New venture to brew beer while Marston's retains pub estate Marston's has become the latest brewer of traditional English ales to offload its brewing operations in favour of a focus on its substantial pub estate. In doing so it follows Fuller's, Wells & Young and Greene King, all of whom have sold all or part of their businesses in recent years. The divestment is not total, as Marston'...

Incoming Country Director faces trademark drama Munich-based news outlet Inside Beer reports of confusion over the launch of AB InBev's flagship beer Budweiser on the notoriously tough German market. Quite why the world's biggest brewer believes that an American light lager is what Germany needs is a separate issue, but we will have to wait to find out as the roll-out has been postponed at th...

Over 11% wiped off company value in one day Financial news sources have reported that AB InBev's share price took a steep dip on Friday 25th October, plummeting by 11.1% of its total value. The collapse comes after the release of third-quarter earnings figures, beset by difficulties in the Asian beer market, and China in particular. From €82.84 per share at close of trading on Thursday...

Minority stake in Bavarian craft brewer The craft beer scene is Germany is a nascent one, largely confined to the big cities and making very little impact on the day-to-day drinking lives of most Germans. But it's there, and the attractions of breaking free of Germany's price-conscious mainstream beer market has lured in a number of players. Large local producers like Dr Oetker and Weihens...

Acquires assets of failed distribution business and bar Earlier this year, beer specialist wholesaler and retailer The Bottle Shop went out of business. The short-term causes were said to be the loss of distribution contracts for popular beer brands Beavertown (now part-owned by Heineken) and Mikkeller. Today, in an article on the Beer Insider website, it has been announced that the rem...

Historic Czech porter brewer to remain separate company under parental supervision The Czech arm of Molson Coors, Staropramen, has purchased an 89% stake in Pivovar Pernštejn, a brewery in the town of Pardubice, to the east of Prague. It is best known for its Pardubický Porter, a dark bottom-fermented beer brewed since 1891 and highly prized by Czech beer enthusiasts. Prague-based Star...

It is no secret in the beer business anymore:  On the 29th of March was the „Vereinigung der deutschen Bierkonsumenten (German Beer Consumers Union - GBCU)“ founded in the famous beer town Bamberg. Many brewers and institutions already have joined the new community which is already part of the European Beer Consumers Union (EBCU). But the Focus of the Germany Beer Consumers Union will of course ...

Amsterdam microbrewery the latest in a line of recent partial acquisitions. Beer drinkers of the Netherlands can't help but notice the use Heineken has made of its stakes in formerly independent breweries. Heineken properties and joint ventures like Lagunitas and Beavertown have become more commonplace on bars where craft beer is part of the offer. The Dutch giant has now turned its eye...

Brewer admits infringing competition rules. The European Commission has fined AB InBev €200m for abusing its dominant market position in Belgium. The investigation began in June 2016 when it was discovered that the company had changed the text on Jupiler beer sold in the Netherlands and France, where it's sold relatively cheaply, to Dutch or French alone. This restricted the extent to ...

Japanese multinational Kirin acquires Yorkshire micro via Australian subsidiary Independent British breweries continue to attract attention from acquisitive foreign brewers, and Magic Rock of Huddersfield is the latest target. Kirin's subsidiary Lion announced today that they have acquired 100% of the brewery for an undisclosed sum. Less than a year ago, Kirin purchased London brewery Four...