Come to Hanoi , drink Hanoi beer

The predecessor of HABECO was the Hommel Brewery, built by the French in 1890. After peace was restored in the North, in early 1957, following the Government's economic recovery policy, the Hanoi Brewery (now HABECO) was established on the old production facility of the Hommel Brewery. On August 15, 1958, the first bottle of Vietnamese beer with the Truc Bach brand was produced, marking a historical milestone in the beer industry in Vietnam. August 15 every year is chosen as the Traditional Day of HABECO. The HABECO brand has become a national brand, a cultural symbol of the capital Hanoi and the country.

At noon on June 3, 2023, customers at a beer bar on Duong Thanh Street (Hanoi) were very surprised when Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese suddenly appeared there. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sat down to drink Hanoi draft beer, shouted: "1... 2... 3... go..." and then drank it all very refreshingly with all the diners in the bar. He praised Hanoi beer as very delicious. Previously, in 2016, during his visit to Vietnam as US President, Mr. Barack Obama went to a bun cha restaurant and drank Hanoi bottled beer.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese drinks Hanoi draft beer during his visit to Vietnam in early June 2023. Photo provided by HABECO

Modern technology for premium beer

Beer connoisseurs all agree that Hanoi beer has its own very special flavor, bearing the flavor of Hanoi. Some say it is due to the water source at the location of the brewery on Hoang Hoa Tham Street...

In fact, to have the premium quality of Hanoi beer, along with traditional secrets, HABECO's beer making technology has been continuously invested in modernity. Even though it is produced at subsidiaries in many provinces and cities, the quality of HABECO's beer remains stable. All new equipment lines of the Corporation have been fully automated, from the raw material import stage to the stages of cooking, fermentation, filtering, decanting... with advanced control software. In addition to investing in production, HABECO also focuses on investing in quality testing and analysis equipment, better controlling product quality at all stages and checking more technical parameters such as automatic beer analysis equipment, malt porosity analysis equipment... HABECO has also effectively applied the quality management system according to national standard TCVN ISO 9001:2000 since 2002.

In 2016, the Corporation officially put into operation the Hanoi Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Technical Institute at the Hanoi-Me Linh Brewery. HABECO also invested in building a Pilot Plant system to serve the research of new products.

Thanks to that, HABECO continuously launches new product lines that suit the market tastes, especially the youth. Famous products under the HABECO brand such as Truc Bach beer, Hanoi Beer Premium, Hanoi draft beer, Hanoi bottled and canned beer, Hanoi Bold & Light beer... are favored by beer connoisseurs at home and abroad.

Breakthrough developments

After putting the wastewater treatment system into operation, the wastewater quality of HABECO's production system meets the requirements of TCVN 5945-1995. The Corporation has implemented environmental management according to ISO 14001:2004 since the beginning of 2005, contributing to changing the face of the enterprise and the working environment, and has been certified and confirmed for conformity by TUV NORD of the Federal Republic of Germany.

In 2010, with the completion of the investment project to build a brewery with a capacity of 200 million liters of beer/year in Me Linh, Hanoi, the most modern and synchronous equipment system in Southeast Asia has brought the Corporation to a capacity of nearly 400 million liters of beer/year. HABECO became one of the two largest beer production corporations in Vietnam. Also in 2010, Truc Bach beer products were restored. By 2012, Hanoi beer output had reached 456 million liters/year.

After two years of the country's socio-economic situation being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, HABECO has faced many difficulties but is recording positive signs of recovery. In the first half of 2023, HABECO achieved consolidated net revenue of VND 3,251 billion and consolidated profit after tax of VND 184.6 billion. For the parent company HABECO alone, net revenue after the first half of the year reached VND 2,236 billion, accumulated profit after tax reached VND 181.7 billion, an increase of 2.9% compared to the first half of 2022. Thereby, completing 81.8% of the annual profit plan set by the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Every year, HABECO contributes thousands of billions of VND to the budget.

Reputation and responsibility to the community

According to Mr. Tran Dinh Thanh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of HABECO, every year, HABECO Trade Union coordinates with the Board of Directors to deploy many documents to mobilize units and grassroots trade unions, calling on all workers, civil servants and employees to participate in supporting and contributing to social charity funds such as: "For the Poor" Fund, "For Vietnam's Seas and Islands" Fund, Vietnam Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims Fund...

During the period when the whole country joined hands to fight the Covid-19 epidemic, HABECO contributed to the community with practical activities such as: Donating essential items to the anti-epidemic forces on the front lines fighting the dangerous epidemic, maintaining people's health; responding to the Prime Minister's call, supporting the program "Waves and computers for children"; inaugurating and handing over gratitude houses and giving gifts to Vietnamese Heroic Mothers in Quang Tri province; HABECO Youth Union organized humanitarian blood donation to support the national blood reserve shortage during the epidemic period. With positive actions in social activities, HABECO has received support from partners and consumers.

HABECO is honored to be included in the list of typical Vietnamese brands honored as "Vietnam National Brand" for 6 consecutive years. In recent years, HABECO has also been honored to receive prestigious domestic and international awards such as: Top 10 prestigious companies in the food and beverage industry in Vietnam over many years, Top 40 most valuable corporate brands in Vietnam, Top 10 outstanding Vietnamese brand products, "Vietnamese products loved by consumers", Vietnam Golden Star Award...

HABECO's history is very proud and valuable, however, the challenges ahead are also huge. The fierce competition from foreign beer companies has left HABECO as the only Vietnamese beer brand remaining in the market. Mr. Ngo Que Lam, General Director of HABECO, acknowledged: "The big challenge requires HABECO to create its own path, including promoting investment in equipment and technology, improving quality, changing labels and packaging... to increase competitiveness in the market. Along with that, HABECO will continue to pursue the principle of sustainable development, focusing on social security, for the community, for the environment".

We believe that HABECO will be proactive and have appropriate strategies, thereby promoting production and business activities, enhancing competitiveness, and further developing in the coming period, worthy of being the pride of the Vietnamese beer brand.

QUYNH DUONG

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