Desperados Brewery Invests in Sustainability with New Packaging Line and Reusable Bottles

In recent years, Alken-Maes has invested heavily in a new packaging line at their brewery in Alken, Limburg. This move is part of the company’s commitment to sustainability and meeting the growing demand for their popular Desperados beer. Desperados, which features a tequila flavor, was first brewed in France in 1995 and later acquired by Heineken, the parent company of Alken-Maes.

Since 2020, Desperados has also been brewed at Alken-Maes, and now the company is switching to reusable bottles to meet the increasing demand for this beer in Belgium. To make this transition as smooth as possible for consumers, Alken-Maes is encouraging them not to insert limes into the bottles, as it can be difficult to remove and may lead to wastage.

In order to produce these new bottles, Alken-Maes will handle the entire production process and distribution of Desperados. This allows them to package the bottles themselves with their new packaging line. With Belgian sales rising by 54 percent from 2019 to 2023, Alken-Maes plans to release 9 million reusable bottles into the market. The CEO of Alken-Maes, Marc Josephus Jitta emphasized that this change is an important step towards sustainability efforts for the brewery.

The transition to reusable bottles has enabled Alken-Maes to ensure that 80 percent of their beer production is available in sustainable packaging. The new Desperados bottles are already available in stores with most retailers having made the switch as of March.

Overall, this investment in a new packaging line represents a significant milestone for Alken-Maes as they continue to prioritize sustainability while meeting consumer demand for their popular beers like Desperados.