BRAUWELT International | Knowledge for the beverage industry

The Americas

Hemp THC beverages are pitting hemp firms against cannabis firms

USA | Some marijuana companies and trade groups are pushing US Congress to close a loophole that allows the production and sale of intoxicating substances derived from legal hemp. The hemp industry, however, wants to leave the federal definition of hemp unchanged. The current Farm Bill is set to expire at the end of the fiscal year 2025. This means Congress will need to reauthorise or revise the existing legislation.
The Americas

Indigenous groups oppose Heineken’s brewery project in Mexico

Mexico | Mayan communities and activists have condemned the construction of a Heineken brewery in Kanasin in the state of Yucatan and reject the alleged indigenous consultation that the company claims to have carried out for approval at the end of 2024. “We know nothing about this consultation,” declared the communities, which are part of the Assembly of Defenders of the Mayan Territory of Múuch' Xíinbal, in June.
The Americas

Constellation’s beer sales decline in quarter until end of May

USA | Constellation Brands’ CEO Bill Newlands blamed “non-structural socioeconomic factors” for his firm’s declining beer sales. In the first quarter of its financial year 2026 (the three months ended 31 May), Constellation’s beer depletions dipped 2.6 percent, while shipments (to retailers and consumers) dropped 3.3 percent.

Europe/Russia

German beer sales drop nearly 7 percent in five months through May

Germany | Declining demand, overcapacities and price wars are putting Germany's brewers under pressure. According to Veltins brewery, the industry's 6.8 percent decline in beer sales in the first five months of the year is “historic”. “The beer market is currently weakening to an extent that we have not seen since Germany’s reunification [in 1990],” said Rainer Emig, Managing Director of Sales at Veltins on 3 July. Meanwhile, Germany’s third-largest beer brand, Veltins, continued to grow, increasing its total output by 2.3 percent to 1.78 million hl beer.

Europe/Russia

Russian media cheer: Russia ahead of Germany in BarthHaas ranking

Russia | For the first time Baltika and United Breweries Holding (OPH) have entered the BarthHaas ranking of the world’s top 40 breweries in 2024 – and they were ahead of German rivals, Russian media hooted with jingoistic glee on 3 July.

Europe/Russia

Germany’s Erdinger brewery now owned by a non-profit

Germany | Werner Brombach, 85, the owner and sole shareholder of Erdinger Weißbräu, who turned his brand into a global player, has transferred his shares in the business to a foundation. In June, the Werner Brombach Family Foundation, a non-profit, officially became its new owner.

Reviews

The right to a perfect draught beer

Draught beer | The theme of the EBC Symposium 2025 that took place from May 19–20 on the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Buda Campus was sustainable packaging for beer, with special consideration of beverage dispensing systems and the associated quality assurance thereof.

The Americas

Albertans continue to buy local after the province lifted ban on US liquor

Canada | 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.

Current issue

BRAUWELT International 3

Editorial
Table of contents

placeholder img 01 — Image galleries
International Hop Growers' Convention

BRAUWELT on tour

drinktec

15 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

People and Positions

Change in international customer support at VLB Berlin

Berlin | On 1 July 2025, Martin Dubrowsky took over the position of International Sales Manager at the Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (VLB). He succeeds Roberto Biurrun, who has left the VLB at his own request after ten years to take on a new professional challenge at Jürgen Löhrke GmbH.

Over a pint

The laws of nature and non-alcoholic beers

Magpie & Marten | Dear readers: The following discussion continues once we started in our previous column in the print edition of BRAUWELT International, which is about non-alcoholic beer (NAB) and how it differs from normal beer.

Company news

BrewingScience issue May/June 2025 out now

Nuremberg | In June 2025, the latest BrewingScience issue was published online. The scientific online-journal BrewingScience features peer-reviewed scientific papers with impact on the brewing industry. The brief article abstracts below provide a good initial overview of the content.

Market

BarthHaas Report 2024/2025: Brewing industry in transition worldwide

Nuremberg | In 2024, the world’s 40 largest brewing groups together produced 1639 million hectoliters of beer – 0.6 percent less than in 2023. These figures are taken from the BarthHaas Report Hops 2024/2025, the latest annual report on global developments in the beer and hop markets.

Reviews

VLB Africa Brewing Conference 2025

South Africa | 130 participants met at the Hotel Sky Sandton in Johannesburg/ Republic of South Africa for the 5th African Brewing Conference from 2–4 June 2025.

Previews

Brussels Beer Challenge 2025: Registration open

Major brewing event | From 3–5 November 2025, the city of Marche-en-Famenne will host a major brewing event: the Brussels Beer Challenge. For its 14th edition, this international beer-tasting competition will be held for the first time in the heart of the Famenne-Ardenne region, making Marche the temporary capital of craft beer.

People and Positions

Petr Košin new chairman of EBC Brewing Science Group

Brussels | At the recent 14th Technical Meeting of the EBC Brewing Science Group, held 20–22 May in Budapest, members were asked to approve the successor to Gert De Rouck, the director of the brewing pilot plants at KU Leuven (Technologiecampus Gent). Gert De Rouck had become the chairman in 2019 and the end of his term of office necessitated the search for a replacement chair. This was forthcoming in the person of Petr Košin, the production director at Budweiser Budvar, based at České Budějovice, Czech Republic, a national brewery run and supported by the Czech state.

Previews

drinktec 2025 - Close to the customer

Munich | A press conference at the Lindenkeller in Freising on June 3, 2025, almost exactly 100 days before the opening of this year's drinktec, marked the end of the roadshow organized by trade fair organizer Yontex to promote the trade fair highlight of the year worldwide. The drinktec Roadshow is a tried-and-tested format for discussing the current market situation with multipliers from the global markets.