghana,
North Africa, Canada, United States of America,
Aruba and Nepal.
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