Innovation

The Sagres Beer continues to innovate with the launch of a returnable 10 liter barrel, the first in the national market, intended exclusively for the Horeca channel, which guarantees consumers better and broader Sagres draft beer drinking experience.

Sagres Radler launches a new Sagres Radler Lime Green Apple - a unique combination of Sagres beer with natural lemon juice and green apple, perfect for those who enjoy lighter, fresher drinks.

Água de Luso once again innovates and surprise the Portuguese by launching the new Luso de Fruta Pomegranate and Açaí, a refreshing, natural and healthy drink that challenges consumers to discover exotic moments.

The Central Society of Beers and Beverages - Vialonga ended the year 2014 in the best way, earning the Certification of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System - OHSAS 18001: 2007, awarded by APCER - Associação Portuguesa de Certificação. OHSAS 18001 certification allows organizations to manage operational risks in a controlled manner and to continuously improve their performance.  

The Luso brand once again innovate and surprise the Portuguese by entering in the sparkling water segment, launching its new Luso com Gás, which aims to freshen up the life of all the Portuguese, inviting them to enjoy new experiences.

For the first time in its history, Água de Luso, a natural mineral water and leading brand in Portugal in the bottled water segment, has just launched its new glass bottle in the domestic market, with a modern and innovative design, which aims to strengthen the brand’s connection with its consumers. More elegant and boasting a modern look, the launch of the new Água de Luso glass bottle constitutes a historic milestone, replacing its old shape. The new bottle will be available in the on trade and off trade channels in the 25cl, 50cl and 1-liter returnable bottle format. 

In a partnership with renowned plastic artist, Joana Vasconcelos, Sagres beer recently launched in the domestic market, a limited and exclusive collection of Sagres beer cans, with illustrations depicting  some of the works by Joana Vasconcelos which symbolize the 10 regions of our country.

Sagres beer, starts production in Brasil, at a HEINEKEN Brasil unit, to be marketed in Rio de Janeiro. The preferred brand in Portugal is positioned in the premium segment, in a 600ml returnable format, and can be found in “Botecos” of reference, a place where you are looking for a good drink, snacks and social moments.

Luso innovates with the launch of Luso Tea, the ice tea with all of Luso’s advantages!

Sagres launched a limited edition beer can, in a joint initiative with the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), to commemorate the latter’s 100^th anniversary.

Sagres beer, responsible for the launch of the new beer category Sagres Radler in 2013, and given its tremendous success among consumers, launched Lime and Ginger flavoured Sagres Radler, a combination of Sagres beer with natural lime juice and ginger.

Água de Luso, Natural Mineral Water, launches in the national market a new label for glass bottles (1L, 50cl, 25cl), inspired by the origin of the brand, the Bussaco National Forest, with the aim to promoting the water heritage and also the surrounding region.

Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas launchied the new double fermentation Belgium premium beer, Affligem. Simultaneously with this launch, is the opening of the new “O Purista – Barbiére” pop-up store, a place which will be welcoming all those who value the traditional and genuine.

Sagres Radler launched a new campaigne and also launched the new Sagres 0.0% Radlerr

 Água de Luso innovates with the launched of Luso de Fruta Água de Coco

Joana Vasconcelos design the image of Sagres beer special edition  

Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas launched a new corporate website

With the aim of consolidating its success and fulfilling its consumers expectations, Luso de Fruta decided to expand its offer to respond to the different drinking occasions, innovating once again with the launch of two new formats, the 33cl can and the 2-litre bottle. The Luso de Fruta can is available in the Wild Berries and Lemon flavours.
The 2-litre Luso de Fruta bottle was developed especially to be drunk by the whole family and at meal times, and is available in the Wild Berries, Orange and Lemon flavours.

Água de Luso, a natural mineral water launched the first 7-litre bottle in the Portuguese market, reinforcing its leadership in terms of product and packaging innovation in its respective category. This new Luso format, designed to meet the needs of Portuguese households, offers consumers a larger quantity of Água de Luso for a truly economical and competitive price. The launch of the new Água de Luso package is part of the brand’s environmental sustainability policy, through which it makes a more efficient use of PET by reducing its grams per litre.

As the first beer of this kind available in the Portuguese market, SAGRES RADLER® is inspired on a Bavarian recipe based on natural ingredients and combines Sagres beer with natural lemon juice with a low alcohol content.

