Backus and Johnston Brewery

Backus and Johnston Brewery, commonly known in Spanish as Cervecería Backus y Johnston or Backus y Johnston, is a Peruvian brewing company founded in Lima in 1879 by American entrepreneurs Jacob Backus and John Howard Johnston. It began in the Rímac district and developed from a locally based brewery into the principal consolidator of Peru’s modern beer industry. The company’s significance rests not only on the Backus name but also on its accumulation of historic regional breweries and brands, including Pilsen Callao, Cusqueña, Arequipeña, San Juan, Trujillo, Cristal, and other beverage lines. The founders incorporated the business in London in 1889 as The Backus and Johnston’s Brewery Company Ltd. The move provided access to joint-stock investment and allowed the company to transfer its Peruvian brewing assets into a British corporate structure. Backus and Johnston remained involved in management until Johnston left Peru in 1898 and Backus died in 1899. The enterprise continued as a British corporation until 1954, when its incorporation and assets were transferred to Peru and the company adopted the name Cervecería Backus & Johnston S.A. Backus expanded through consolidation. In 1994 it acquired a controlling interest in Compañía Nacional de Cerveza, owner of the established Pilsen Callao brand. In 1996, Backus and three other breweries were combined into Unión de Cervecerías Peruanas Backus y Johnston S.A.A. The union expanded further in 2000 when Cervesur, the Brewery Company of Southern Peru, joined it, bringing the Cusqueña brand into the group. These transactions created a geographically broad brewing network and gave Backus control of most of the leading nationally and regionally recognized beer brands sold in Peru. The company was part of the SABMiller group from 2005 until 2016. Following Anheuser-Busch InBev’s acquisition of SABMiller, Backus became part of the AB InBev group through Grupo Empresarial Bavaria. The business operates breweries in Lima, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Arequipa, Cusco, and Pucallpa, although the range manufactured at each site has changed over time. Its principal Lima production operation is in the Ate district, while the company also retains the historic Rímac brewery as a visible part of its heritage. Backus’s portfolio is led by beer. Cristal is a mass-market Peruvian lager, Pilsen Callao is a long-established pilsener associated with Callao, Cusqueña is positioned around Andean and Cusco heritage, and regional brands such as Arequipeña, San Juan, and Pilsen Trujillo retain local identities. The company has also produced Malta Polar and Barena, held rights or arrangements connected with other beer brands, and imported Birra Peroni Nastro Azzurro under license. Outside beer, its portfolio has included the soft drinks Viva and Guaraná and bottled waters sold under Cristalina Backus and San Mateo. Saboré, another soft-drink line, was discontinued in 2008. Backus is commonly described as Peru’s largest brewery and has held a dominant position in the country’s beer market. Its scale reflects decades of mergers, acquisitions, regional production, and brand ownership rather than the growth of a single label alone. The company’s present identity is therefore both a Peruvian industrial institution and a local operating business within AB InBev’s international brewing network.

