Sanya premium beer brewery to start trial operations in August

On June 13, Ye Junhui, the general manager of Hainan Blue Ribbon Beer Co Ltd, announced that the Blue Ribbon Beer Sanya Digital Production Base is all set to begin trial operations in August in the city of Sanya, located in China's southernmost Hainan province.

The company, a subsidiary of Pabst Blue Ribbon, says that this modern brewery — blending digital innovation with eco-friendly practices — is transforming from a vision into reality.

With an investment of 420 million yuan ($62.15 million) and covering some 56,000 square meters of floor space, the facility is designed to produce 200,000 kiloliters annually.

It will offer a variety of beers — including regular, pure draft and craft options — filling a niche in Hainan's premium beer market.

As China's first oak barrel-brewed beer brand, Pabst Blue Ribbon is establishing its largest and most advanced production base in Sanya.

Cutting-edge technologies like the internet of things, AI and big data will be integral to every stage — from raw material management to brewing processes and quality assurance.

The company says that this will ensure that each beer will have a traceable digital identity, marking a shift from traditional manufacturing to intelligent production.

The new Sanya brewery is seen as a pivotal addition to Pabst Blue Ribbon's national supply chain — complementing existing facilities in Zhaoqing city in Guangdong province, Luanzhou city in Hebei province and Zaoyang city in Hubei province.

Together, they will form an efficient network serving South China, North China, Central China and the Hainan Free Trade Port.

The new plant is also viewed as another example of Sanya's efforts to become a high-tech innovation hub within the Hainan FTP.

The city's natural endowments and openness offer fertile grounds for businesses to establish sustainable and tourism-friendly operations. In return, these enterprises contribute to the city's industrial evolution.

Capitalizing on the Hainan FTP's policy advantages, Pabst Blue Ribbon is poised to utilize Sanya as a springboard to extend its reach in South China and its influence into Southeast Asia — bringing the allure of a "Made in China" premium beer to wider markets.