Do we like them?

Do we like Asahi?

Japanese brewer and drinks group (Super Dry, Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, Asahi Beverages), based in Tokyo.

Our score: 6 out of 10. A big, mostly steady drinks maker with no major fines turned up in our searches. Its 2025 ransomware breach exposed customer data and hurts its security record. We'd back it, with caution.

Asahi is one of Japan's biggest brewers and owns brands from Super Dry to drinks businesses abroad. It is listed in Tokyo. Atsushi Katsuki, who joined Nikka Whisky in 1984 and moved to Asahi in 2002, has run it since 2021 and became Group CEO in 2024.

The big drama was the September 2025 cyberattack. Reports say systems at a data centre were hit, and most of its roughly 30 Japanese factories halted production. The Qilin ransomware group claimed responsibility, though Asahi hadn't confirmed who did it.

The data side is worse. Asahi first confirmed personal data of over 1.5 million people was exposed, and later said nearly two million could have been affected. It also delayed its results as a result.

On the plus side, our searches found no regulator fines or environmental penalties. Asahi has a Global Sustainability Committee and ran a net-zero start-up challenge in 2024. It also settled a past dispute over its Independent Liquor purchase in New Zealand, reportedly for $199 million in its favour.