Carlsberg Germany has sold about 6 million hl of beer in 2006, that is an increase of 2.1 percent over 2005.

Heineken too will not be spared the scourge of brewers: higher commodity costs. Because of the failure of last year’s barley harvest, Heineken estimates that its annual expense bill could rise by as much as EUR 180 million.

Like Molson Coors, like Heineken. Brewer Heineken expects to cut costs by EUR 135 million to EUR 155 million in 2007. It’s called the globalisation squeeze.

Pernod Ricard, Bacardi, Diageo and U.S. holding company Fortune Brands seem to be falling over themselves to buy Vin & Sprit, the maker of Absolut vodka, from the Swedish government. Private equity funds have also shown an interest.

InBev’s profits in 2006 rose on higher sales driven by volume growth in Latin America and central and eastern Europe, which helped to offset decline in western Europe.

Given the relatively small amount of beer brewed by Carlsberg in Italy, it has always puzzled market observers why Carlsberg insisted on keeping two breweries running. Finally, in March Carlsberg announced that it would concentrate its brewing in Italy at the brewery in Varese north of Milan.

In the case of the contested ownership of the Havana Club brand, the Provincial Court of Madrid has ruled that in Spain the brand belongs to Pernod Ricard, thus refuting Bacardi’s claims.

Rexam, the global consumer packaging company and the world’s leading beverage can maker, announces that it is investing £19.5m to double the capacity of its can making facility in Egypt by adding a new line.

As of February 2007 a new type of Guinness, Guinness Red, will be put on trial at more than 140 Mitchells & Butlers pubs from London to Aberdeen. Nine years after the introduction of Guinness Draught Extra Cold, which was the first entry into the extra cold draught beer category (1998), and 19 years after the invention of the widget, which revolutionised the at-home draught beer drinking experience, Guinness is making its latest innovation available to selected members of the public.

First you eat it, then you drink it – or is it supposed to be the other way round? In any case, Guinness has moved into bread. Its parent Diageo has licensed an Irish baker to produce a Guinness Whole Grain Bread and a U.S. company to launch a Guinness bread mix.