Diageo to cut more costs as tariffs bite

United Kingdom | Profit at leading drinks firm Diageo has fallen far short of analysts’ expectations as high costs hammer the drinks giant. Net sales fell 0.1 percent to USD 20.24 billion in the 12 months to the end of June compared with a year earlier, Diageo reported on 5 August.

AB-InBev hikes profits despite volume dip

Belgium | Shares of AB-InBev plunged as much as 11 percent on 31 July, after the world’s major brewer posted a worse-than-feared decline in second-quarter volumes. The Budweiser maker said volumes declined 1.9 percent (-3 million hl) year-on-year over the three-month period, well ahead of the 0.3 percent dip forecast by analysts. The volume decline was attributed to weaker demand for its beers in China and Brazil. In the first half of 2025, AB-InBev sold a total of 6 million hl less beer than in the same period last year.

Heineken’s revenue down 5 percent in first half of 2025

The Netherlands | Heineken reported a 5 percent decline in revenue for the first half of 2025, totalling EUR 16.9 billion. The Dutch brewer, on 28 July, attributed the drop primarily to the stronger euro, which reduced the value of its foreign earnings when converted to euros, particularly from markets such as Mexico, Brazil, and Ethiopia.

Deposit on cans disrupts Austria’s beer market

Austria | Major changes to Austria’s beverage container deposit scheme on 1 January have led to “structural changes” in the beer market. Although there are no data available yet, observers suspect that sales of canned beer and beverages have declined significantly, especially in Austria’s regions which border Hungary and Slowenia. Cross-border shoppers liked to stock up on deposit-free beer. No longer, apparently.

How private equity swallowed the BrewDog Unicorn

United Kingdom | Analysing BrewDog’s 2017 deal with private equity outfit TSG Consumer Partners (TSG) that established James Watt as the founder of a unicorn (a company worth USD 1 billion) and made his fortune, the Financial Times, on 17 July, concluded that the 130,000 or so “Equity Punks” are sitting on worthless shares, unless a generous buyer suddenly appears for the lossmaking BrewDog.

Germany’s Oettinger closes another brewery

Germany | Domestic beer consumption is in decline. And that has consequences. Having shuttered its brewery in Gotha three years ago, the budget beer producer Oettinger is now also closing its brewery in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, the company announced on 21 July. Both sites had a capacity to produce beer and non-alcoholic beverages in excess of 1 million hl each.

United Kingdom | It does not happen often that the CEO of a major listed company resigns three weeks ahead of posting annual results. The departure of Diageo’s CEO Debra Crew on 16 July must have been so sudden – albeit by mutual agreement – that Diageo’s Chief Financial Officer Nik Jhangiani is taking over in the interim as the board searches for a successor.

WHO wants prices on sugary drinks, booze and fags raised by 50 percent

Spain | The World Health Organisation (WHO) is back in the headlines, pushing countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50 percent over the next ten years through taxation. This is its strongest backing yet for taxes to help tackle public health issues. The initiative, dubbed “3 by 35”, was launched at the United Nations Finance for Development conference in Seville, Spain, media reported on 4 July.

BrewDog’s co-founder Martin Dickie enters into medical cannabis

United Kingdom | Martin Dickie, 42, is hoping to become the market leader in medical cannabis, planning to invest GBP 20 million (USD 27 million) into his medical cannabis company over the next five years. Mr Dickie, who founded BrewDog with James Watt nearly 20 years ago, now runs Waterside Pharmaceuticals, the newspaper The Independent reported on 12 July.

Heineken study shows: Sports fans go for moderation

The Netherlands | When you think of Formula 1 and booze, what comes to mind? Most probably the iconic image of podium champagne showers. But a new global study by Heineken unveiled on 10 July suggests that F1 fans are increasingly steering towards a more moderate – and often alcohol-free – way to celebrate the sport.