Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury has sparked a lot of controversy. Warren Buffett, the US investment guru who owns 9.4 percent of Kraft, publically warned Ms Rosenfeld not to overpay and issue too many new Kraft shares.

By all accounts, beer reaches the parts others cannot reach. It can arouse emotions so strong that citizens not known for their flaring temper suddenly decide to take to the streets. This is what happened in Luxembourg.

Depending on the market, SABMiller’s lager volumes are up, down or about the same. In Latin America, says SABMiller, lager volumes grew by 4 percent in the quarter.

So much for a united Europe. The world’s number one brewer AB-InBev intends to kick out 10 percent of its workforce and the public response is: “Yeah, so what?”

Beer should be portrayed as a traditional and enjoyable beverage, suitable for many occasions, while targeting diverse consumer groups. It should also be portrayed as a beverage of value, made from natural ingredients, which requires lots of tender loving care all the way to the glass.

It was the Belgian news magazine Trends which reported on 12 January 2010 that Mr Beyens had joined StarBev, the former central European business unit of AB-InBev that covers nine countries (Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia) and represented a sales volume of 15 million hl in 2008.

Transferring operations from the Hateg brewery to Heineken’s main Romanian breweries was a business decision within the actual economic context in order to optimise production and to consolidate Heineken’s business in the long term, the brewer reported on 14 January 2010. This will lead to 98 job losses.

Blame it on the usual suspects – the economy, the weather, demographics – that 2009 was one of the worst years for the German on-trade. Radeberger Group (Jever, Radeberger) says that beverage turnover in pubs and restaurants was down in two-digit numbers. Radeberger Group itself saw volumes in the on-trade drop 7 percent.

An AB-InBev spokesperson said the brewer was struggling with the "structural decline of the beer market." Germany and Belgium seem to be affected most by the decline in consumption, which is why job losses in these two markets are expected to be highest.

As we enter 2010, the brewers’ grapevine is abuzz with predictions that this year will be rough for many yet rewarding for a few. Bankers are already rubbing their hands anticipating a resurgence in deal activity after a disappointing year in which mergers and acquisitions activity plummeted by almost half. The total value of deals in Europe fell to USD 682.5 billion in 2009 and a return to the heady, debt-fuelled days of 2007 is not expected for some time, if ever. During that year, Europe’s dealmakers worked themselves into a frenzy, registering USD 1,857 billion-worth of mergers and acquisitions, the best year on record since 1995, it was reported.