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{{Short description|UK beer brand}}
{{NPOV language|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox company
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| industry = [[Brewing]]
| foundation = 1989
| founder = [[
| location_city = [[Burton upon Trent]], Staffordshire
| area_served = {{ubl|UK
| key_people = {{ubl|Mark Hunter, global CEO of [[Molson Coors]]
| products = {{ubl|Cobra Premium Beer
| location_country = England
| homepage = [http://www.cobrabeer.com www.cobrabeer.com]
}}
'''Cobra Beer''' is a [[beer]] [[brand]] manufactured in the [[United Kingdom]]. The group's primary product is a [[Beer#"Premium"_beers|premium beer]] with an alcohol strength of 4.5% by volume (originally 4.8%). The beer was founded in 1989 by [[Karan Bilimoria, Baron Bilimoria|Karan Bilimoria]]<ref name=drinkshop>{{cite web |url=http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=3680&afwinid=90909 |title=COBRA – Indian Lager Beer |website=TheDrinkShop.com |date=2010-03-02 |access-date=2010-10-03 |archive-date=2011-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716233809/http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=3680&afwinid=90909 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Arjun Reddy.<ref name=drinkshop/> A blend of water, malted barley, yeast, rice, maize wheat and three varieties of hops is used to produce the required characteristics.<ref name=drinkshop/>The bottled version in the UK also contains sugar in its ingredients list.
In June 2011, [[Molson Coors]] bought a controlling interest in Cobra.<ref name=toi/>
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Cobra Beer was founded in 1989 by [[Karan Bilimoria, Baron Bilimoria|Karan Bilimoria]],<ref name=drinkshop/> then aged 27 and £20,000 in debt.<ref name=drinkshop/> Bilimoria said that "the (British) lager was too fizzy, too harsh and too bloating. It meant that I couldn't eat or drink as much as I would like. At the same time, I found real ale to be great in a pub, but too bitter and heavy with food. So I came up with the idea of creating a beer with the refreshment of a lager, but with the smoothness of an ale."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-28439834|title=How Cobra Beer regained its sparkle|date=5 August 2014|access-date=14 December 2021|website=Bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
Although originally intended to be named 'Panther', the name was changed to 'Cobra' when a focus group found the latter more appealing. The first shipment of Cobra was imported to the UK from the [[Bangalore]]-based Mysore Brewery in 1990, at the start of the [[early 1990s recession]],<ref name=drinkshop/> however, large consumer demand and increased import costs prompted Bilimoria to move production to the
From 1996, Cobra Beer was brewed under contract by [[Charles Wells Ltd]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brewersguardian.com/brewing-features/marketing/868.html|title=Exclusive: Mongoose bites Cobra|date=5 July 2010|publisher=Brewers' Guardian|access-date=12 August 2012}}</ref> and experienced strong growth in sales for the next ten years.
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It is this strategy of growing sales, instead of concentrating on the "bottom line" which may have caused the company's financial problems. On Friday 29 May 2009 the company went into [[Administration (law)|administration]], owing an estimated £75 million to suppliers. On the same day, the business was rescued through the formation of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a joint-venture between Molson Coors and Karan Bilimoria, with Molson Coors owning 50.1% of the shares and Bilimoria appointed as Chairman.<ref>
{{cite news| url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6395535.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605103647/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6395535.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 5, 2009 | work=The Times | location=London | title=Cobra beer saved from administration at last gasp | first=Matthew | last=Goodman | date=2009-05-31 | access-date=2010-04-30}}</ref>
In June 2011, it was reported that [[Molson Coors]] had also purchased a 51% stake in Cobra India, renamed as ''Molson Coors Cobra India''. The remaining 49% of the venture is controlled by
As of 2014, Cobra Beer has continued to experience increased sales – albeit at a slower
As of November 2014, Cobra had a market share of over 45% of all licensed Indian restaurants within the United Kingdom.<ref name="BBC News"/>
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The Cobra Beer range currently consists of three beers: {{citation needed|date=January 2016}}
*''Cobra Premium (4.5%)'', an extra-smooth premium beer that is currently sold in 330ml and 620ml bottles. A
*''Cobra Zero (0.0%)'', a non-alcoholic version of Cobra Premium, sold since 2005.
*''King Cobra (
Cobra Beers have won a collective total of 101 gold medals at the international [[Monde Selection]] awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cobrabeer.com/en/awards|title=Awards | Cobra Beer UK|website=Cobrabeer.com|access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>
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