In May the alcohol beverage industry in Australia continued to be subjected to increasing pressures from legislators, the community and the media as concerns the problems caused by excessive consumption of alcohol.

Australia´s former conservative leader John Howard was awarded the country´s highest honour in the Queen´s birthday awards list. The list released on 9 June 2008 includes awards of the Medal of the Order of Australia (AM) to a brewing industry notable: Dr Timothy J Cooper of the Coopers Brewery in Adelaide.

Anyone volunteering to break up Foster´s wine and beer business? Amid all the razzmatazz surrounding the InBev takeover attempt of Anheuser-Busch, the resignation of Foster´s CEO Trevor O´Hoy at the beginning of June has almost gone unnoticed.

Baltika buys Baku-Castel

Too late. Although Efes CEO Alejandro Jimenez made some ominous remarks at the Canadean Madrid conference in April that Efes was planning further acquisitions in the former Soviet Union states, Efes was beaten to the pole by its Russian rival Baltika when it came to clinching a deal with the French-owned Baku-Castel brewery in Azerbaijan.

A specialist wine school, the Sydney Wine Academy, has been established at the Ryde College campus of the TAFE Northern Sydney Institute.

The climate change threatens beer production in Australia and New Zealand says scientist Jim Salinger.

Reviewing the mainstream beer situation in Australia, it appears that brand preference and brand loyalty is still a state-by-state thing, with each state having a separate, strong identity.

Foster’s latest print ad for Crown Lager plays the national card.

The federal government moved on 27 April to increase the excise on alcohol in alcopops (RTDs) from AUD 39 to AUD 66 per litre, in response to a report showing a spike in binge drinking by teenage girls.

Too late. Although Efes CEO Alejandro Jimenez made some ominous remarks at the Canadean Madrid conference in April that Efes was planning further acquisitions in the former Soviet Union states, Efes was beaten to the pole by its Russian rival Baltika when it came to clinching a deal with the French-owned Baku-Castel brewery in Azerbaijan.