Is it because Australian beer drinkers are shunning traditional brands that SABMiller on 23 May 2014 had to report that three of its top Australian brands have witnessed declines in volumes over the past year?

Global drinks group Diageo has received regulatory approval for an open offer to acquire a 26 percent stake in United Spirits for an estimated Rs 114.48 billion (EUR 1.4 billion/USD 1.9 billion), it was reported.

Alison Watkins, the new Group Managing Director of Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) is not to be envied her task at hand: turning CCA around. Nothing less will do. CCA’s stock is down over 40 percent since May last year, reducing the soft drink-to alcohol-producer’s market value to AUD 7.3 billion (EUR 4.9 billion).

Over 300 delegates attended the IBD Asia Pacific Convention in Vietnam (23 to 28 March 2014).

Last week’s announcement (29 April 2014) by the Australian consumer watchdog ACCC that it has reprimanded brewer Carlton & United (CUB) over the manner in which it advertised Byron Bay Pale Lager (Brauwelt International reported) seems set to have wider implications for the brewing industry.

Too “crafty” for their own good? Australian brewers have been put on notice over misleading craft beer labels after SABMiller-owned CUB was fined for potentially fooling drinkers, Australian media reported on 29 April 2014.

After months of speculation, AB-InBev, the world's major brewer, confirmed on 24 April 2014 that it has fully acquired the Chinese beer company Siping Ginsber, but did not disclose financial terms of the purchase. The acquisition was approved in March by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and Chinese media valued the deal at EUR 450 million (USD 622 million).

A full-page advertisement in an Adelaide daily newspaper on the eve of the State election on 15 March 2014 reminded readers that “Coopers began life 152 years ago as a really small business with a bathtub as a brewery” and urged readers “to support the team who pledged its support to small business.” The ad, which showed a gilded bathtub, was signed by Tim Cooper, the Managing Director and his cousin Glenn Cooper, the Chairman of Australia’s number three brewer.

Now comes the counter attack. The two private equity firms that are being sued for NZD 500 million (EUR 320 million) by Asahi over their sale of the beer-cum-alcopop company Independent Liquor have retaliated by filing a cross claim against two of Independent’s most senior Australasian executives, Australian media reported at the end of March 2014.

Following the catastrophic melamine-contamination scandal of 2008, the Chinese authorities and Chinese consumers have become understandably nervous about other possible contaminants in food and drink products. But why manganese in imported wines has now been singled out by the Chinese authorities as a “baddy” leaves a lot of room for wild speculation.