The export of Budweiser Budvar Premium Lager in non-returnable kegs has been surpassing expectations

“We had planned to sell 1,200 hectolitres of beer in non-returnable kegs by the end of this year. However, the interest of our partners in Russia and some other countries nicely surprised us; owing to it we met this year’s sales plan as early as in August,” says Budweiser Budvar’s business manager for Russia Jiří Pekhart. As of 31st August, a total of 1,318 hectolitres of beer were exported to Russia, Ukraine, Australia, Georgia and China. “Considering the development of the demand, it is pretty much sure that Russia itself will take about 1,200 hectolitres of beer in non-returnable kegs. This year’s sales plan for KeyKeg kegs could be exceeded by up to 60%,” adds Jiří Pekhart. At present, the negotiations regarding launching the non-returnable kegs in several other countries are in progress.

The barrels with the KeyKeg system represent a radical technological innovation in the field of packaging and distribution of drawn beer. When using them, the financially, administratively and time-wise demanding return transport of the empty barrels from the tap place back to the brewery need not take place in the logistics chain. The non-returnable kegs used for Budweiser Budvar Premium Lager function on a same principle like the popular beer tanks – beer is filled into an internal sack from special impermeable foil and the compressive gas has no contact at all with the beer during drawing. Therefore KeyKeg can keep the sensory and microbiological stability of the beer in the same way as the standard stainless steel keg. Furthermore, KeyKeg is of significantly lower weight than the stainless steel keg; while an empty 20 litre Keykeg weighs 1 kg, an empty stainless steel keg of the same volume weighs 9 kg. In addition, KeyKeg kegs also protect the environment; owing to their lower weight, they decrease the fuel consumption in the transport of full and empty packaging and are made of fully recyclable materials.

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