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Asia/Australia
Australia | A trainwreck that was waiting to happen: Lion will cease production at the James Boag brewery in Launceston, Tasmania, from November, the Kirin-owned company announced on 2 June. In a statement, Lion said the brewery (with an estimated capacity of 900,000 hl beer per year) had been underutilised for many years, running at about 20 percent of potential output, following declining sales. The closure is set to impact the roles of 42 people.
Asia/Australia
New Zealand | Craft brewers are facing plenty of crises. Their latest problem involves the kegs that they use to get their beer into pubs. Until now, they could rely on the keg pooling and rental services of two companies – Kegstar and Konvoy. Both firms operate a “pay-per-fill” model, in which they own, track, manage, and contract hauliers to move the empty and full kegs. At least, brewers did – until Konvoy went into receivership in March 2025.
Asia/Australia
India | United Breweries (UBL), best known for its Kingfisher lager, will close its Ludhiana brewery in Punjab by 30 June, the firm announced on 18 May. The move follows a long-term capacity lease agreement with a yet unnamed contract brewer. This arrangement ensures continued beer supply across northern India, the firm said. The strategic shift towards an asset-light model aims to boost flexibility and cut costs.
Asia/Australia
Thailand | Boon Rawd Brewery announced on 19 May that Sunit Scott has been removed from all positions within Boon Rawd Brewery and affiliated companies after his brother, the environmental activist Siranudh Scott, had publicly accused him of repeated sexual abuse during their teenage years.
Asia/Australia
India | A two-week ceasefire is now in place, but a lot of damage to India’s economy has already been done by the Iran war. Just as the country enters into its peak beer sales season, brewers are bracing for a perfect storm of rising costs, packaging shortages, unresponsive price regulation, and a weak rupee.
Asia/Australia
India | A European industry lobby group, whose members include Pernod Ricard, AB-InBev, Heineken and Carlsberg, has asked the federal government for an exemption from a 10 percent import duty on glass bottles and aluminium cans, amid shortage fears triggered by the Iran war, Reuters reported on 9 April.
Asia/Australia
Singapore | The brewing of Heineken and Tiger Beer in Singapore will be progressively phased out over the next two years as production will be shifted to its breweries in Malaysia and Vietnam, Heineken said on 24 March. Some 130 production workers will be made redundant from now until the end of 2027.
Asia/Australia
India | Diageo is in line for a cash windfall from the sale of the Indian Premier League Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team, which was acquired by a consortium backed by Blackstone for approximately USD 1.8 billion. This transaction is a key outcome of its portfolio review, Diageo initiated in November 2025, which is intended to strengthen the group's balance sheet. It also signals a deliberate shift away from non-core assets.
Asia/Australia
India | Once a member of India’s BIMARU states – an acronym used pejoratively to describe their backwardness – Uttar Pradesh wants to transform itself into an economic powerhouse. Its “progressive” and “well-balanced” excise policy for 2026–27 has made the brewing industry pledge investments of nearly INR 55 billion (USD 600 million) over the next three years. The Brewers Association of India (BAI) said on 22 February, that the policy has created clarity in licensing, distribution and taxation, encouraging long-term planning by brewers and allied industries.
Asia/Australia
China | Carlsberg agreed to divest its 50 percent stake in Lhasa Brewery to its Chinese partner, following years of confrontations, media reported on 30 January. Lhasa Brewery was established in 1988 in Lhasa, Tibet, but Carlsberg only became involved in February 2004, when it formed a 50-50 joint venture with Tibet Development.
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BRAUWELT on tour
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BRAUWELT on tour
