The history of commercial brewing of beer in Singapore dates back to the mid-19th century, when it was a British colony. In April 1931 the first commercial brewery in Singapore, Malayan Breweries (MBL), was formed as a joint venture between local soft drinks producer, Fraser & Neave, and Dutch brewer, Heineken. The company's first brewery, located at Alexandra Road, became operational in October 1932, with the production of Tiger Beer. In July 1931 the Archipel Brouweriji Compagnie (Archipelago Brewery Co.) was formed in Batavia (now known as Jakarta), by German brewer, Beck's, constructing breweries in both Singapore and Batavia. In November 1933 the Archipelago Brewery commenced operations from its brewery, also located on Alexandera Road, producing Anchor Beer.