Backus and Johnston Brewery was established in 1879 in Lima’s Rímac district by Jacob Backus and John Howard Johnston. In 1889 the founders incorporated The Backus and Johnston’s Brewery Company Ltd in London, transferring the Peruvian brewery assets into the new company to obtain investment capital through a London joint-stock structure. Johnston departed Peru in 1898, while Backus died in 1899; the company continued under British incorporation for more than five decades. In 1954 management transferred the company’s incorporation and assets to Peru. The business was renamed Cervecería Backus & Johnston S.A. This change marked the company’s transition from a British-registered enterprise into a Peruvian corporate institution. Its later growth was driven substantially by consolidation in a brewing market historically divided among national and regional producers. Backus obtained a controlling interest in Compañía Nacional de Cerveza in 1994. That company, founded in 1863, owned Pilsen Callao, one of Peru’s best-known beer brands. In 1996, Backus and three other breweries were combined under the name Unión de Cervecerías Peruanas Backus y Johnston S.A.A. In 2000, Cervesur joined the union. The transaction added the Cusqueña brand and linked the group to production in southern Peru. The resulting company developed a multi-site manufacturing network. Its facilities have included the principal Lima operation in Ate and breweries in Motupe, Trujillo, Arequipa, Cusco, and Pucallpa. Different sites historically served distinct regions and produced local brands before the brands and production schedules were integrated into the wider Backus system. The company has continued to maintain a visible historic brewery presence in Rímac while using Ate as its main brewery location. Backus became part of SABMiller from 2005 through 2016. When Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired SABMiller, Backus moved into the AB InBev group through Grupo Empresarial Bavaria. The ownership change did not eliminate the local brand architecture: the business continued to operate around Peruvian labels and local manufacturing while benefiting from membership in a global brewing group. The company’s portfolio includes beer, soft drinks, and bottled water. Beer brands associated with the business include Cristal, Pilsen Callao, Cusqueña, Arequipeña, San Juan, Pilsen Trujillo, Barena, and Malta Polar. Cusqueña has been offered in golden, dark, red, wheat, and quinoa variants, while San Juan is associated with production in Pucallpa. The non-alcoholic portfolio has included Viva and Guaraná soft drinks and Cristalina Backus and San Mateo bottled water. Saboré was discontinued in 2008. Backus has also held a license to import Birra Peroni Nastro Azzurro into Peru. By combining historic brands, regional breweries, and national distribution, Backus became the dominant participant in Peruvian beer. Its market position is often characterized as a de facto monopoly or near-total control of beer consumption, although the precise market share depends on the period and definition used. The company is best understood today as a Peruvian operating brewery and beverage producer within AB InBev’s global structure.

1. 2016AB InBev ownership begins

   Backus became part of AB InBev after AB InBev acquired SABMiller, with the business held through Grupo Empresarial Bavaria.

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2. 2008Saboré discontinued

   The Saboré soft-drink line was terminated.

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3. 2005SABMiller ownership begins

   Backus became part of the SABMiller group.

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4. 2000Cervesur joins

   The Brewery Company of Southern Peru joined the union, adding the Cusqueña brand.

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5. 1996Formation of the unified Backus company

   Backus and three other breweries were merged into Unión de Cervecerías Peruanas Backus y Johnston S.A.A.

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6. 1994Pilsen Callao enters the group

   Backus acquired a controlling interest in Compañía Nacional de Cerveza, owner of Pilsen Callao.

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7. 1954Corporate transfer to Peru

   The company transferred its incorporation and assets to Peru and adopted the name Cervecería Backus & Johnston S.A.

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8. 1899Death of Jacob Backus

   Founder Jacob Backus died while the company continued operating under its British corporate structure.

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9. 1898Johnston leaves Peru

   John Howard Johnston left Peru after serving as a managing director.

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10. 1889London incorporation

    The founders incorporated The Backus and Johnston’s Brewery Company Ltd in London and transferred the Peruvian brewery assets into the company.

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11. 1879Brewery founded in Lima

    Jacob Backus and John Howard Johnston founded the brewery in the Rímac district of Lima.

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Peru’s leading brewing and beverage producer, combining nationally distributed beer brands with regional labels and non-alcoholic beverages.

• CristalBeer

  Cristal is one of Backus’s principal Peruvian beer brands and is produced across the company’s national brewery network. It functions as a broadly distributed lager brand alongside regionally identified labels such as Pilsen Callao and Cusqueña.

• Pilsen CallaoBeer

  Pilsen Callao is a pale lager associated with Callao and originally owned by Compañía Nacional de Cerveza. Backus brought the brand into its portfolio after acquiring control of that company in 1994.

• CusqueñaBeer

  Cusqueña is a major Peruvian beer brand added to the Backus group when Cervesur joined in 2000. Its established range has included golden and dark styles, as well as red lager, wheat, and quinoa variants.

