Belgium | AB-InBev was the last of the European brewers to report first quarter results. On 7 May 2020 it said that it sold 10.5 percent less beer than a year ago.

Austria | When Europe’s governments put hospitality venues into lockdown in March, the effects were severe. Heineken’s beer sales alone dropped 15 percent over 2019. The second quarter will be worse, despite some countries cautiously reopening pubs and restaurants.  

Switzerland | The country’s oldest craft brewer Unser Bier from Basle, calls itself lucky that 2019 was another profitable year and that it is debt-free. It is already noticing a massive drop in turnover as the on-premise, where it makes half of its revenues, has been shuttered since 16 March 2020.

Switzerland | The number of brewery openings rose 11 percent in 2019, to reach 1,132 breweries, after only 32 breweries in 1990 and 81 in 2000. However, most of them – 811 – are really nano-breweries with an annual output of under 20 hl beer.

Belgium | AB-InBev has halved its 2019 final dividend to EUR 0.50 per share in order to save about EUR 1 billion (USD 1.1 billion). The 2019 total dividend came to EUR 1.30 (or EUR 2.6 billion for all shares outstanding) after EUR 1.80 in 2018.

Germany | The deferral of the beer excise is intended to give breweries greater financial scope during the coronavirus crisis. Breweries pay excise into their respective state coffers. It totalled at around EUR 650 million (USD 707 million) in 2019.

United Kingdom | Pubs will remain shut for the foreseeable future. But what is going to happen to the beer in their cellars, estimated at 50 million pints?

France | With planes grounded and airports dormant, drinks companies will see a sizeable chunk of their profits wiped out this year, not least due to duty free sales bombing.

Germany | What can brewers do in times of “social distancing” when their bog-standard commercials and ads show people sharing a beer? Well, pull them.

United Kingdom | New times breed new ideas. Given that pubs and bars the world over have been forced to shut, Scottish brewer BrewDog has responded by moving its bar business to the internet.