Heineken beer (Heineken Pilsener)

Origin and brand history

Heineken was founded in Amsterdam in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken; the brand’s roots and original brewery date to the 19th century in the Netherlands. (heineken.com)

Product and production footprint

Heineken Pilsener is a European-style pale lager (pilsener) and is one of the company's flagship beers. The brand is brewed and packaged in many countries around the world—Heineken operates (and has ownership or licensing ties to) well over a hundred breweries and sells its beers across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific. Production is therefore multinational and often local to major markets. (en.wikipedia.org)

Manufacturing origin statement

Because Heineken is produced at numerous company-owned and contract breweries globally (including historic production in the Netherlands but extensive local production elsewhere), the correct manufacturing designation is “Multiple countries.” (en.wikipedia.org)

Ownership and corporate structure

The Heineken brand and brewing operations are managed by Heineken N.V., a publicly traded Dutch multinational brewing company. Heineken Holding N.V. holds the controlling stake in Heineken N.V.; control of Heineken Holding is exercised through family investment vehicles (notably L’Arche Green N.V.), so ultimate control rests with the Heineken family’s ownership structure in the Netherlands. Recent years have also seen shifts in minority shareholdings (for example FEMSA’s reduction/exit of its stake), but Heineken N.V./Heineken Holding remain the core corporate owners. (en.wikipedia.org)

Practical note on distribution

In most countries Heineken is imported and distributed by national Heineken subsidiaries or long-term distribution partners (for example Heineken USA for the U.S. market), and the company additionally uses regional licensees and contract brewers to meet local demand. This global manufacturing and distribution network is why manufacturing is listed as "Multiple countries." (heineken.com)