Russia | That was quick. In agreement with Dutch Heineken, its Russian subsidiary United Heineken Breweries has changed its name to United Breweries Holding, Arnest’s CEO Alexey Sagal told Russian media on 5 December. The former Heineken unit will now be known under the acronym OPH.

United Kingdom | Tough trading conditions and rising costs means that overall brewery numbers in the UK have slipped back slightly in the third quarter of 2023, according to the Society of Independent Brewer’s (SIBA) latest tracking figures.

Germany | The German Federal Cartel Office suspects Coca-Cola Europacific Partners of abusing its dominant position in the retail market to the detriment of other manufacturers. The largest bottler by revenue in Coke’s bottling system globally allegedly offered retailers better purchasing conditions if they included the full product range in their offerings, which may have hindered its competitors.

United Kingdom | Jump Ship Brewing, a start-up selling non-alcoholic beers, is suing BrewDog over claims that the multinational beer and pub firm could cause “confusion” and “harm” to its brand, media reported on 21 November.

Germany | Despite calls for a lower VAT rate on food in the catering industry to prevent further insolvencies, the coalition government, on 17 November, agreed that, as of January 2024, VAT will be hiked to 19 percent again, from currently 7 percent.

Russia | Mr Putin may deny it, but de-privatisation is definitely taking place. The court-mandated asset seizures of Baltika and Danone in July are not isolated cases. They are part of a broader strategy, impacting the oil and gas sector, infrastructure facilities, enterprises related to the military-industrial complex, the chemical industry, and agriculture. Both Russian and foreign businesses are affected.

United Kingdom | What a brouhaha: Speaking to media at the firm’s AGM in October, Innis & Gunn’s CEO Dougal Sharp said that “the firm is for sale”. He referred to a subsidiary, Flavourly, but some hacks thought it was the Scottish craft brewer itself. At the end of October, the brewer had to issue a statement, saying that Innis & Gunn has no plans to sell up.

United Kingdom | What do punters see in all those Mediterranean lagers? Thanks to their popularity, AB-InBev is expanding its UK beer portfolio with the release of a new 4.5 percent ABV Italian-style lager, Via Roma, exclusively at the supermarket chain Sainsbury’s.

Czech Republic | State-owned Budweiser Budvar entered into three collaborations this year: with craft brewer Brlo from Berlin, Thornbridge from Derbyshire, and most recently with Mikkeller from Copenhagen. The plan was to share the Czechs’ brewing knowledge with selected craft breweries.

United Kingdom | Drinks group Diageo warned that growth in operating profits will slow in the six months to the end of December, as cash-strapped customers in Latin America and the Caribbean are drinking less and trading down. Immediately, its shares dropped 16 percent, wiping some GBP 15 billion (USD 19 billion) from its market capitalisation.