Old Bagan, Myanmar: Temple silhouettes against an orange sky (Photo by Charlie Costello on Unsplash)

Japan | It will all end in tears. In December 2021, Kirin filed for arbitration in Singapore to terminate its joint venture with Myanma Economic Holdings (MEHL), a military-controlled conglomerate with ties into industries as diverse as beer, tobacco, transportation, textiles, tourism and banking.

Wooden boats on a beach, Thailand (Photo by Frankie Spontelli on Unsplash)

Thailand | Tens of thousands of tourists, escaping the northern winters, are expected to arrive in Thailand as the country reopened to tourists on 1 November 2021 after 18 months of covid restrictions. Vaccinated visitors from more than 60 “low-risk” nations are allowed to enter without having to quarantine.

Liquor is poured into a shot glas (Photo by Adam Jaime on Unsplash)

China | In early November 2021 drinks company Diageo broke ground on its first, USD 75 million whisky distillery in China. It hopes to turn more local drinkers into whisky lovers, in a market that has long been dominated by baijiu makers like Kweichow Moutai.

A group of people in front of a table at a Sam's club during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic in Shenzhen, China (Photo by Joshua Fernandez on Unsplash)

China | China’s beer production has been on a downward slope since 2013. In 2020, the domestic beer output stood at 341 million hl, which is a 7 percent decline over 2019. If this downward trend continues, the market leader, China Resources beer, which makes Snow beer, will be lucky to achieve flattish volume sales, observers say.

Front view of a Cooper’s Ale House, Australia (Photo: E. Hebeker)

Australia | After it emerged unscathed from the first covid year, Coopers Brewery saw its beer volumes tumble by 8 percent in the July-to-October period this year due to lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne and uncertainty in other markets.

Sale lettering (Photo by Tamanna Rumee on Unsplash)

Australia | With big corporations it is always chopping and changing. After a strategic review, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) announced that it will be withdrawing from the Australian beer and cider market. Can it be the same company that only a decade ago made a big foray into beer, following a strategic review?

Empty wallet (Photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya on Unsplash)

Australia | As the pandemic and lockdowns take their toll, Southern Bay Brewing has collapsed into liquidation. Southern Bay, which was among the first wave of craft brewers in Australia, has been operating from the regional city of Geelong, 70 km south of Melbourne, for some 30 years. It was previously known as Geelong Brewing Company.

Big pile of pallets (Photo by Lucas van Oort on Unsplash)

Australia | Supermarkets and brewers have been thrown into chaos due to a rapidly unfolding pallet shortage. Some of the nation’s largest breweries have considered slashing production by up to 50 percent – a move set to cost millions – because there are not enough pallets for stock to be transported on. Beer supplies could be tight around Christmas, Australia’s peak selling season, and in the next year.

A man standing between revolving doors (Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash)

Australia | Danny Celoni, the boss of the PepsiCo’s operations in Australasia, has been hired to run Australia’s biggest beer business, Carlton & United Breweries (CUB). He will start in February next year and replaces Peter Filipovic, who is bowing out after 25 years with CUB. This was announced on 7 October 2021.

Wooden court hammer (Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash)

India | India’s antitrust watchdog (CCI) imposed a penalty of USD 102 million on Heineken-controlled beer giant United Breweries, and USD 16 million on the local unit of Carlsberg for collusion between 2009 and October 2018. Eleven managers were fined too.

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