Union Destillery strengthens capacity to produce malt whisky ' RS '

The Union Destillery, largest producer of independent "malt whisky" of Brazil, opened a new industrial unit in the Valley of the Vineyards, in Bento Gonçalves (Rio Grande do Sul). The goal is to resume exports and take advantage of the flow of tourists in the main wine-growing region of the country to project the image of the product on the domestic market. The newly opened unit required investments of r $ 30 million over four years and expanded the capacity of 2 million to 5 million litres per year.
Produced from barley malteada under a process that includes saccharification (the transformation of starch into sugar), fermentation and distillation, the "malt whisky" is the main raw material for the preparation of whiskeys. The input enters the composition of the drink with malts and, in Brazil, is also mixed with cane alcohol and other cereals. Reducing the alcoholic strength of 60% after aging in oak casks, is made with demineralized water.
According to Executive Director Luciano Borsato, Union, founded 67 years ago, is a supplier of all bottlers in the country and its main competitor the imported malt. According to him, although the opening of the unit has coincided with a time of retraction of the hot beverage market in Brazil, the most expensive dollar makes both malt entry when foreign whiskey. The design of the Vale dos Vinhedos, stated, it was thought under a long-term horizon.
"We've been through several economic crises and we need to innovate," said the Executive.
As the consultancy Euromonitor, consumption of whisky in Brazil grew 39.9% of 2009 until last year, to 51.8 million litres per year. In the previous period, between 2013 and 2014, the high was 2.8%. Borsato said estimate that the national drink holds a quarter of the market. For this year, the expectation in the industry is of a 15% drop in sales, same performance recorded in accumulated so far.
Even so, the array of Union Destillery, in Veranópolis, operates at 100% of the installed capacity of 2 million litres, and the new factory now works in a strip of 1 million liters per year. Additional production, according to the Executive, will allow the company to resume the export contracts, which until 2008 had reached 30% answers in sales volume. "We hope to achieve that within three years," said the Director. He does not reveal the annual revenues of the company.
Since the global crisis of 2008, the manufacturer made only "one-off" sales to countries in Europe and Central America, but as of now intends to invest more in markets such as Asia, North America and Africa. Negotiations are already in progress and sales depend on "production standard, quality and continuous supply capacity," said the Executive. In Brazil, the malt needs to be aged at least two years and in the external market, at least three.
The design of the manufacturer includes the deployment next year of a structure to receive part of the more than 200 thousand tourists visit the Vale dos Vinhedos each year, with Museum, guided tours and theme store. The site also will sell the whiskey in his own brand Union Club, prepared only with malt and in small batches so as not to compete with clients ' brands. The goal is to enhance the national drink. Today the product is available in the company's retail in veranopolis