Reporting season may be upon us, but who can really work up an interest in Big Beer’s profits going up or down while colourful Czech politicians are busy writing yet another cliff-hanger in the never-ending Budweiser saga?

Carlsberg on 20 February 2012 announced that it will spend up to DKK 4.4 billion (USD 785 million) to buy the rest of Baltika’s shares which it does not own already to swing its ailing Russian business back to growth. Currently, Carlsberg holds an 85 percent stake in Russia’s Baltika brewery. Carlsberg will then delist the company.

They have been saying this for years. That they are seeking growth in Asia through acquisitions to offset sluggish business in Europe. But repeating this strategy over and over again does not make it any more real. Where are the acquisitions that could get Carlsberg out of its current fix?

"Russia is a very difficult market. ... I am not so sure about the growth potential of the next year, which might be minute or slightly decreasing", Heineken CEO Jean-François van Boxmeer said on 15 February 2012, when commenting on the brewer’s 2011 full year figures. And true: central and eastern Europe was the only market where Heineken saw revenue growth of 5 percent yet profits drop 7.2 percent (EBIT).

Who would have thought: while Budweiser Budvar's CEO and the Czech Minister for Agriculture continue with their public slugfest, several parties, including brewers Heineken, AB-InBev, Carlsberg, SABMiller, Molson Coors, Asahi as well as private-equity outfits, are rumoured to be interested in taking over the central European brewer StarBev, also headquartered in the Czech Republic. The Wall Street Journal broke the news on 22 February 2012.

Growth in the world beer market picked up to reach 2.7 percent in 2011, thanks to increased beer consumption in emerging markets, industry research group Plato Logic reported on 8 February 2012.

In the recent spat with Petr Bendl, the Minister of Agriculture, Budweiser Budvar’s Jiří Boček may have won a round – but not the fight. The long-time manager of state-owned brewery Budějovický Budvar (Budweiser Budvar) cleverly played the political card – Budweiser Budvar falling into the hands of Anheuser-Busch if it were to be privatised – to fend off criticism of his managerial style.

Drinks group Diageo has reported a rise in half-year profits as demand for its global brands continues to grow in emerging markets. Pre-tax profits were GBP 1.86 billion (USD 2.95 billion) for the six months to 31 December 2011, up 15 percent on the same period a year earlier.

With a sales increase of 2.2 percent to 22.1 million hl Bavarian brewers did significantly better in 2011 than brewers in the rest of Germany, not least because they managed to rev up beer exports. Nevertheless, their best efforts could not stem a further decline in German beer sales which dropped 0.1 percent year-on-year, the Bavarian Brewers Association reported on 7 February 2012.

After almost 35 years of service with SABMiller, Professor Barry Axcell, Group Chief Brewer, will retire from the company at the end of July 2012. SABMiller announced on 8 February 2012.