Perhaps Munich’s craft beer lovers felt the seven-year itch one year earlier than usual. Or why did visitors of Braukunst live 2017, the annual craft beer festival that was held in Munich for the sixth time from 10 to 12 February, get the impresson that there was less of a throng than in previous years? Still, there were about 100 exhibitors and reportedly 9,000 visitors (the same number as in 2016).

Were investors Lemann and Buffett only testing the water? On 17 February 2017, their giant company Kraft Heinz made a surprise USD 143 billion bid for rival Unilever, only to revoke it a few days later.

Sales of beer declined slightly in 2016, prompting renewed calls from the industry for a one penny cut in beer duty in the Budget on 8 March 2017. The drop still means that 78 million fewer pints of beer were sold in 2016 compared with the previous year, according to figures released by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), an industry body.

Heineken’s acquisition of almost 2,000 pubs from British chain Punch Taverns is to be investigated by the UK’s competition watchdog, it was reported on 16 February 2017.

Dutch brewer Heineken on 14 February 2017 reported a rise in full-year operating earnings and revenue and said it will continue to improve profit margins this year, despite volatile markets and unfavourable currency movements.

Why did Carlsberg decide to sell its stake in United Romanian Breweries Bereprod (URBB) to its Israeli partner Central Bottling Company (CBC)? According to URBB’s CEO Shachar Shaine, URBB’s turnover in 2017 is to exceed EUR 120 million amid rising exports and local sales. URBB’s sales were nearly 335 million lei (EUR 74.6 million) in 2015. In 2016, URBB’s businesses reportedly increased by around 14 percent in turnover, while profit rose 40 percent.

Although Danish brewer Carlsberg on 8 February 2017 reported its third year in a row of falling profits, executives called 2016 a good year for Carlsberg.

Just when you think you see the light at the end of the tunnel – uh-oh. Investors in Carlsberg were in for a big surprise when Carlsberg reported its full year 2016 results on 8 February 2017. Although Carlsberg said that the decline in the Russian beer market has possibly flattened out, the Danish brewer nevertheless forecast a 5 percent drop in volumes for 2017.

Looks like things are brightening up for Russia’s brewers. In 2016, beer sales in Russia declined only between 1 and 2 percent estimates Frans Hoyer, an analyst with Denmark’s Jyske Bank, who has been following the brewer for the past 40 years.

Hola! AB-InBev and Molson Coors want to get in on the action early before prices go through the roof.