LUSO DE FRUTA® brand reinforces its focus on innovation while also complementing its existing range with a variety that is much appreciated by Portuguese consumers: launched the new Orange variety.

Sagres mini launched the first mini size aluminium bottle in the market, with a modern and innovative design which not only speeds up the cooling process but also shines when exposed under black light as a result of the ultraviolet ink used in some of its graphic elements. Under the creative motto “When out at night, mini transforms itself” the aim of this modern package is to create an even closer relationship with consumers, always available at drinking times.

SAGRES®, the domestic market’s leading beer brand, innovates again with the insertion of QR (Quick Response) codes in all its different packs. These codes enable smartphone users to access exclusive contents, thus reinforcing the brand’s proximity to consumers.
Using a smartphone and a free application, it is possible to read these QR codes found on the outside of each pack and access fun contents all of which related with Sagres beer and its promotional campaigns, specifically designed for this device.
SAGRES®, the first Portuguese beer brand to insert QR codes on its packs, constantly strives to get closer to its consumers and offer experiences that go well beyond enjoying a simple beer.

The new Luso de Fruta apple-flavour reinforces the brand’s bet on innovation.

Sagres launches Sagres Puro Malte beer in the market, an exclusive and limited innovation developed by the leading beer brand, thus extending its drinks’ portfolio. Sagres Puro Malte beer is an intense-flavoured special edition beer, made from selected cereals and unique ingredients, such as aromatic hops and especially intended for consumers with a more demanding palate.Superior in terms of intensity and with a unique colour, it is the ideal drink to enjoy either by oneself or with friends to make the occasion even more special.

These new Sagres draught beer towers, known as Sub 0ºC Cooling Systems, an innovation developed by the Heineken Group and launched for the first time in the domestic market by Sagres beer, dispense beer at a temperature between 0ºC and -2ºC, as opposed to the draught beer dispensed by the equipment previously used which was served at a temperature above 0ºC.Another innovative feature in this tower is the digital display which allows consumers to check the temperature at which the beer is being served. The tower’s image also conveys a sense of coolness. Thanks to a cooling device specifically designed for this purpose, the tower is involved in ice.

SAGRES® Preta Chocolate (chocolate flavoured stout), an innovative beer developed by Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas, has just launched its website, the first in the world fully made of chocolate.This is another innovation by the Portuguese beer brand and is intended to reinforce the reputation of SAGRES® Preta Chocolate, just launched in the market last month and well received by consumers. To create this website, totally made of chocolate, the master chocolatiers who worked on it used  60 Kg of chocolate and spent 80 hours elaborating all the pieces that make up the site. Each of its pieces was individually produced in chocolate, after which they were photographed and lastly flash animated. Grand Union was the new media agency in charge of the website’s design and implementation.

SCC launches SAGRES® Preta Chocolate(chocolate flavoured stout) in the market, a complete innovation in Portugal solely developed by the leading beer brand, further extending its drinks’ portfolio. SAGRES® Preta Chocolate is a special limited edition, which results in a perfect blend between Sagres Preta’s smooth caramel notes and the intense aroma of chocolate.

SAGRES® Can Seal. SAGRES® launches aluminium foil cover on its 33 and 25cl cans, a pioneer inovation in Portugal.
This so-called Seal, in 100% recyclable material, not only protects the top section of the can but is also an additional communication element.

Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas (SCC) launched a 5-litre Sagres beer barrel with an integrated draught beer dispenser, an innovative product which is available to all types of consumers. The 5-litre Sagres barrel has a capacity for serving 25 draught beers.
This innovative package is disposable and complies with all environmental and safety requirements.

Sagres was the winning brand of the Good Practices Competition in the sponsor category, supporting the Rock in Rio-Lisbon 2008 by using 100% biodegradable cups for its beer. In a more environment-friendly alternative and pioneer initiative, SCC distributed around one million biodegradable cups during this event. These cups will be gradually introduced in other events, with SCC estimating the product’s 100% national coverage by 2009. An important fact to remember is that the cups used until now took around 300 years to decompose as opposed to the six months to one year that take to decompose these 100% biodegradable cups. This is yet another effort to add to SCC’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.

In April 2008 SCC launched a virtual tour of our Vialonga site allowing direct contact with our Brewery as well as the possibility of getting to know our company better. This innovating tool of communication is the first one in the Portuguese brewing sector. This virtual tour is interactive, and available in Portuguese and English, and it allows, through panoramic photos and information contents, to know the reality of SCC through the website.

