Belgium’s economy minister has asked the country’s competition authorities to investigate the announced price hikes of beer producers Anheuser-Busch InBev and Heineken’s Alken Maes. Read the rest of this entry »

Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered officials to draw up plans to set a minimum price for alcohol to discourage excessive drinking, a British newspaper reported on Wednesday, although the government said no decision has been taken. Read the rest of this entry »

After two centuries of consolidation and closing down of small breweries, a counter-revolution is under way. Fed up with the lack of variety and the control of large brewing holdings over their favorite drinks, beer lovers have taken their beverage back into their own hands. All over the world, new beers and breweries are emerging every day. What started as the micro-brewery movement in the USA has spread to other countries and created a remarkable turnaround in convention. For instance, in Belgium – famed for its influential beer culture – when consolidation threatened the availability of beer varieties, the fastest growing segment in the beer market is now beers brewed by monasteries and ‘abbey-style’ beers. Read the rest of this entry »

Japanese brewers are looking past China’s $57 billion beer market to a country with less than one-tenth the population: Vietnam. Read the rest of this entry »

Carlton United Brewers (CUB), an Australian brewer owned by Foster’s Group, said five global beer brands of SABMiller will become part of its international beer portfolio with effect from 16 January 2012. Read the rest of this entry »

Kirin Brewery Co. plans to increase sales of its flagship Ichiban Shibori beer 10-fold in South Korea over the next five years. Read the rest of this entry »

After rising two-fold in the 12 months to July 2011, the stock of beer maker United Breweries (UB) has lost most of its gains since then. Its movement is in tandem with the overall weakness in the broader market. Read the rest of this entry »

The producer of Heineken beer is only too happy to make room on U.S. store shelves for an upstart Mexican brand. Read the rest of this entry »

The head of the world’s fourth biggest brewer, Carlsberg, said that the outlook for the group’s key East European and Russian markets appeared brighter. Read the rest of this entry »

Japanese brewers are looking past China’s $57 billion beer market to a country with less than one- tenth the population: Vietnam. Read the rest of this entry »