NEW YORK, NY – SAPPORO U.S.A., brewer of premium lagers sold in the United States for more than 50 years, has named Yoshihito Kuzuhara as its President. Kuzuhara will oversee the company’s management and product operations in addition to supporting marketing strategy.
Having first joined Sapporo Breweries Ltd. in 1989, Kuzuhara brings 27 years of experience with the Sapporo brand to his new position as President for the U.S. He previously served as General Manager of the London Representative Office for Sapporo Holdings Ltd., where he was responsible for alcohol beverage market research and business planning in European countries.
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to guide SAPPORO U.S.A.’s exceptional team,” says Kuzuhara. “SAPPORO U.S.A. had an excellent 2016 thanks to the continued growth of our traditional lagers, and the very successful release of our new dark lager, Sapporo Premium Black. I look forward to further developing the presence of the Sapporo brand and its premium portfolio in the United States.”
Kuzuhara succeeds former SAPPORO U.S.A. President Louis Orui, who held the position from 2012-2016.
SAPPORO U.S.A’s portfolio of beers currently available in the U.S. market includes Sapporo Premium Beer, Sapporo Reserve, Sapporo Premium Light, and Sapporo Premium Black, launched on September 1, 2016. For more information on SAPPORO U.S.A, please visit www.sapporobeer.com
About SAPPORO U.S.A, Inc.
Sapporo U.S.A, Inc., a subsidiary of Sapporo Holdings Ltd., was founded in 1984 in order to maintain the high quality standards and distribution of the Sapporo brand throughout the United States. The Sapporo brand was founded in Sapporo, Japan in 1876, when a German-trained brewer named Seibei Nakagawa, combined his advanced brewing knowledge with his passion for Japanese craftsmanship to create a one-of-a-kind beer. Lauded for their famously crisp and refreshing taste, Sapporo lagers have been enjoyed by stylish and contemporary, yet selective beer-loving consumers for more than half a century in the United States. Made from only the finest natural ingredients, all Sapporo products sold in the U.S. are brewed in the U.S. and Canada.