U.S. packaging group Ball Corporation wants to buy its UK competitor Rexam, a move that would combine two of the world’s biggest can makers.

Looks like craft brewers are about to set new benchmarks for going international. “Have suitcase, 8,000 followers on Twitter, will travel”, is today’s modus operandi.

Bavarian brewers and how they like to see the world. When asked when craft beer hit Germany, officials of the Bavarian Brewers Association like to respond: 500 years ago. That’s when the Bavarian Purity Law for beer was implemented (1516).

Is this a sign how bad things have become? Vodka production in Russia has fallen dramatically in the past year. According to figures released by the statistics office Rosstat, 660 million litres of vodka were produced in 2014, a decline of 22.3 percent over 2013. In November and December the drop was most marked: in December, there was a decline of nearly 47 percent.

The good news first: Belgian brewers sold more beer in 2014. The volume growth in 2014, although not spectacular, could run into several thousands of hl, the Belgian magazine Trends reported on 28 January 2014. The increase in volumes should not be surprising at first sight because 2013 was a bad year, with a very long and cold winter and spring. On the other hand the summer months of July and August 2014 were very wet and often cold.

A silver lining? A decade of decline in UK beer sales has come to an end, with a 1.3 percent rise in UK beer sales in 2014, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) announced on 30 January 2015. Beer sales in pubs have begun to stabilise, showing a small decline of 0.8 percent in 2014, but this was the smallest decline in sales since 1996. Off-premise sales grew by 3.5 percent, matching the growth of last year, and taking off-licence and supermarket sales above on-premise sales, for the first time on record.

Shrewd move. The world’s number two brewer SABMiller has appointed Trevor Manuel, 58, as an independent non-executive director with effect from 1 March this year.

And we thought the sun would always shine on China beer (metaphorically speaking). But see what a spell of bad weather can do to a brewer that has a national market share of approximately 24 percent and operates 95 breweries across the country.

Globally, Guinness’ net sales declined 4 percent in the six months to December 2014, driven by a weaker performance in Nigeria, Indonesia and Britain, and the drinks company’s suppliers are going to feel the heat. Diageo, which owns Guinness beer has around 200 Irish suppliers, is extending its standard repayment term to 90 days from 60 days, Irish media reported on 30 January 2015.

If brewers can add spirits to their beers – think Desperados – so can cider manufacturers. Now there are spirit ciders – or “spiders” – to grab the attention of trend-conscious younger consumers. This burgeoning “spider” category has a new entrant in the form of Magners with Irish whiskey.