Chicago, June 2014: The American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) and the Master Brewer Association of the Americas (MBAA) are staging their second “Brewing Summit” in Chicago. Presentations are lining up, one after the other. In-between, meritorious brewers are honoured, receiving the most diverse awards. The Eric Kneen Prize of the ASBC for scientific work, the “Honorary Life” Membership of the ASBC, the Brewer Award of Excellence of the MBAA … And what have we been doing? Don’t we have any brewers that we can be proud of? Scientists who have rendered outstanding services to research?

he beer market in Brazil has always been of great importance in the global arena. Annual production in the country has now reached approximately 141 million hl, making Brazil the world’s third largest beer producer. In this article Alfredo Ferreira, Executive Director at the Instituto da Cerveja, São Paulo, Brazil gives an overview of the steadily growing craft beer segment in Brazil, its history, development and primary challenges.

Upstart brewers, what are your plans to raise money? Beg, steal or borrow? All three of these are poor options.

The craft brewing industry has continued a strong pace of growth in the first half of 2015, according to new mid-year data released by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American craft brewers. American craft beer production volume increased 16 percent during the first half of the year.

Beer is brewed almost everywhere in the world, though the circumstances and conditions under which this takes place differ substantially. A look at countries that are not immediately regarded as being in the top league beer producers provides interesting impressions of the most diverse beer cultures. There are, however, countries that do not encourage anybody looking around, whether into politics or into beer. Eritrea belongs in this category - which is why a visit to the State Brewery of this North East African state is an event of exceptional rarity.

Inadequate control of energy and media supply and poor tracking of actual requirements raise energy costs. This well-known problem relating to supply of refrigeration and heat has also been recognised by the medium-sized Haller Löwenbräu brewery, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. In the context of a major project involving replacement of heat, refrigeration and compressed air utilities, these problems have been addressed and remedied by installing state-of-the-art technology.

When reading about Bulgaria, one would consider it a relatively “normal European country”. It is a member of NATO as well as a member of the European Union. In 2016, Bulgaria will introduce the euro as its official currency. Our author Dr. Markus Fohr has been visiting Bulgaria regularly since 1999 and gives his impressions on its brewing history and beer scene.

Hear, hear: At the recent high-level Beverage Forum in Chicago (21 to 22 April 2015), organised by the Beverage Marketing Corporation, Wall Street analysts would not rule out a deal for AB-InBev in the near future.

Beer is Canada’s favourite alcoholic drink, and the brewing sector is one of the country’s oldest industries, with 85 percent of production owned by Canadian brewers. The sector’s vitality is of crucial importance, as it drives a whole industry – from the barley field to the pint, which is reflected in an exponential boom in craft breweries.

Holy cow! Did the earth shake and no one noticed? In Sweden a microbrewer is nominated for the award “entrepreneur of the year” by the independent conservative newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. In other parts of the world this accolade would hardly raise an eyebrow because the most talked-up entrepreneurs in recent years have either been craft brewers or internet whiz kids. But in Sweden the nomination of Björn Falkeström, who set up the Oppigårds Brewery in 2003, indicates that something close to a cultural revolution has taken place.