Things are getting political. The Australian Real Craft Brewers Association (ARCBA) is calling on the World Trade Organization (WTO) to push for equality and fair trade for small independent craft breweries. In a press release dated 27 November 2014, the ARCBA attacked its government for not taking a stand for Australian industries in a clear unfair trading position. Arguing that Australia’s government has not brought the taxation on beer into line with OECD 33 countries and WTO member countries, which puts Australian craft brewers in a disadvantageous position in trading terms vis à vis imported beers, the ARCBA has asked the WTO and the Australian Government to move to an international definition of ’small brewery’ across all member countries and for all countries to extend the same level of government support and subsidies to these ’qualified’ breweries irrespective of their country of origin.

Will Cricketers Arms become the Blue Moon of the Australian craft beer market? Billed a more mainstream craft beer brand, sales of Cricketers Arms have jumped off the back of a recent revamp.

Philemon and Baucis in Japan

Economic stagnation, a rapidly ageing population and consumer money hoarded rather than spent are usually blamed for the declining demand in the Japanese alcoholic beverages sector. If that sounds like what could lie in store for Old Europe, shouldn’t Western brewers take a long hard look at Japan?

Their creative accounting was not rewarded. Two private equity firms will have to pay Asahi Group Holdings’ local subsidiaries USD 200 million (EUR 160 million) to settle a dispute over the Japanese company’s acquisition of Independent Liquor in 2011. Asahi paid Pacific Equity Partners and Unitas Capital USD 1.3 billion for New Zealand’s beverage company Independent liquor, which was the Japanese brewer’s biggest purchase at the time.

Recent work by the Wine Economics Research Centre within the School of Economics of the University of Adelaide in Australia makes interesting reading. Published as a note entitled Excise Taxes on Wines, Beers and Spirits: An Updated International Comparison by the American Association of Wine Economists as Working paper No. 170, it compares the various excise taxes applied to wholesale prices for wines, beers and spirits across 30 selected countries, using data from January 1, 2012 and July 1, 2014.

What has become of Casella’s much touted Arvo beer brand which was launched a few years ago? Was it too mainstream to be considered craft? Or why would the erstwhile wine company Casella, now with the help of joint venture partner Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA), launch a range of beers under the Yenda brand?

The world’s number two drinks company, France’s Pernod Ricard, reportedly got slapped on the wrist by South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) and fined 10 billion won (EUR 7.5 million) for tax evasion, the Korea Times newspaper wrote on 10 October 2014.

The family that controls South Australia’s Coopers Brewery, Australia’s major privately-owned brewer, has quietly changed the company’s century-old constitution, which could make it almost impregnable to a hostile takeover, Australian media reported in October 2014.

Could it be that Cargill is cutting off its nose to spite its face? The Age newspaper reported on 8 October 2014 that Cargill, the owner of Australian maltster Joe White, is suing Joe White’s former owner Viterra because Joe White allegedly supplied brewers with sub-standard products. These allegations were made in a Victorian Supreme Court lawsuit filed by Cargill against Canada’s Viterra, a subsidiary of Swiss resources group and commodities trader Glencore.

It’s a big worry. What is to be done if political correctness goes over the top like in Australia? International media reported on 9 October 2014 that the West Australian Opera company has dropped its production of the opera Carmen from its repertoire because it features smoking.