Heineken has lost operational control of facilities in Congo’s war-hit east and has withdrawn its staff from its facilities, Reuters reported on 20 June. Already in March, the Dutch brewer had suspended its operations in three eastern cities, after its breweries were hit and its depots looted during fighting between the army and the rebels. But now the brewer said the situation had deteriorated further, and that armed personnel had taken control of its facilities in Bukavu and Goma – eastern Congo’s two biggest cities, now under rebel control – and nearby areas. Heineken’s Congo unit, Bralima, still operates in other parts of the country not affected by the conflict. The Dutch brewer owns four breweries in Congo, producing Heineken beer as well as other popular brands like Primus. The Bukavu facilities employed around 1,000 people both directly and indirectly.
Albertans continue to buy local after the province lifted ban on US liquor. Ahead of the G7 summit (16 -17 June), which was hosted by Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney in Kananaskis, Alberta, the province of Alberta lifted its embargo on American liquor imports. The move was meant to smooth negotiations for a new Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement. The Saskatchewan liquor board similarly relented and said on 11 June that it will start buying and distributing American booze to retailers again. With a population of under 5 million people, Alberta is the fourth most populated province in Canada. Saskatchewan has 1.25 million inhabitants. A total of 41 million people live in Canada. The move to lift the embargo is consistent with Alberta’s quest for independence. Alberta, as the heart of Canada’s oil and gas industry, has frequently clashed with the national government over energy and environmental regulations, which it views as unfairly targeting Alberta’s economy. Although the current Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith, has ruled out outright secession, embraced by just a minority of Albertans in polls, she recently laid the legal groundwork for a possible referendum in 2026.
Duvel Moortgat is brewing La Chouffe beer in the US. The secret is out: Duvel Moortgat has been brewing its La Chouffe beer, a Belgian Blonde, which is popular with American drinkers, at the Boulevard brewery in Kansas, Missouri since December last year, Belgian media reported on 18 June. Duvel Moortgat, one of the largest independent brewing groups in Belgium, bought the US craft brewer Boulevard in 2013 for an estimated USD 110 million. It also owns breweries Ommegang in New York State and Firestone Walker in California, which made Duvel Moortgat rank 5th among the biggest US craft breweries in 2024 according to the Brewers Association. At the time, the brewery said nothing about its decision to relocate the production of La Chouffe to the US, probably in an effort to see if American consumers would complain that they will now get a locally produced beer rather than a genuine import. However, local production might prove an advantage given the higher import tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on EU goods.
Russia’s United Breweries aims to boost premium brands. United Breweries Holding (OPH), the former Heineken unit, seeks to increase the share of premium brands in its revenue to 40 percent this year, up from 30 percent in 2024 as part of the reformatting of its brand portfolio, the Russian news agency Interfax reported. New product launches shall contribute to the effort. In 2023, Heineken sold its unit to Russia’s Arnest Group for a symbolic one euro. OPH began developing new brands in 2024, after it had poached a number of executives from rival AB-InBev-Efes. The first new premium brand, Gold Premium Pilsener, appeared on store shelves in late 2024. It also revived the brand Kalinkin, which will celebrate its 230th anniversary this year. Allegedly, its brewers reconstructed recipes from the Czarist era, based on which they brew premium ale and lager.
Non-alcoholic beer to become the world’s second most popular beer style. Beverage industry analysis firm IWSR found that sales of non-alcoholic beer jumped 9 percent in 2024 globally, despite a 1 percent dip in global beverage alcohol volume. IWSR is projecting that non-alcohol beer will grow by 8 percent annually through 2029. At this pace, non-alcoholic beer is forecast to surpass ale as the second-largest beer category by volume worldwide this year, behind only lagers. As of 2024, non-alcoholic beer ranked third by IWSR, making up 2 percent of global volume, ahead of wheat beers (1 percent) and stouts (1 percent). Still, lagers remain by far the largest beer category at 92 percent of global beer volume.
Heineken to invest USD 2.75 billion in Mexico. Oriol Bonaclocha, CEO of Heineken Mexico, confirmed on 11 June that his company plans to spend a total of USD 2.75 billion between 2025 and 2028. The majority of the funds are designated for a new brewery with a capacity of 4 million hl beer in the municipality of Kanasin, which will become the company’s eighth facility in the country. The project is expected to generate more than 3,000 jobs and will supply the Yucatan Peninsula, leveraging the infrastructure and connectivity of the country’s southeast region.
