At the German Brewers Association, which represents the country’s 1,300 brewers, they will be pleased that their open letter to six government ministers at the end of May 2013, in which they warn against fracking in their country and ask for a moratorium on the issue, was picked up widely by the media, making it even into the New York Times newspaper.

They did not use the derogatory term “fat cat” – but this seems to be the implication of a Sunday Times piece on Paul Walsh, CEO of Diageo. On 26 May 2013 the UK’s Sunday Times newspaper reported that Diageo’s departing CEO is to receive one of the biggest-ever farewell packages valued at GBP 50 million (EUR 58 million/USD 75 million).

This must be spirits marketers’ Newspeak. Or how can a liquid have a heart? With exactly those words Diageo on 27 May 2013 announced the winner of their bartender competition Show Your Spirit 2013 launched earlier this year. It’s a “Japanese” gin called Jinzu – pronounced, I guess “ginzu”. Geddit?

It was a bit of a damp squib: On 16 May 2013, following the recent developments in the EU-wide trademark registration case for Bud, AB-InBev’s top legal counsel Frank Hellwig tracked all the way to Prague for a special press conference to announce that the world’s major brewer was not interested in buying the Czech beer icon Budweiser Budvar and how did the country respond?

Why is it when you talk to Josef Sigl and his son Seppi of the Trumer Brewery you get the impression that they are fairly pleased with their lot? Is it because they regularly scoop prizes for Trumer Pils as the best German-style pilsner in the world – albeit always competing for the top spot with Trumer Pils brewed in Berkeley, United States, by their friends at the Gambrinus Company?

The Indian-born Ivan Menezes, 53, currently Chief Operating Officer of Diageo, is to succeed Paul Walsh as CEO of the drinks giant behind Smirnoff and Guinness at the beginning of July this year.

On 7 May 2013 Carlsberg reported a 22 percent rise in first-quarter operating profits and a 3 percent rise in revenues as strong beer sales in Asia more than compensated for sluggish European markets.

Is Heineken selling non-core businesses in a desperate attempt to lift this year’s earnings? According to rumour, Heineken will off-load its Finnish business in the coming months. And on 3 May 2013 international media reported that the brewer is also seeking a buyer for its Vrumona soft-drink business in the Netherlands.

The Federation of Rhine-Westphalian Breweries is facing antitrust proceedings by the German authorities. According to Cologne newspapers of 30 April 2013, several of the Federation’s top officials have been involved in illegal price fixing.

It seems to be a common feature of mature beer markets around the world: volumes of craft beer rise while overall beer consumption declines. Same in Ireland. For several years now, beer consumption has gone south. Last year it dropped 1.8 percent on 2011 while the value of the beer market dipped by a similar 1.8 percent or EUR 400 million to EUR 2.45 billion, says Heineken. Per capita beer consumption now stands at about 86 litres, down from 90 litres in 2010.