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Europe/Russia
Germany | The Haus Cramer Group, owner of Warsteiner brewery, is responding to the crisis in the German beer market by significantly trimming back its brewing capacity, media reported on 7 May. As part of the plan, the Herford brewery will close in August, while the group is seeking a buyer for its brewery in Paderborn.
Europe/Russia
United Kingdom | Approximately two British pubs closed per day in the first quarter of 2026, according to figures by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), released on 5 May. A total of 161 pubs shuttered across England, Scotland and Wales, equating to the loss of around 2,400 jobs. The demise of BrewDog would have added 38 bars alone.
Europe/Russia
United Kingdom | Premier Inn owner Whitbread is to cut about 3,800 jobs in the UK and Ireland, and shut its remaining 197 Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants in yet another pivot in its business strategy, media reported on 30 April.
Europe/Russia
France | According to rumour, the banking group Crédit Mutuel has won the tender to acquire the site of the former Heineken brewery “Esperance” (“Hope”) in Schiltigheim, a community in the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg. The 1.5 million hl brewery, which was put up for sale in 2022 and ceased production in December 2025 with the loss of 220 jobs, spans 13 hectares of land near the town centre.
Europe/Russia
France | After 33 days, US drinks group Brown-Forman said on 28 April that it ended talks with France’s Pernod Ricard over a possible business combination, after the two spirits companies failed to reach mutually agreeable terms. The companies first confirmed the discussions on March 26, while also warning there was no guarantee a deal would happen.
Europe/Russia
Belgium | AB-InBev, on 6 May, posted first quarter sales and profits well above forecasts, selling more drinks for the first time in years and contrasting with a gloomier mood at key rival Heineken.
Europe/Russia
United Kingdom | Guinness brewer Diageo, on 6 May, beat third-quarter sales forecasts, posting 0.3 percent growth in net sales, helped by strong Guinness demand in Ireland and the UK and stocking up in Latin America and the Caribbean ahead of the soccer World Cup.
Europe/Russia
The Netherlands | Heineken has started a court case against the US government over too-high import tariffs, CFO Harold van den Broek told company shareholders at Heineken’s annual general meeting on 23 April. He was quoted as saying by Dutch media that Heineken has paid “tens of millions of euros too much” to import raw materials and finished products into the United States.
Europe/Russia
Denmark | Royal Unibrew’s loss is Carlberg’s gain. Shares in Royal Unibrew lost more than a quarter of their value on 21 April, after PepsiCo reshuffled its Nordic bottling contracts, handing Carlsberg a long-term win and dealing a blow to its smaller Danish rival.
Europe/Russia
United Kingdom | Drinkers of some of the UK's most popular beer brands may have noticed that their pints are not as strong as they used to be. This is because breweries in the UK have been reducing the alcohol content of some of their most popular beers since 2023, and making huge tax savings as a result.
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BRAUWELT on tour
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BRAUWELT on tour
