With the Brexit talks now underway, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has come out in its support for the approach outlined by leading industry groups, to ensure that, alongside the brewing and pub industry’s existing priorities, robust transitional arrangements are in place as the UK prepares to leave the European Union.

It was only a matter of time, after some obscure hints, before AB-InBev would kick off the process of selling its German beer brands Hasseröder and Diebels.

The silly season must be upon us or why would the Mexican Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) threaten to sue Heineken over its Desperados lager now? The tequila flavoured Desperados beer has been around for 20 years, having been developed by the Heineken-owned Fischer brewery in France in the 1990s.

With horse-drawn beer carriages, oompah music and free beer about 100 activists protested on 7 June 2017 outside the European Patent Office in Munich against a patent on barley. According to the Munich-based alliance “No Patents on Seeds”, both Heineken and Carlsberg lay claims to the proprietorship of a certain brewing barley, the resulting brewing process and the finished product. As they say, the barley originated from accidental mutations of genetic material.

This is not a beer on sale at an art show, it literally is a piece of art. Made specifically for documenta 14, one of the most important shows for contemporary art, Sufferhead stout was conceived by the Nigeria-born artist Emeka Ogboh.

We know that microbes in sewage plants work more effectively when blasted with Mozart’s music. But does music do wonders for yeast cells too? Embarking on a sort of school science project, the Danish producer of high-end consumer electronics Bang & Olufsen (B&O) teamed up with fellow Danish brewer Mikkeller to create Beobrew – a beer that is infused with music.

Camden Town Brewery, the London craft brewery acquired by AB-InBev in December 2015 for about GBP 85 million (USD 128 million), has invested GBP 30 million (USD 38 million) in a new brewing facility in London.

Tesco is not alone in betting on craft beer. Tapping into the GBP 100 million in annual craft beer sales (2016), the supermarket chain Asda extended its craft beer offering in May by adding over 100 new beers, including several exclusive products.

Consolidation among the mid-tier UK brewers continues as the real ale producer Charles Wells is to sell off its Bedford brewery to Marston’s in a GBP 55 million (USD 70 million) deal. The transaction was reported on 18 May 2017.

The brand unveiled its new Open Your World campaign at the end of April 2017, which challenges Brits to overcome prejudices and find common ground with others who have opposing views.