Ireland introduces minimum unit pricing for alcohol

Ireland | Following the introduction of minimum unit prices for alcohol on 4 January 2022, some alcohol has almost doubled in price at Irish shops and supermarkets.

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UK supermarket group Asda launches draught beer experiment

United Kingdom | The concept is hardly new. America’s largest supermarket chain Kroger began installing in-store craft beer taps in 2015 already. But supermarket group Asda will be the first in the UK to trial selling draught craft beer.

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Consolidation among US beer distributors continues

USA | The beer distribution model has changed dramatically over the past few decades, says the Beverage Marketing Corporation, New York. With the focus on scale and efficiencies, consolidation among distributors has given rise to mega-distributors, such as the privately-owned Reyes Beer Division, a part of Reyes Holding (estimated turnover of USD 29 billion), and Columbia Distributing, headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

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US on-premise in straits as drinking occasions evolve

USA | The beer industry enters into the summer selling season with a stiff wind at its back, at least in terms of shipments. Brewers had a very solid start to 2021. Was 2020 just a passing storm with no lasting impact?

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Korea’s on-premise suffers as punters flog to the supermarkets

Korea | Before covid-19, South Korea was one of the leading markets for booze. Beer and soju were consumed the most. What is more, one in two beers was sold in bars and restaurants. As the pandemic has prevented people from enjoying get-togethers and socialising, the beer market is undergoing a dramatic change.

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US beer sales in 2020 almost unaffected by covid-19

USA | The NBWA, the beer distributors’ industry body, says that Americans were consuming virtually the same volume of beer in a year-over-year analysis. But within the segment there have been remarkable shifts.

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Heineken trials in-store beer taps in Paris supermarket

France | The covid-19 pandemic forces brewers to get more creative. Long a feature of US supermarkets, Heineken has finally latched onto the concept in Europe. The brewer is running a trial for draught beer dispensers and returnable growlers in a supermarket in Paris.