In 1873, Gerard Heineken, the founder of the iconic Heineken® brand, made a distinctive choice at his Amsterdam brewery. He opted for green bottles, capturing the beer's fresh and crisp essence.
For the past 150 years, the product’s superior quality has been delighting consumers in over 190 countries around the world, creating the experience of good times over a drink, enriched with sports & music events at international scales and Heineken® commitment to sustainability.
The journey of Heineken® in Vietnam
The first batches of Heineken® beer were introduced to Vietnam’s consumers in August 1993. They were brewed at the HEINEKEN Vietnam brewery in Hóc Môn, currently known as District 12 in Ho Chi Minh City.
For over 30 years, the Heineken® brand, affectionately known as "Ken" by locals, has become an integral part of Vietnamese celebrations. This connection is reinforced by its diverse product range, and many unforgettable and unique experiences offered to the consumers.
As part of HEINEKEN Vietnam, Heineken® is also a significant contributor to the company’s sustainability ambitions to “Brew A Better Vietnam”, especially through the environmental pillar.
Heineken® 's commitment shows in their reusable glass bottles. They're made to last for a long period of time, can be reused for over 20 times, and will go into recycling afterwards to maximize circularity in its production.
Furthermore, Heineken®'s plastic crates are also designed to serve their purpose for 5-10 years before being recycled, and its aluminum cans’ innovative design is allowing HEINEKEN Vietnam to reduce thousands of tons of aluminum used each year.
Steady progress towards sustainability ambitions
Determined to craft more memorable moments with its consumers into the future, Heineken® continues to drive HEINEKEN Vietnam's sustainable development goals, with a significant focus on a transition to renewable energy in their brewing processes.
On the occasion of its 150th anniversary, Heineken® has officially announced that all of its products, including Heineken® Original, Heineken® Silver, and Heineken® 0.0 – as such, are now being brewed with 100% renewable energy in Vietnam.
In detail, the thermal energy in the brewing process comes from biomass, while the electrical demand for the entire production is covered by Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) sourced from certified projects in Vietnam. Towards the future, HEINEKEN Vietnam is also exploring some bolder more comprehensive renewable electricity solutions, such as Direct Power Purchase Agreements (DPPA).
Commenting on this milestone, Ms. Anna Bizon – Marketing Director of HEINEKEN Vietnam, said, “At HEINEKEN Vietnam, we are working every day to brew products of superior quality, create meaningful connections with people and communities, and realize our sustainability vision of ‘Brewing a Better Vietnam’.
As our flagship brand Heineken® is turning 150 years old this year, we are proud to announce that Vietnam has become the next country where Heineken® is brewed with renewable energy – after the Netherlands and Brazil. This is a remarkable achievement on the brand’s journey to become "A Little Bit Greener Every Day". With one more natural ‘ingredient’ added into the brewing, we look forward to many more good times with our consumers, for the next 150 years and beyond.”
For one and a half centuries, Heineken® has used malted barley, hop extract, A-yeast and water as the four key ingredients to brew the highest quality products. To celebrate the brand’s 150th Anniversary this year, Heineken® is adding renewable energy as the fifth natural ingredient to the brewing of Heineken® in Vietnam.
This new ingredient will become an indispensable element of all Heineken® products and form part of many good times the brand will be creating with its consumers well into the future.