As part of their strategy to buy leading craft breweries around the world, AB InBev confirmed this week the purchase of Boxing Cat Brewery from Shanghai through its subsidiary ZX Ventures. The brewery was opened in 2008 by two Americans and one Canadian and is renowned for their beers not only in China’s most populous city. Boxing Cat was in 2016 the first Chinese microbrewery to win a medal at the World Beer Cup for Ringside Red an American-Style Amber Lager.
Kelley Lee, a Los Angeles native who co-founded Boxing Cat and acts as chairwoman, said she wanted “to show people around the world that we're a country that can make unique and amazing craft beers with local ingredients and local talent."
Her business partner and co-founder Lee Tseng adds that he, Kelley Lee and brewmaster Michael Jordan "will stay on to help operate and continue to develop their vision as they always had since the founding of the brand.” And he confirms that all partners are “committed to building a top Chinese brand and will stay on to achieving that through ABI's partnership,"
It’s not the first acquisition this year of AB InBev's global craft beer division ZX Ventures. In January, the company already acquired craft brewery La Virgen in Spain’s capital Madrid.
