Europe | The concept of “total beverage company” is having a comeback. There was a time when only Foster’s and SABMiller styled themselves such. Now the idea is proving attractive again.

Sweden | Investment firm Röko has acquired 70 percent of Sweden’s leading independent craft brewery, Oppigards Bryggeri, from founder and CEO Björn Falkeström, who will retain 30 percent.

United Kingdom | While other pub chains announced plans to close some venues and warned over job cuts, BrewDog has confirmed that it seeks to open 20 new bars across the UK and internationally. There are already more than 100 bars in its estate.

United Kingdom | Heineken's UK pub business, Star Pubs and Bars, was fined GBP 2 million (EUR 2.2 million) by the pub industry watchdog, after forcing tenants to sell “unreasonable levels” of its own beers and ciders.

Germany | The Federal Court of Justice overturned a ruling by a lower court in Düsseldorf, which had argued in April 2019 that the case against Carlsberg in the so-called German beer cartel had lapsed. Now the case needs to be retried.

Germany | Carlsberg Group will buy the Wernesgrüner Brewery, including the Wernesgrüner brand, in the Vogtland region of eastern Germany from Bitburger Brewing Group for an undisclosed price. The transaction, announced on 12 October 2020, is pending regulatory approval.

Switzerland | The covid-19 pandemic is also proving calamitous for breweries. Due to restaurants, bars and concert halls having been closed for months, and major events being cancelled, beer sales in the 2019/2020 brewing year (until 30 September) are likely to be significantly lower than in the previous year.

Europe | Governments across Europe have enforced new restrictions to slow the spread of covid-19. Unable to prevent people from socialising and fearful of the consequences of another lockdown, they resort to the only measure they have: closing pubs and bars.

Germany | Per its modelling, the global supplier of hop products, BarthHaas, estimates that this year global beer output could drop between 8 percent and 14 percent over 2019 because of the covid-19 pandemic.

United Kingdom | The government’s decision to encourage people to work from home has hit city centre pubs hard. The pub chain Fuller’s told the BBC it may have to lay off up to 10 percent of its staff – about 500 people.