Ethiopia’s Kegna beer officially launched on 14 June. Kegna Beverages is making a USD 250 million investment in the beer market, opening a 3 million hl brewery in Ginchi, a town some 80 km west of the capital Addis Ababa in Oromia Regional State. The lager with the brand name Kegna (meaning “our”) is brewed with local barley and has hit the market. Incorporated in 2017 by some 5,000 shareholders, including farmers, the company is controlled by the Oromia state government and backed by the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE). Kegna’s management has set its sights on high-volume production to compete with established breweries, including Heineken, BGI (Castel) and a host of others. It is interesting to note that a regional government has moved back into brewing, after the national government’s big sell-off of state-owned breweries last decade. Executives say that the Oromia state government is actively working to create jobs through various initiatives, focusing on sectors like agriculture, agro-processing, and manufacturing. These efforts aim at driving economic growth and building trust with investors, showcasing Oromia, Ethiopia’s most populous region (45 million people), as ready-for-business.
Fever-Tree and Molson Coors to split cost of US tariffs. Tonic maker Fever-Tree Drinks said on 5 June it would equally split costs of the 10 percent tariff to be imposed on UK imports to the US with brewer Molson Coors. This shall mitigate the short-term impact. The British company, known for its premium cocktail mixers, counts the US as its largest market, where it continues to deliver strong momentum bolstered by its partnership with Molson Coors. In January, Molson Coors took a stake in Fever-Tree, securing exclusive rights to distribute and market the British company’s cocktail mixers and tonic waters in the United States. Fever-Tree said the transition of its distribution to Molson Coors’ network of distributors was underway.
What’s happening at Anchor brewery? Not much, it seems. After a protracted sales process, on 31 May 2024, Sapporo managed to offload San Francisco’s historic Anchor brewery to billionaire Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder of Chobani yogurt. One year on, both the beautiful white Art Deco headquarters at 1705 Mariposa St. and the taproom across the street are still sitting idle. It was not supposed to be this way. Having cinched the deal, Mr Ululya posted a video on social media in which he sports an Anchor baseball cap and explains that he had purchased the defunct company and was eager to take on the responsibility of reviving the country’s oldest craft brewery. He declined to provide a timeline for reopening, though. Sapporo, which purchased the brewery in 2017 and shuttered it in 2023, had been lambasted for running Anchor into the ground, while Mr Ulukaya, who made a fortune as the founder and CEO of the yogurt company Chobani, was hailed as the saviour of a beloved local icon.
Ex-distributor reveals he was sanctioned by Brau Union. As Austria’s Brau Union denies any wrong-doing and is in combat mood, it turned down the judge’s earlier offer of a settlement. Therefore, court proceedings over its alleged abuses of market dominance continued on 3 June. The first witness, a former beer distributor, raised the curtain and got things going. He explained Brau Union had “tolerated” that he also sold rival beer brands to his on-premise customers and event organisers. However, he had long felt an “economic pressure” not to neglect his partnership with Brau Union. At one time he was told in no uncertain terms that if he carried too many “alien beers” there would be “trouble”. The exact word was in Viennese lingo, which sounds cute, but actually translates as a threat.
According to the competition watchdog, BWB, Brau Union has abused its dominant market position to restrict the market entry of other breweries and drive wholesalers out of the market. Amongst its specific accusations, BWB alleges Brau Union bullied wholesalers, telling them that it would no longer sell them any beer if they did not also purchase its other beverages. Wholesalers were further obliged not to stock any rival beers and beverages. Failing that they were compelled to cover the majority of their product range via Brau Union. Brau Union, for its part, does not see any antitrust issues in its dealings with logistics partners and wholesalers. Proceedings will continue in September.
Heineken cannot force retailer Jumbo to re-list its products, judge says. A legal setback for Heineken: the supermarket group Jumbo may continue to refrain from purchasing Heineken products. Heineken had filed summary proceedings against Jumbo in early May because many of the Dutch group’s beers had disappeared from the shelves over a pricing dispute – after some sixty years of partnership. Dutch media say that, in 2023, Jumbo joined the international purchasing organisation Everest, which is conducting negotiations with large suppliers. Heineken initially refused to recognise this new organisation and felt that its long-standing relationship with Jumbo had been ignored. However, the court clarified that the original “duurovereenkomst” – a long-term supply agreement – was lawfully terminated by Jumbo on 31 January 2024.
Czech beer exports rise while domestic consumption declines. According to figures from the Czech Breweries and Maltsters Association, beer production in 2024 hit a 15 year high. Czech breweries produced 4.2 percent more beer than in 2023, to reach 20.9 million hl. Growth is now being driven by two key trends: exports and non-alcoholic beer variants. The data show that alcoholic beer consumption declined for the fourth consecutive year, nosediving to 126 litres per person. The Czech Republic, which is known for having the highest beer consumption per capita in the world, has battled with economic uncertainty, which had a knock-on effect on household spending. What is more, in 2023, the tax on draught beer rose from 15 percent to 21 percent. Compared to 2019, before the covid pandemic, Czech drinkers are consuming 16 litres less beer annually, and yet the brewing industry has seemingly adapted quickly.