Category: International
Coverage of the international alcohol beverage scene
News Asahi to Close Meantime Brewery in UK
Asahi announced that it is closing Meantime Brewery in Greenwich, UK and will move the brewing of Meantime beers to its Fuller’s site in Chiswick. The move is becoming familiar as large brewers close small craft breweries that they acquired in order to consolidate production.
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News Britain Puts the Freeze on Alcohol Tax Increases for 12 Months
Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt today announced a freeze on any increase in alcohol taxes until February 2025. The announcement was met with mixed reviews as many in the alcohol industry have been pushing for a reduction in taxes.
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News Asahi Looks at More Acquisitions to Meet Demand
Asahi Group Holdings is looking for a brewery to buy. After the huge growth of Asahi Super Dry across the globe in 2023, the Japan-based brewer is looking to acquire a brewery in the US or elsewhere to increase its brewing capacity to meet demand.
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News Carlsberg Buys 20% Stake in Mikkeller
Global brewing giant Carlsberg has purchased 20% of fellow Danish craft brewery Mikkeller, known for its distinctive marketing campaigns and sometimes controversial business approach. The deal will allow Mikkeller founder Mikkel Bjergsø to maintain controlling interest and remain as CEO.
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News Kestemont Brewery is Newest Belgium Lambic Brewer
The Kestemont Brewery in Dilbeek, Belgium, has become a new member of the High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers (HORAL). The council now has a total of 11 Belgium breweries which collectively account for 80% of traditional lambic production.
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News Carlsberg to Sell Famed Ringwood Brewery
Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company plans to close the famed Ringwood Brewery in Ringwood, England and move production of the brands such as Old Thumper to other Carlsberg plants. The company announced that the brewery would close in January 2024.
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News Britain Freezes Tax on Beer Until Next Summer
British chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced last week that the government would freeze taxes on alcohol until at least summer of 2024. “I have listened to defenders of the great British pint, and I have decided to freeze all alcohol duty until August next year”, he said during his fall budget statement.
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News American Craft Beer Sales on the Decline in Europe
Sales of American craft beer in Europe is declining, likely a product of a ‘drink local’ trend and consumers migrating into non-beer beverages. Overall craft beer volume exported to Europe declined by about 20% from 78,994 barrels in 2021 to 63,755 in 2022.
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News Four UK Pubs Announced as Finalists in the CAMERA National Pub of the Year Competition
Headed to the UK anytime soon? If so, here are four pubs to check out. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has announced the four finalists in its National Pub of the Year competition, with each certain to pour a perfect pint for visitors.
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News ICP Rules that Welsh Brewer Beer Labels Appeal to Children
Complaints about beer labels from Welsh brewer Tiny Rebel were upheld by the alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel (ICP). Three of the brewery’s beers, Monstar, TinyFast and Primed were ruled to appeal to under-age drinkers or encouraging irresponsible consumption and suggesting the products had therapeutic qualities.
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News Non-Alcohol Beer Booms in Germany
Non-alcoholic beer sales in Germany have boomed in recent years, where beer consumption per capita is the fourth highest in the world. The volume of non-alcoholic beer produced in Germany has almost doubled over the past 10 years, showing that the trend for non-alcoholic beer popularity is not limited to the US.
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News Diageo to Roll-Out Non-Alcoholic Guinness on Draft in Ireland – Increase Capacity by 300%
In a testament of confidence in the growing non-alcoholic beer category, Diageo has made a major investment to its famed St. James Gate brewery in Dublin to increase the capacity by 300% to make Guinness 0.0. The company will begin to roll-out the non-alcoholic stout on draft across Ireland this summer.
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News Heineken Buys Remaining Shares of Dutch Craft Brewery Odeipus
Heineken has announced that it will take full control of Amsterdam-based brewer Oedipus. After buying a minority share of the craft brewery in 2019, Heineken will now take on full ownership of the formerly independent brewer.
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News Ireland Becomes First Country to Require Health Information on Alcohol Labels
Proposals to add additional warnings and health information on alcoholic beverages has long been discussed by policymakers in the US and other countries, but no action has ever been taken. Ireland has now just become the first country in the world to require all alcohol labels to list calorie content and health risk information for consumers.
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News Asahi Attributes Strong First Quarter Growth to Success of Non-Alcohol Launch and Price Adjustments
Japan’s Asahi Group saw a significant increase in total revenue during its first quarter with a 7.9% year on year increase, driven largely through what the company attributed to price revisions and premiumization. The company also pointed towards the successful launch of alcohol-free beer Asahi Super Dry 0.0%, which has contributed to the growth of the Asahi Super Dry brand.
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News Austrian Trappist Brewery Abbey of Engelszell to Close
Trappist Ale beer production will come to an end in Austria as the last four monks staying at the abbey of Engelszell will soon leave the premises. The Trappist brewery is the only one in Austria and the closure will leave just nine Trappist breweries remaining in the world.
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News Craft Breweries Consider Pulling Beer From Scotland Over New Bottle Deposit
Many small breweries are considering pulling out of Scotland over liability and cost concerns relating to the countries new Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Although the craft beer industry supports the eco-friendly program, craft breweries have concerns over the excessive sign-up fee each brewery must pay as well as potentially being liable for fines issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) if third-hand parties end up reselling any beers not under the plan.
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News Scottish Proposal to Tighten Alcohol Regulations Would Ban Beer Festivals
A Scottish government proposal to regulate alcohol advertising and promotions more tightly could put an end to beer festivals, tap takeovers and meet-the-brewer events as well as stop small breweries from selling and advertising their beer online.
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