Constellation wins Corona trademark dispute against AB-InBev

USA | A US court of appeals, on 25 March, upheld a 2023 decision that Constellation Brands can sell Modelo-branded hard seltzer drinks, dealing a blow to Grupo Modelo owner AB-InBev.

Anchor Brewing Company auction, the latest

USA | The winning bid for the Anchor Brewing Company was supposed to be announced at the end of January, but things appear to be delayed. It now seems as if the winner will be announced in late April.

Tobacco firm Altria sells down stake in AB-InBev

USA | Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, agreed to sell about one fifth of its stake in AB-InBev in order to raise cash for its own share buyback programme, which shall keep its investors happy.

Alternative Adult Beverages lose some lustre in US market

USA | Growth in Alternative Adult Beverages (AABs) – all those hard seltzer, cannabis beverages and RTD cocktails, which are positioned differently from traditional beer, distilled spirits, and wine – has started to cool.

Molson Coors’ contract agreement with Pabst ends December 2024

USA | Fifth-ranked US brewer Pabst is coming off a banner year, with volumes sales up 6.8 percent and dollars up 7.7 percent in 2023. Some of that growth is attributed to consumers boycotting Bud Light, which started in April last year.

China’s biggest brewer rolls out its Snow Beer in the US

USA | Faced with a declining domestic market, China Resources Snow Breweries (CRSB), a leading brewer in China, has entered the North American market, its importer said in February.

Former Stone CEO Maria Stipp joins juice firm Suja Life

USA | That was quick. And she does not even have to move house. Only a few weeks after she stepped down as CEO of San Diego’s Sapporo-Stone Brewing Co. in January, Maria Stipp took the helm at Suja Life, a San Diego brand known for its cold-pressed juices. Her appointment at the end of February follows the retirement of Suja Life’s former boss Bob DeBorde.

Teamsters picket Molson Coors Texas brewery over pay dispute

USA | The same week that Molson Coors announced record profits, it offered its workers less than a dollar in new wages. This angered the Teamsters union and more than 400 members began a strike at Molson Coors’ Fort Worth brewery, Texas, on 17 February.

New Belgium closes San Francisco brewery and taproom

USA | It is not just AB-InBev which is shuttering taprooms. Craft brewer New Belgium, which is owned by Japan’s Kirin, announced in early February that it has ceased operations at its San Francisco Mission Bay brewpub and restaurant with immediate effect.

Molson Coors hikes marketing spending to steal from Bud Light

USA | Molson Coors ended its 2023 financial year with net sales growth of 9.4 percent to USD 11.7 billion, thus meeting its full-year guidance. The firm increased its underlying net income by 32 percent to USD 1.2 billion. One of the drivers of that growth was the downfall of Bud Light.