If you like the idea of making your own home-brewed beer but you’re not crazy about the work that goes into it, SodaStream’s new beer-making system could be your answer.
Israel-based SodaStream, which made a name for itself with its soda and sparking water-making machines, recently announced it’s launching a new do-it-yourself home beer system called the “Beer Bar.” Similar to SodaStream’s soda-making machines, the Beer Bar uses carbonated water and a special beer concentrate to create a sudsy ale with 4.5 percent alcohol by volume.
The Beer Bar system is only being released in Germany and Switzerland for now. But SodaStream plans on expanding its sale to additional markets later this year and in 2017.
A 1-liter bottle of Blondie concentrate — the only beer concentrate SodaStream has developed so far — sells for about $3.34 and yields roughly 3 liters of beer. SodaStream describes the light beer concentrate as having a “smooth authentic taste, and a hop filled aroma.”
“We are excited to launch a brand dedicated to serving the global growing trend of home crafted beer,” Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream, said in a statement. “Our core carbonation technology and distribution infrastructure provide a great platform for us to extend our business into this emerging category, and we choose to do so with a dedicated beer brand.”
After the company announced the launch of the Beer Bar, shares of SodaStream rose 6 percent Tuesday. That’s good news for the company, whose shares have been lackluster since their peak three years ago.
“There are concerns that the sparkling water and cola maker product is a fad whose popularity has peaked,” said CNN Money. “SodaStream’s sales have been declining for the past two years — although the company did recently report a 10 percent increase in its most recent quarter.”
Time will tell if consumers will buy the Beer Bar to make a beer “that tastes like the mass market big brands,” according to CNN Money.
I’ve had a SodaStream machine for a few years. I used it a lot at first, but now it’s collecting dust in one of my kitchen cupboards. I drag it out on occasion to make carbonated water (club soda).
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