Suntory Holdings Limited and Beam Inc., Deerfield, jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Suntory will acquire all outstanding shares of Beam for USD 83.50 per share in cash or total consideration of approximately USD 16 billion, including the assumption of Beam’s outstanding net debt. The consideration represents a 25 percent premium to Beam’s closing price of USD 66.97 on January 10, 2014. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2014, subject to Beam stockholders’ approval, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Those who thought that private equity firms are only good at milking assets need to think again. The private equity outfit KKR, which bought the Oriental Brewery in 2009 from AB-InBev for USD 1.8 billion including debt, recently re-sold it to AB-InBev for USD 5.8 billion. That’s three times the original transaction price. Not bad, eh?

It was a good year to marry into the family that owns Australia’s largest locally owned brewer, Coopers Brewery, Australian media joked in January 2014. Its 143 shareholders were showered with AUD 14.7 million (EUR 9.4 million) in dividends in fiscal 2013 (ending June 2013), making it the biggest pay-out in the brewer’s 150 year history.

Some achievement. Vietnam’s beer production grew faster than the country’s economy in 2013. For the full year, GDP was up 5.42 percent, while beer output rose 7.4 percent to 29 million hl, Vietnamese media report.

Thank heaven, Japan’s brewers are finally showing some sense. The nation’s main brewers are trying to increase sales of premium beer over cheap quasi-beer, after years of focusing on “third-segment” beers, known for their low to no malt contents.

Some say that Jakarta, along with its tropical partner, Bali, has the best nightlife anywhere in Southeast Asia, which seems like an incongruous reputation considering that close to 90 percent of Indonesia’s 250 million people are Muslims, making it by far the world’s largest Muslim population – greater than Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf countries combined.

Though its patience must have been sorely tested, Heineken has emerged as the largest shareholder in United Breweries (UB), after the Dutch picked up a 1.35 percent stake in India’s largest brewing company through deals on the stock exchange in December 2013.

Danish brewer Carlsberg has increased its stake in China’s Chongqing Brewery to 60 percent, strengthening its foothold in the world’s largest beer market by volume, and hopes to further increase its holding.

A woman at the top of a major beverage company. That’s a new one to us. On 2 December 2013, Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) announced the appointment of Alison Watkins, 50, currently CEO of GrainCorp, as Group Managing Director. She will join CCA on 3 March 2014, replacing the current and long-serving group MD Terry Davis, who had said earlier this year that he would step down on this date.

The much rumoured sale of San Miguel Brewery will ultimately prove if Japan’s Kirin is really keen on expanding its presence in Asia – or not. Kirin, which holds about 48 percent of San Miguel, has two options: either to join the fray and make an offer to the San Miguel Corporation for its 51 percent stake in the brewer, or do another stint like it did at Singapore’s Fraser & Neave (F&N) last year. Though holding a stake in F&N, it first let the beer division, Asia Pacific Breweries, go to Heineken. Then, in February this year, it sold its own 15 percent stake in the Singapore conglomerate F&N to Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, pocketing about USD 500 million in windfall profits.