Nigeria | Diageo is pulling the plug on Nigeria and selling its stake in Guinness Nigeria, joining other multinationals who are exiting or reducing their exposure. The West African nation is facing its worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. The Singapore-based Tolaram Group agreed to buy Diageo’s 58 percent majority stake in stock market-listed Guinness Nigeria for USD 70 million, it was announced on 11 June.

C&C Group CEO quits amid accounting errors

Ireland | What is going on at Irish drinks group C&C, owner of Tennent’s beer and Magners cider? CEO Patrick McMahon stepped down with immediate effect on 7 June, after the company was forced to make retrospective charges totalling EUR 17 million (USD 18 million) to previously reported financial statements. These include a total underlying operating profit adjustment of EUR 5 million and an exceptional charge of EUR 12 million, related to “onerous apple contracts”.

Finland legalises sale of stronger alcoholic drinks in supermarkets

Finland | The Finish parliament has further dismantled its alcohol monopoly: A vote, on 5 June, permits supermarkets to sell fermented alcoholic beverages with up to 8 percent ABV, up from the previous limit of 5.5 percent ABV. The amended law came into effect on 10 June.

Warsteiner brewery’s strategy swing to contract brewing

Germany | Is this the way forward? Warsteiner seeks to expand its contract brewing business this year. It already brews the Polish beer brand Tyskie (Asahi) at its main plant in Warstein and hopes to add some more. Warsteiner which is privately owned by Haus Cramer Group, thus concedes that its brewery is at best utilising 30 percent of its capacity with its core brands.

Brewers Forum: Member engagement is key

France | It seems there are few things people like to complain about more passionately than the EU – as if Europe could be reduced to the shorthand “Brussels Bureaucracy”. In the EU, the parliament is an equal legislator together with the national governments, so that the major political currents on the continent are reflected there, not least the generational issue of tackling the climate crisis. The decision to hold the Brewers Forum together with the EBC Congress shortly before the EU parliamentary elections was therefore auspicious.

Beer output of global top 40 brewers declines in 2023

 Germany | Hop firm BarthHaas estimates that the beer output of the world’s 40 largest breweries fell by 2.2 percent to around 1.62 billion hl. Still, they controlled a staggering 86 percent of global production. It is also striking how concentrated global beer production is: The top 3 brewers alone – AB-InBev, Heineken and China Resources Snow Breweries – account for more than half of the top 40’s output.

Heineken acquires stake in Dutch hard seltzer brand Stëlz

The Netherlands | It is a bit surprising that Heineken would buy a minority stake in the hard seltzer brand Stëlz, considering that these beverages have not exactly taken the European market by storm. This is not for the big firms’ lack of trying. During the pandemic, Coca-Cola launched Topo Chico and Heineken its own Pure Piraña, following what the brewer called “a successful trial” in Mexico and New Zealand.

Nordic Technical Meeting 2024: The road ahead

Denmark | Hosted by the Danish Brewers Guild, the 29th Nordic Technical Meeting in Copenhagen (15-16 May) focused on a wide range of social and technical issues which will impact, one way of another, the brewing industry in Europe in the coming years.

BrewDog: the next chapter

United Kingdom | James Watt, who founded the craft brewer and bar operator with business partner Martin Dickie 17 years ago, said on 8 May, he would step down from his role as CEO and hand over the reins to current chief operating officer James Arrow.

Diageo announces plans to decarbonise home of Guinness

Ireland | Decarbonisation will come at a cost. Drinks company Diageo said on 16 May, that it will invest more than EUR 100 million (USD 110 million) towards decarbonising St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin.