The main brands are Sapporo Draft; Yebisu; and Sleeman Cream Ale.

Seibei Nakagawa, a Germany-trained brewer, became the first brewmaster of the Kaitakushi Brewery in June 1876, and the first Sapporo Lager was produced at that time following the completion of the plant in September of that year.

The competition between Sapporo and Nippon Beer, as well as competition with the Osaka (now Asahi) and Kirin breweries led to a 1906 merger of Sapporo, Nippon, and Osaka breweries into the Dai-Nippon Beer Company, Ltd. (大日本麦酒株式会社), which formed a near monopoly on the Japanese market until after World War II.

In 2006, Sapporo announced that it would be acquiring Canadian brewer Sleeman in a $400-million all-cash deal.

[1] On February 15, 2007, Steel Partners Japan Strategic Fund, a Cayman Islands-registered fund management subsidiary of Warren Lichtenstein's Steel Partners and the biggest shareholder (18.6% as of Feb. 2007) of Sapporo Holdings, submitted a proposal to the company seeking approval to raise its stake to 66.6%.

[5] Most Sapporo beer sold in North America had been brewed at the Sleeman brewery in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

[7] The Richmond, VA facility is currently undergoing $33 million in capital upgrades, after which it will make about 50% of their total United States output.

[9] The first, Sendai Brewery, was opened in 1971 in Natori, Miyagi, and was among the first to use a computerised brewing system.

[16] The first Sleeman brewery ceased operations by 1933, when their liquor license was revoked for bootlegging, specifically, smuggling beer into Detroit, Michigan.

The company produces a range of pale and dark lagers, including Sapporo Draft (Premium in North America) and Yebisu.

Through a complicated set of mergers and divisions, the brand was acquired and eventually retained by the modern-day Sapporo Brewery.

The brand lay dormant during the post-World War II era, until it was resurrected in 1971.

Tasters described the flavour as no different from similar beers, which researchers point to as important in showing that producing food in space for long duration flights is possible.