How does a craft brewer spoil himself for his 50th birthday? Answer: He builds himself another brewery. Sweden’s major craft brewer Oppigards, owned by husband and wife team Björn and Sylvia Falkeström, is currently putting the finishing touches to a second brewery which is to go on stream in early September. Mr Falkeström’s birthday is in early October.

Taking a break from writing the definitive book on his Beer Monopoly, the French beer economist Germain Hansmaennel celebrated his 70th birthday on 5 July 2016 in Strasbourg. It was a lavish party for over 100 people, among whom were representatives from the hop merchant Barth Haas Group and the Tucher brewery as well as his two co-authors.

The European Commission, which also serves as the EU’s antitrust watchdog, has launched a probe into AB-InBev over concerns that it is using its dominant position in Belgium to prevent “parallel trade” of its own brands from neighbouring countries.

Carlsberg will restructure its business to focus on its brewing operations. It will cease to run its own distribution services in the UK, it was reported on 29 June 2016. Additionally, it will no longer provide porterage services, as it will transfer its remaining logistics operations to DHL Tradeteam during 2017 and 2018. The move follows a review of its supply chain.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2016 has signed a bill prohibiting the production and sale in Russia of beer in plastic bottles larger than 1.5 litres. The bill affects the production of such bottles from 1 January 2017. Sales will be banned from 1 June 2017.

Following the victory of the Brexiteers on 23 June 2016, investors were given their first taste of the turbulence they can expect in the weeks and months to come. On Friday, 24 June 2016, the FTSE 100 index plunged as much as 549.36 points before staging a partial recovery to close down 199.41 points at 6,138.69.

You may have been wondering, while watching television during the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, what the word “Probably” – posted on the perimeter advertising boards in all nine stadiums in France – refers to. Is it a mistake? And who’s behind it?

A heady sum. It’s finally been revealed what SABMiller paid for the London craft brewer Meantime last year. According to SABMiller’s annual report 2016, published on 20 June 2016, the company spent USD 191 million on the Meantime business and its assets. When the acquisition was announced in May 2015, both companies declined to disclose financial details. Guesses ranged between GBP 20 and 40 million (USD 61 million) for a 100,000 hl beer business (2015).

It’s an indication that competition among craft brewers is heating up if they start bickering over words and take each other to court. Redwell Brewery, a microbrewer from Norwich, has agreed to stop producing its Hells Lager in an out-of-court agreement after another craft brewer, Camden Town, which already had a beer with the same name, threatened it with legal action.

They seem to have friends in high places (up in Scotland, that is). Probably following recommendations from northern power brokers, the two founders of Scottish craft brewer BrewDog have been awarded MBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.