APCER awarded SCC- Vialonga, the Environmental Certification in accordance with the standard NP EN ISO 14001. This certificate is valid for 3 years, during which the company will be audited on an annual basis. This certification assesses the company’s capacity and competency in the implementation of the best and most adequate environmental management practices, the use of the best available and financially viable technologies as well as the continued improvement of procedures and conducts.

Following the company’s efforts in this area, in April 2008 Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas’ Vialonga factory was awarded an Environmental Licence by the Portuguese Agency for the Environment, a legal requirement for all large industries, which shall remain in force until 2013.

Ritmo Luso is the first drink produced mainly with water that helps to regulate obstipation with a perfect association between Luso water (97,2%) and Fiber-Regulax II, a compound of natural fibers developed by the research and development team of SCC.

Launched in March 2008, Sagres Zero Limalight is the ideal drink for any one who is concerned about their weight and yet is able to enjoy this extremely light and refreshing beer. Sold only in the 0.33l format.

To reinvent the concept of coolness and win an increased share in this specific area are the main goals of Sagres Icebergs. This new equipment enables to cool beer down to 3OC (half the usual temperature), in a short period of time and in enough quantities to fulfil the consumers’ needs. The Iceberg’s refreshing temperature, equipment’s functionality, quick cooling power, storage capacity and attractive image are just a few of the attributes which have been highlighted by those who have already tried the new Sagres coolers.

In February 2007, Sagres Zero, the market leader in the non-alcoholic beer segment, surprised its consumers with the launching of a new formula Sagres Zero Preta which marked the entrance of the Sagres brand in the non-alcoholic beer segment.

As the first drink in the world which combines Água de Luso’s nutrient transporting ability with fibers’ scientifically proved weight loss capacity, Formas Luso is essential to anyone wishing to lose weight and it must therefore be included in one’s daily diet. Formas Luso is an absolutely revolutionary product that offers relevant benefits to the Portuguese population.

Launch of a limited edition of SAGRES BOHEMIA 1835®, with a 6.6% alcohol content,to commemorate the 170th anniversary of Cervejaria da Trindade.

Launched in 2005, Sagres Zero, has a light character and a definitely refreshing taste. It is the ideal drink for sporty people and people with active lives who simply cannot do without the taste of the original Sagres beer. Its alcohol content is of 0.3%.

The launching of Sagres Bohemia in the Portuguese market was adopted as a case study on a European level, during the European Brewery Convention (EBC), held in Prague in May. The association of Sagres Bohemia as a meal accompaniment was a decisive step for the beer sector. The product’s quality was equally praised and considered as an example to be followed by all European companies wishing to contribute to the expansion of a stable market.

This new product has given rise to a drink category that did not yet exist in Portugal, that of “lightly carbonated waters”. This innovative product has reconfirmed the Luso brand’s strength, this time combining the fizz’s revitalising power with the water’s hydrating capacity. Apart from the traditional Luso Fresh, with its attractive blue bottle, two new flavours have been added to this category: Lemon and Guava-Lime, thus responding to a market need.

In a year where all eyes were set on Innovation, an event was organised between Jornal de Negócios and SCC, the theme of which was “Strategic Innovation as the main competition weapon for companies and countries in the 20th Century”. Gary Hamel was invited to attend the event in Lisbon, and it ended with a conference at the head office of Central de Cervejas, in Vialonga. Apart from the teachings provided by Gary Hamel’s, employees, suppliers and customers were challenged to test their capacity for innovation and after a brainstorming session, 500 ideas were put forward in a little over an hour.

At the end of 2004, in a joint venture between SCC, Galp Power and Finerge, a new co-generation plant was inaugurated, something that was unheard of in the Portuguese industry, placing the company on the forefront of industrial modernity. The plant provides benefits in terms of profits (global savings of 25%), energy (generating and annual 40 GWh electric power, apart from the 170 000 tonnes of steam) and environmental protection (allows for reduced nitrogen oxide emissions).

Launched in 2003, the 1.5 litre compactable Luso bottle can now be reduced to 75% of its original size, simplifying its packaging and transport, both by individual consumers and entities responsible for the selective collection of urban residues. Thanks to this innovation, SCC was awarded a distinction during the first edition of the “Products of the Year” contest.