The Brasseries de Bourbon ("Breweries of Bourbon") is the only major producer of
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
on
Réunion Island, formerly known as Bourbon Island, a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
overseas department in the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
.
History
The Brasseries de Bourbon was born out of three companies founded by Vernon King Stevenson: The SOREG (Société Réunionnaise des Eaux gazeuses), first manufacturer of Coca-Cola on the Réunion Island founded in 1958; Brasseries de Bourbon founded in 1962; Bourbon Distribution Service founded in 1983. In 1986
Heineken became the majority shareholder of the three companies. In 1994, the three companies merged to form the Groupe Brasseries de Bourbon.
[Les brasseries de Bourbon ont 50 ans]
''Guide-reunion.fr'', 14 May 2012
In 2011, the company launched an advertising campaign to fight the competition of imported Coca-Cola from African and Asian manufacturers which cannibalized the Brasseries' Coca-Cola sales.
In 2014, the Brasseries de Bourbon launched the premium beer brand Héritage de Bourbon. In 2017, the Brasseries de Bourbon launched its first line of non-alcoholic beers. That same year, the company broke the
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
of the longest picnic table (322.42 metres) in a move to promote its Dodo beer.
[Rachel Swatman]
Drinks brand La Bière Dodo invites La Réunion locals to dine on world’s longest picnic table
''Guinessworldrecords.com'', 10 April 2017
Description
The first product of the Brasseries de Bourbon, and by far now their most sold and widely known, is the blonde
lager ''Bourbon'', known popularly as ''Dodo'', named after the
now extinct bird of
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
. Its logo of a smiling dodo and the
creole slogan ''la dodo lé la'' (the dodo is here) are found painted on the walls of establishments selling the beer. Since 1996, the group has also produced some white and reddish beers. In addition, it also imports and bottles a variety of other drinks.
Brasseries de Bourbon is also the manufacturer and distributor of
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
and
Orangina in the Réunion Island.
References
External links
*
Official site
Beer in Asia
Economy of Réunion
Food and drink companies established in 1962
Saint-Denis, Réunion
1962 establishments in Réunion
Heineken brands
{{beer-stub