Morgenrot Becomes Sole Importer of Namibian Lager Brand ‘Windhoek’

10 Sep 2013 --- Morgenrot is bringing a taste of Africa to its diverse portfolio after becoming sole importer of Namibian lager brand Windhoek.

Named after the country’s capital city, the thirst-quenching beer is made adhering to German brewing principles and the Reinheitsgebot laws, plus the finest, carefully selected German barley and hops. While it is brewed with a low ABV of 4%, the beer is “high in taste” and retains character due to the extra malt used in the brewing process.

The brand already has a strong presence in the UK Off-trade and loyal consumer following after launching in the UK prior to the Football World Cup held in South Africa in 2010.

Explaining why Morgenrot have moved for the brand, the company’s national account director Graham Archibald comments: “The Windhoek lager offers fantastic quality, absolute authenticity and a fabulous point of difference. We believe the brand is only at the start of its life cycle in the UK and with continued consumer interest in lower ABV premium lagers, we think it has the credentials to see substantial growth.”

The brewery story is interesting and that of two German immigrants, Carl List and Hermann Ohlthaver, who arrived in the small settler town looking for a better life in the early 1900’s. List and Ohlthaver had one very clear goal – to produce a beer that was 100% pure and of such quality and authenticity that it would rival the very best beers back home in Germany.

While they did not expect the unrelenting heat and the all-consuming remoteness that greeted them, the two friends scraped together their life-savings and in 1920 purchased four small local breweries. Under their stewardship, the Windhoek brand became known for its superior quality and it is now distributed to 27 countries throughout Europe and Africa.