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Brewing sign Great Leap (Image: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)

China | It was not without glee that the South China Morning Post newspaper reported on 2 October that Great Leap, one of Beijing’s first craft breweries, founded in 2010 to serve the expatriate community, has added Chinese dishes to its menu. The reason: Expats have left the city in droves.

Lebanon flag (Photo: Charbel Karam on Unsplash)

Lebanon | These days one has to be grateful for any positive news coming out of the crisis-ridden Middle Eastern country. On 1 October, the leading Swiss newspaper, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) posted a gushing portrait of Philippe Jabre, 63, who ran a successful hedge fund in Geneva before returning to his home country and taking control of Lebanon’s number one brewer, Brasserie Almaza, which had been founded by his grandfather in 1933.

Glas with Brewdog Beer (Photo: Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash)

Australia | The Scottish brewer and pub company quietly backed away from its prominent pledge, announced in May last year, to share 50 percent of its bar profits with staff.

Craft neon sign (Photo: Tim Gouw on Unsplash)

Australia | When Mighty Craft, a listed alcoholic beverage company and one of country’s largest craft brewers, announced the resignation of Trevor O’Hoy from its board of directors, effective 25 August, everybody knew that the overstretched group was a goner.

Several beers on tap (Photo: Anthony Lim on Unsplash)

Australia | A Federal Parliamentary Committee is looking into the impact of concentration and competition in the retail market on brewers. At a recent hearing, on 28 August, Lion’s Managing Director, David Smith, told the committee that Lion has an “absolute policy” of not getting in the way of taps for independent brewers.

Two seagulls flying across a blue sky (Photo: Patrick Hendry on Unsplash)

Australia | The pun was unavoidable. Kirin-owned Lion not only decided to close Two Bird’s Spotswood brewery and taproom in Melbourne, which was founded by two women, the iconic brand will be discontinued too.

Empty office (Photo: Adolfo Félix on Unsplash)

Australia | Lion Group, the firm behind brands like Toohey’s, Little Creatures Brewing and XXXX beer, is slashing hundreds of jobs following a review of the business by new CEO Sam Fischer. Mr Fischer joined Lion from Diageo, where he was President Asia Pacific and Global Travel, in July 2022.

New Zealand banknotes (Photo: Thomas Cocker on Unsplash)

New Zealand | From 1 July, the price of a pint of beer and a glass of wine is set to rise, following a 6.65 percent hike to the alcohol excise tax. It comes after a record 6.92 percent increase in 2022. The decision, made on 2 June, will cost New Zealanders an extra NZD 86 million (USD 53 million) per year, including NZD 28.9 million (USD 18 million) for beer drinkers.

View of a Myanmar landscape (Photo: Sebastien Goldberg on Unsplash)

Myanmar | Kirin will be glad it exited its local brewery joint venture with a military-linked partner in 2022: Because human rights activists have since stepped up their efforts to call out international brewers still operating in the country over the military’s human rights abuses.

Closed sign (Photo: Tim Mossholder on Unsplash)

Australia | Kirin’s subsidiary Lion, the number two brewer in Australia, decided to close its Tiny Mountain taproom and microbrewery and discontinue the brand altogether.

Brauwelt International Newsletter

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Brauwelt International Newsletter

Newsletter archive and information

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BRAUWELT on tour

Trends in Brewing
06 Apr 2025 - 09 Apr 2025
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