New 20,000 bottle-per-hour system supports growing demand for multi-format beverage production
Asahi Beer USA today announced the installation of a new high-speed bottling line at Octopi, its facility in Waunakee, Wisconsin.
Capable of producing up to 20,000 bottles per hour, the new line expands Asahi Beer USA’s production platform and reinforces Octopi’s position as a leading co-manufacturing partner for beverage brands scaling across formats and retail channels. The system was installed through a nearly 90-container equipment build-out.
At a time when many beverage producers are consolidating around cans, this investment reflects a deliberate strategy to support continued demand for bottled formats among super-premium, international, and multi-format brands.
“Asahi Super Dry is one of the fastest growing beer brands in the USA across bottles, cans and kegs,” said Paul Verdu, Managing Director of Asahi Beer USA. “By investing in a high-speed bottling line alongside our existing canning and kegging capabilities, we are now localizing supply across all core pack formats, reducing reliance on ocean freight and ensuring the freshest product possible to our customers and consumers.”
In addition to enabling domestic production of Asahi Super Dry, the bottling line will also allow Octopi to maximize flexibility and fill out their offering to co-packing clients, giving them the ability to meet a broader range of retailer and consumer expectations.
Built for Scale and Capability
The installation introduces a state-of-the-art bottling system with advanced automation, monitoring and control mechanisms designed to meet the precision and quality standards associated with Japanese brewing. The line represents a key phase of Asahi’s broader $35 million investment in expanding its US production capabilities.
Initial commissioning will focus on key Asahi Super Dry formats, including 12 oz (355 ml) 6-pack bottles and 21 oz (620 ml) 12-pack bottles, which will start to be in market from mid-September 2026. The line is designed to support a wide range of additional bottle sizes and pack types as demand evolves.
A central feature of the system is its Krones Varioline packer, enabling multiple packaging configurations, including multipacks, trays, and wraparound formats, to run on a single platform. This capability allows Octopi to support a broader mix of co-manufacturing customer requirements without sacrificing efficiency at scale.
“This is about building a platform that can handle complexity,” said Juan Morales, Plant Director at Octopi. “As brands grow, they need to deliver different formats across different retail channels. This investment allows us to support that evolution with the speed, consistency and quality required for large-scale distribution.”
Expanding Co-Manufacturing Opportunities
The addition of bottling significantly expands Octopi’s ability to support brand partners, particularly those navigating complex retail requirements across grocery, club, and convenience channels.
“As brands grow, they are increasingly looking for production partners that can support multiple formats within a single facility,” said Verdu. “This investment allows us to support both bottled and canned products at scale, while opening the door to new co-manufacturing partnerships that require that level of flexibility.”
Octopi’s capabilities span beer, ready-to-drink cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, hard seltzers, functional drinks, and energy beverages, including growing demand across non-alcoholic and functional categories. This allows partners to move from pilot runs to national distribution within a unified production environment.
The new bottling line builds on this foundation, enabling Octopi to secure new co-packing partnerships while maintaining the quality and operational discipline expected by major national retailers. The facility is SQF-certified and designed to meet rigorous compliance standards required by leading retailers.
