Scotland hikes MUP by 30 percent to combat alcohol related harm

Scotland | The minimum unit price (MUP) at which alcohol can be sold in Scotland rose by 30 percent to GBP 0.65 (USD 0.85) on 1 October in an attempt to keep up with inflation over the past six years. MUP is not a tax to generate income for the government. Instead, it seeks to reduce the availability of cheap alcohol in shops by setting a minimum price.

Hertog Jan: The Dutch beer paradox

The Netherlands | It is quite an achievement. The AB-InBev-owned Hertog Jan pilsener, best known for its jolly, beer swilling duke on its label, overtook Heineken as the biggest selling beer in the Dutch off-licence in 2023. This success is not down to Hertog Jan’s competitive price. Nor to its ingredients. In fact, Dutch consumers seem oblivious to the fact that the pilsener is brewed with adjuncts – unlike Heineken beer, which is all-malt.

United Kingdom | The United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued a warning to the public on 5 September, that potentially deadly counterfeit bottles of a popular vodka brand are being circulated throughout the country.

German court issues five-year prison sentence for beer tax fraud

Germany | The Darmstadt Regional Court, on 5 September, found a 45-year-old man guilty of more than 900 cases of beer tax evasion to the order of EUR 11 million (USD 12.3 million) and sent him to prison for five years.

Independent Brewers of Europe: a new voice for beer culture

Austria | Europe's independent breweries are rising up against the Big Brewers’ market power. They seek to counter the trend towards standardised flavours with a conscious commitment to diversity and regional brewing culture, Austrian media reported on 19 September.

Campari expands further into Scotch whisky

Italy | Campari Group is banking on growth in whisky. The Italian drinks group said on 17 September, that it bought a 14.6 percent minority stake in single malt whiskies Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Tobermory and Ledaig, as well as blended whiskies Scottish Leader and Black Bottle from South Africa’s Capevin Holdings (CVH) for GBP 69.6 million (USD 92 million). It also gets a seat on the board.

UK Competition Watchdog to investigate Carlsberg’s Britvic deal

United Kingdom | The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has called for public comments on Carlsberg’s proposed GBP 3.3 billion (USD 4.2 billion) acquisition of soft drinks company Britvic. The regulator is seeking insights into whether the takeover could lead to a “substantial lessening of competition” within the UK market, media reported on 11 September.

Carlsberg to build soft drink plant in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan | Carlsberg is set to invest over USD 110 million in a new production facility for non-alcoholic beverages in Kazakhstan, the Russian news agency Interfax reported on 11 September.

Despite Heineken UK’s biggest price hikes, profit fell in 2023

United Kingdom | Heineken’s biggest-ever price rises in the UK failed to stop its profit being slashed during 2023, as it battled “economic volatility” and cozzy livs (a newish slang word for cost-of-living crisis).

United Kingdom | The Premier League club Arsenal FC inked a partnership with Athletic Brewing Company, America’s largest non-alcoholic brewery, which was founded in 2017. As part of the deal, the brand has been named Arsenal’s first official non-alcoholic beer partner, media reported on 7 August. The sponsorship deal will help Athletic expand its international footprint.