If a hospitality group and a decidedly non-craft brewery snap up two craft brewers it can only mean one thing: craft beer is hot. In early February 2017, Dixon Hospitality Group, Australia's largest non-gaming pub group, bought the Hawthorn Brewing Company for an undisclosed sum.

Analysts seem to be crowding in on Japan’s brewer Asahi to sell its stake in China’s number two brewer Tsingtao, media reported on 27 January 2017.

Call that a business plan? Australia's most decorated whisky brand, Sullivans Cove, was sold in December 2016 for an undisclosed sum with the owners admitting that they had underestimated the demands for capital needed to grow the business and therefore chose an exit.

Who is a craft brewer? Only one that is truly independent, Australia’s craft brewers have decided. That’s why the Craft Beer Industry Association (CBIA) has begun the arduous process of deleting the Big Brewers from its membership base.

A strong warning. Asahi’s acquisition of SABMiller’s central European brands from AB-InBev is a high-stakes, potentially risky strategy to accelerate the Japanese brewer’s international expansion, analysts say.

What’s going on at Carlsberg? After years of trying to hike its minority stake in Habeco, Vietnam's third largest brewer is allegedly seeking another investor after Carlsberg dropped its plan at the end of December 2016.

The unions call it a victory. AB-InBev, the new owner of Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) has invited the 55 picketing maintenance workers back to work in their previous positions on union terms and conditions, it was reported on 7 December 2016. According to rumour, the workers’ pay is enormous: each worker earns an estimated AUD 200,000 per annum.

Big changes afoot at Anadolu Efes. The beer and soft drink group announced on 21 November 2016 that Robin Michael Goetzsche, 55, who has served as its President and CEO since November 2015, will be leaving his position as of 31 December 2016. According to the statement, Mr Goetzsche resigned for personal reasons.

Workers at Coca-Cola bottling plants in three Chinese cities went on strike after the US soft drinks company announced it was selling its bottling interests in the country to its local partners, media reported on 25 November 2016. Coke workers fear they will lose their jobs or pay under the state-owned employer.

Australia’s number two brewer Lion has sold its Australian premium wine business to Accolade Wines for reportedly close to AUD 100 million, thus ending a costly expansion into wine which began in the early Noughties.