The Netherlands | Heineken took a one-time impairment of EUR 874 million (USD 949 million) for the decline in valuation of its stake in China’s largest brewer.

Decluttering: Pernod Ricard sells bulk of wine unit

France | Pernod Ricard, the Paris-listed drinks firm, said on 17 July, that it will sell the majority of its wine portfolio to the owners of Australia's Accolade Wines, disposing of a dragging division to focus on its core business of spirits.

BrewDog to give up carbon negative claim

United Kingdom | The brewer and pub company BrewDog will let its claim to be a carbon negative brewery lapse, exiting the carbon credits market from November.

United Kingdom | Pub group and brewer Marston's has left the brewing industry after agreeing to sell its 40 percent stake in its UK joint venture with Carlsberg for GBP 206 million (USD 262 million).

The Big Brewers’ big bet on non-alcoholic beverages

United Kingdom | By taking over Pepsi bottler and soft drinks firm Britvic for USD 4.2 billion on 8 July, Carlsberg believes it will be better prepared to compensate declining beer consumption in Europe.

Mikkeller is making money from operations for the first time in five years

Denmark | Bjergsø Holding, which owns Danish craft brewers Mikkeller and WarPigs, as well as stakes in various on-premise operations, recently (25 June) published its annual report 2023.

Carlsberg buys stake in French craft brewer Brasserie du Pays Flamand

France | Funny that. A month after Mathieu Lesenne, co-founder of Brasserie du Pays Flamand, told delegates at the Brewers Forum in Lille about his dilemma of growing the firm – each costly investment in kit first led to overcapacity and then to frightful issues with being out of stock – media reported on 1 July that Carlsberg, via its French subsidiary Brasseries Kronenbourg, has purchased a minority stake in his brewery.

United Kingdom | Carlsberg has agreed to pay GBP 3.3 billion (USD 4.2 billion) to take over soft drinks firm and Pepsi bottler Britvic, following two bids which were rejected last month. Carlsberg will also buy out Marston’s stake in its UK brewing joint venture.

Corona brewed in Germany: what about the Reinheitsgebot?

Germany | It came as a shock to German brewers, when at the beginning of June, AB-InBev obtained an exemption to brew its Mexican label Corona Extra at its Hasseröder brewery for the German market and beyond. It was previously brewed in Belgium.

Molson Coors to exit Ireland – a rumour only?

Ireland | There is a substantiated rumour going around that Heineken Ireland is to take over the portfolio of Molson Coors Ireland, subject to Competition Authority approval.