Diageo sells Guinness Ghana to France’s Castel Group

United Kingdom | Diageo said on 28 January that it was selling its 80 percent stake in the Ghana subsidiary to Castel, which already acts as a brewing and distribution partner to Diageo in a number of African markets. The transaction is valued at USD 81 million.

Molson Coors buys stake in Fevertree and takes over US distribution

United Kingdom | Fevertree’s investors were delighted. Shares of Fevertree Drinks surged almost 24 percent on 30 January, after Molson Coors took an 8.5 percent stake in a USD 88 million deal. It gives Molson Coors exclusive rights to market Fevertree’s cocktail mixers and tonic water in the United States.

Czech Republic exports more beer to Russia than before Ukraine war

Czech Republic | Between January and October 2024, the Czech Republic exported almost 331 000 hl beer to Russia, media reported in January. This is an increase of 27 percent year-on-year. Despite the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions, Russia is the third most important destination for the Czech beer, behind Germany and Slovakia.

Belgium’s trustbusters probe AB-InBev’s commercial terms

Belgium | The Belgian Competition Authority has launched a formal antitrust probe into AB-InBev over concerns its commercial conditions breach EU rules prohibiting abuse of dominance and anticompetitive agreements.

Renowned stockpicker Terry Smith dumps stake in Diageo

United Kingdom | Veteran investment manager Terry Smith has ditched his fund’s stake in drinks firm Diageo after almost 15 years. He reckons the drinks industry is in trouble due to the impact that weight-loss drugs could have in turning people off alcohol.

Whisky exports down 30 percent in first nine months of 2024

United Kingdom | Distillers should be worried. UK whisky exports were down by nearly 30 percent by value from January to September 2024, compared with the same period in 2023.

Russia’s new tariffs on “unfriendly nations” will hit brewers hard

Russia | 2025 began with a whole lot of bad tidings for foreign brewers: Not only did Russia confiscate AB-InBev-Efes’ local assets, it also announced new punitive tariffs on imports from countries it deems “unfriendly”, including Germany, effective 1 January 2025.

BrewDog’s James Watt may delay marriage to max out tax relief

United Kingdom | BrewDog’s co-founder James Watt suggested he may have to delay his marriage to reality TV star Georgia Toffolo for three years, so that he can claim a tax relief for investing in her raw dog food business. This was reported by the BBC on 18 December.

Russia | Will AB-InBev-Efes befall the same fate as Carlsberg’s Russian unit Baltika? In a novel twist, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, on 30 December 2024, signed a decree which placed AB-InBev-Efes’s Russian operations under temporary management. The decree involved handing over all of the joint venture’s assets to a firm called “GK Vmeste”.

Brouwer of Delirium Tremens buys Gouden Carolus brewer Het Anker

Belgium | Is the sale of family brewer Het Anker to industry peer Huyghe Brewery, which became public on 26 December 2024, just a lucky match? Or is it a symptom of a wider industry malaise that a swift exit may be the best option all things considered? Beer sales in Belgium dropped 5.8 percent in 2023 over 2022, while exports declined 7.5 percent, according to industry association Belgian Brewers.