Having seen its beer sales drop for several years, the number two brewer in the US, MillerCoors, announced on 4 September 2018 that it will cut 350 jobs as part of a new restructuring plan aimed at getting its business “back on track”. The last time MillerCoors did a corporate reorganisation was in 2013.

Can you taste independence in a beer? Of course, not in a literal sense. But as taste is a matter of tastebuds and mind coming together, the Brewers Association (BA) has launched a national awareness campaign for independent brewers.

Why now? PepsiCo is splashing out a bubbly USD 3.2 billion for the Israeli company SodaStream, a manufacturer of sparkling water kits. The transaction was announced on 20 August 2018. By our read of the numbers the outlay is about 30 times SodaStream’s profits (EBITDA).

What was all that about? The number three US brewer Constellation Brands could invest up to USD seven billion into Canada’s Canopy Growth, a nascent marijuana company. Is this a departure from Constellation’s playbook of buying craft brewers to increase overall revenues and sales?

Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford announced on 7 August 2018 that his government would lower the minimum price of a 355 ml bottle or can of beer with an alcohol content below 5.6 percent ABV to CAD 1.00 (USD 0.76) from CAD 1.25.

Here today, gone tomorrow. MillerCoors is ceasing production of cheap but cheerful Two Hats, the crafty-looking light beer, which came in lime and pineapple flavours. Taking its inspiration from – possibly – Bud Light Lime, the range was targeted at younger legal-age drinkers. Launched only in February this year, the economy-priced brand will exit the market in early 2019. MillerCoors announced its decision on its blog on 6 August 2018.

Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo, will step down in early October, the company announced on 6 August 2018. She held the top job for twelve years and was the firm’s fifth CEO in the group’s 41-year history. Her successor is a company insider, Ramon Laguarta, 54, a Spanish national, who has held various positions in his 22 years at PepsiCo.

Molson Coors quickly followed words with deeds and reported on 1 August 2018 that it has entered into a joint venture in Canada to develop cannabis-infused beverages for the domestic market.

Growth for small and independent craft brewers remained stable for the first half of 2018, according to new mid-year data released by the Brewers Association. Production volume for the craft segment increased five percent during the first half of 2018.

Constellation Brands has acquired Dallas-based Four Corners Brewing Company for an undisclosed sum. This transaction, announced in early July 2018, underlines Constellation’s regional approach to US craft beer. It previously bought Florida’s Funky Buddha in 2017 and California’s Ballast Point in 2015 for a staggering sum of USD one billion.