Northern Fujian Daily: Xinghua Beer – Using Good Water to Brew Good Beer
“Water is not only the source of life, but also the basis of brewing. More than 90% of beer is water, and the quality of water determines the quality of the product. Nanping, with its ‘eight mountains, one water and one field’, has clear water, and the pure natural mineral water from Wuyi Mountain is an excellent raw material for brewing beer…” On the 10th, when interviewed by reporters, Zhuo Xuejin, chairman of Fujian Wuyi Xinghua Industrial Co., Ltd., who has been engaged in beer production for nearly 30 years, opened up the conversation.
In 2011, Zhuo Xuejin moved his brewery in another province back to the Wuyi New District High-tech Park in northern Fujian. In 2012, Fujian Wuyi Xinghua Industrial Co., Ltd. was completed and put into production, launching a series of high-quality beers such as “Chinese Dream”. With the help of the good water in northern Fujian, Xinghua Beer took off and became one of the country’s leading craft beer production companies.
“Wuyishan’s pure natural mineral water not only meets all physical and chemical requirements, but also requires no additional acidification during the saccharification process, making it a premium beer brewing ingredient,” said Zhuo Xuejin. To ensure beer quality meets international standards, the company has introduced the world’s most advanced German KHS automated beer production line, hired highly paid German brewers as technical advisors, and strictly manages the production process in accordance with international standards. Microcomputer automation controls the entire brewing process, from saccharification to fermentation, filtration, fine filtration, and canning, ensuring a seamless integration of the local climate, environment, and culture.
Good water produces good wine. The company passed the certification of four systems at one time: “Quality Management System”, “Food Safety Management System”, “Environmental Management System” and “Occupational Health and Safety Management System”.
Build a brand with quality and reputation, and create profitability through technology and management. The company established a research and development center at its inception and actively engaged in industry-university-research cooperation with universities and research institutes. Its independently developed dry-hopping technology is leading in China, and in 2019, it obtained several patents related to craft specialty beer. “We currently have 72 sets of R&D equipment, including analytical balances, spectrophotometers, precision oxygen content meters, and yeast culture storage and expansion equipment. With a total of 11 R&D personnel in the R&D center, we have formed a team of highly qualified, highly dedicated, and creative individuals,” said Lin Jianbin, the deputy general manager in charge of technical research. Over the past three years, the company’s R&D department has carried out four R&D projects and holds 13 core independent intellectual property rights. Among them, the “research on craft specialty beer” has been successfully applied to the company’s core products, receiving unanimous praise from consumers.
With good quality, there’s no shortage of market opportunities. Xinghua Beer, listed as a regional public brand under the “Wuyi Mountain Water” initiative, is particularly popular with consumers.
“With its unique mountains, picturesque waters, blue skies, and clear air, Wuyi Mountain is a beloved leisure and vacation destination for Shanghainese. Xinghua Beer, brewed with natural water from Wuyi Mountain, has a pure, refreshing flavor that perfectly suits the tastes of Shanghainese,” said Yang Changrong, General Manager of Shanghai Zhongti Trading Company. On May 19, 2020, Fujian Wuyi Xinghua Industrial Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Zhongti Trading Company signed a major order for one million cases of “Xinghua Dream: Small Town Story” craft beer for marketing in Shanghai. Xinghua Beer, known for its mellow flavor and high quality, has also been highly praised by Malaysians. In June 2017, the company’s first shipment of 5,000 cases and 60,000 cans of “Vizwa” beer was loaded onto trucks and shipped to Malaysia via the Maritime Silk Road, marking the beginning of Xinghua Beer’s journey of trade cooperation with Southeast Asian countries.
Currently, the company’s beer is mainly sold in major cities across China, with some exported to Europe, the United States, and other countries and regions. In 2019, the company’s craft beer sales accounted for 8.6% of the national market share, ranking among the top five in the country.