• ArequipeñaBeer

  Arequipeña is a regional beer associated with Arequipa and the former southern Peru brewing operation. It became part of the Backus portfolio through the consolidation of regional breweries and continues to be manufactured in the Arequipa area.

• San JuanBeer1971

  San Juan is a pale lager associated with Pucallpa and the Ucayali region. The brand was originally brewed by Cervecería San Juan, founded in 1971, before becoming part of the broader Backus system.

• Pilsen TrujilloBeer

  Pilsen Trujillo is a regional pilsener associated with Trujillo. Following Backus’s consolidation of Peru’s breweries, it has been produced alongside national brands at the Trujillo brewery and elsewhere in the network.

• BarenaBeer

  Barena is a beer brand included in Backus’s portfolio and listed among the products manufactured at the Ate brewery. Detailed launch and current distribution information is not established in the supplied reference material.

• Malta PolarMalt beverage

  Malta Polar is a malt-based beverage associated with the Backus portfolio. The supplied reference identifies it as a Peruvian product but does not provide further verified information about its formulation or current availability.

• San MateoBottled water

  San Mateo is Backus’s bottled-water brand in Peru. It has been sold in PET bottle formats including 600 milliliters, 1.5 liters, 2.5 liters, and 7 liters.

• Cristalina BackusBottled water

  Cristalina Backus is a bottled-water line produced by Backus as part of its non-alcoholic beverage portfolio.

• VivaSoft drink

  Viva is a soft-drink brand owned by Backus and described in the reference material as similar in positioning to Inca Kola.

• GuaranáSoft drink

  Guaraná is a soft drink containing guaraná fruit and is part of Backus’s non-alcoholic beverage portfolio.

• SaboréSoft drink

  Saboré was a Backus soft-drink line that the company discontinued in 2008.

• 2016Transfer into AB InBevM&A

  Backus had been part of SABMiller since 2005.

  What changed. Following AB InBev’s acquisition of SABMiller, Backus became part of the AB InBev group through Grupo Empresarial Bavaria.

  Aftermath. Backus continued as a Peruvian brewing and beverage operation within a global brewing company.

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• 2000Integration of CervesurM&A

  Cervesur operated in southern Peru and controlled the Cusqueña brand.

  What changed. Cervesur joined the Backus union.

  Aftermath. Backus added Cusqueña and further extended its geographic and brand coverage in Peru.

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• 1996Creation of Unión de Cervecerías Peruanas Backus y JohnstonM&A

  Peru’s brewing industry included several historically regional producers operating with overlapping national ambitions.

  What changed. Backus and three other breweries were merged into a new unified company using the Backus and Johnston name.

  Aftermath. The merger created a larger national brewing platform and enabled coordinated production and distribution across multiple regions.

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• 1994Acquisition of Compañía Nacional de CervezaM&A

  Compañía Nacional de Cerveza was a historic Peruvian brewer and owner of the Pilsen Callao brand.

  What changed. Backus acquired a controlling interest in the rival company and incorporated Pilsen Callao into its brand portfolio.

  Aftermath. The transaction strengthened Backus’s position in Peru’s national beer market and expanded its control of a major legacy label.

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• 2016AB InBev becomes the ultimate owner through SABMiller transaction

  After AB InBev acquired SABMiller, Backus became part of AB InBev through Grupo Empresarial Bavaria.

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• 2005Backus becomes part of SABMiller

  Backus entered the SABMiller group and remained within that international brewing system until the group’s acquisition by AB InBev.

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• 2000Cervesur joins the Backus union

  The Brewery Company of Southern Peru joined the group, adding the Cusqueña brand and strengthening Backus’s national footprint.

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• 1996Backus and other breweries form a unified Peruvian brewing company

  Backus and three other breweries were merged into Unión de Cervecerías Peruanas Backus y Johnston S.A.A.

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• 1994Backus acquires controlling interest in Compañía Nacional de Cerveza

  Backus acquired control of the Peruvian National Beer Company, bringing the Pilsen Callao brand into its corporate portfolio.

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1. Backus and Johnston Brewery