'Happy marriage': Globe clamouring for Amarula, Savanna after Distell tie-up, says Heineken

Heineken's tie-up with Distell is seemingly paying dividends, with the Dutch brewing giant’s local unit reporting surging global demand for products such as Amarula cream liqueur and Savanna cider from new markets like Brazil, South Korea and Vietnam.

These local products, typically grouped under what is called the "beyond beer" segment by liquor companies, previously had a smaller route-to-market. As part of the much larger 150-year-old Heineken company, however, they are enjoying a much-expanded potential marketplace.

The result of this, according to Jordi Borrut, MD of local unit Heineken Beverages, is that the group is fielding numerous inquiries from new consumers clamouring to get a taste of these quintessential South African beverages.