Neither AB-InBev nor Heineken has confirmed it, but a persistent rumour in the Caribbean has it that the two brewers are in a USD 1.5 billion race to buy the Dominican Republic’s biggest brewer Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana (CND).

After three years of straight volume declines, AB-InBev thinks it’s got a plan. As the President of North American operations, the Brazilian-born Luiz Edmond, told the Wall Street Journal on 29 March 2012, the brewer will produce more beers this year, while leaning on its distributors not to carry the competition’s beers.

U.S. Craft brewers saw volume (by craft brewers represent total taxable production) rise 13 percent, with a 15 percent increase in retail sales from 2010 to 2011, representing a total barrel increase of 1.3 million.

Not a good year but it probably could have been worse. MillerCoors said on 16 February 2012 that net sales dipped 0.3 percent to USD 7.55 billion for the 12 months to the end of December 2011. Net profits fell 5.5 percent to USD 1.01 billion over 2010, even though the number two brewer in the U.S. delivered the final tranche of USD 765 million in synergies related to its formation as a joint-venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors.

The Beer Institute on 13 February 2012 released new data that show retail beer sales rose more than 2 percent in 2011, highlighting beer’s continued strength within the alcohol beverage sector. While U.S. beer production, according to the Beer Institute, was down 2 percent, sales revenue, in both the on-premise and off-premise sector, was USD 98 billion last year.

The search is over: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company from California announced that it has chosen a site in the state of North Carolina for the future home of a 360,000 hl East Coast brewery. Lured to North Carolina by a USD 3.5 million tax break, Sierra Nevada will spend USD 100 million on a new production facility, as well as a proposed restaurant and gift shop.

The revival: Craft brewing in the USA

Craft brewing must be one of the most popular buzz words in the world of beer. The phenomenon has spread from the US craft brewing scene all over the world. Starting with this issue, BRAUWELT International will introduce to you craft brewers, microbrewers and beer enthusiasts from all around the world, and who would be better to kick off this series than Mr. Charlie Papazian, President of the Brewers Association. The first part of this article was initially published at www.craftbeer.com. Here, Charlie Papazian describes the history and the development of craft brewing in the USA. The second part is an interview with him in which he gives his personal view on the topic.

Ah, the sheer power of a global brand. North American brewers will be eating out their heart: while they watch beer volumes decline, Coca-Cola, the world’s largest soft-drink maker, reports volume increases and price hikes.

For diligent citizens watching the seemingly endless series of Republican Presidential candidate debates, the Washington Times Newspaper on 16 January 2012 devised a beer drinking game which tells viewers which craft beer to down as candidates deliver a painful litany of clichés.

Silly me: I had thought that the Super Bowl – 5 February 2012 – was the undisputed biggest moment of the year for America’s Ad Men. OK, it is also one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, if you are a fan of football.