Asahi is boosting production of its Asahi Super Dry beer at an American plant it acquired last year as the April 2 deadline looms for the Trump administration to implement a new wave of tariffs under its Fair and Reciprocal Trade Plan.

Asahi acquired Octopi Brewing, a contract beverage production and co-packing facility in Wisconsin, in January 2024.

The facility will produce super premium beer brands from Asahi’s global portfolio including Asahi Super Dry and Kozel for the US for the first time, as well as other beverages in the RTD category, in addition to serving its existing contract manufacturing customer base.

Paul Verdu was appointed last month as Managing Director of Asahi Beer USA and Octopi Brewing, both part of Asahi Europe & International, to lead the company’s ambitious growth plans. 

Verdu has extensive experience in the beer industry, having worked for Molson Coors, SABMiller, Constellation Brands Beer Division and most recently as President of Wisconsin Brewing Company. 

Octopi is currently undergoing a period of technical expansion and transformation, with over $35 million being invested over a three-year period. 

The investment began in 2024 with several pieces of equipment arriving in recent months and the site preparing for installation. While work will continue into 2026, most of the transformation is expected to be complete in 2025.

The investment includes new brewing equipment and processes – under the supervision of expert brewmasters from Japan and The Czech Republic – to enable Octopi to produce Asahi brand products to the company’s exacting global standards. There will also be a new bottling line and improved packaging capabilities.

“This multimillion-dollar investment at Octopi will help us to expand on our overall brewing and packaging capabilities so that we can better meet customer, consumer and employee needs,” Verdu said.

“It is also a key enabler for the growth of Asahi Super Dry and other iconic Asahi brands across the country – there’s a lot to look forward to!”

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