Copenhagen | Carlsberg increased its annual profit forecast after a solid first half, when the Danish brewer raised beer prices to offset rising costs.

Belgium | Bud Light’s parent company confirmed big losses in US sales and profits from this spring’s boycott and backlash, but executives now assert that the drain has been stabilised.

The Netherlands | The first CEO to weigh in on rival Anheuser-Busch’s US marketing fiasco, is Heineken. Its CEO, Dolf van den Brink, said that Heineken has learned lessons from the social media controversy around a Bud Light campaign - but still believes businesses should stand up for their “values.”

Italy | It was not just a rumour after all. As we reported in June, the Danish multi-beverage company, Royal Unibrew Group, was allegedly in talks to buy the San Giorgio di Nogaro plant in the province of Udine, from the Italian brewer Birra Castello.

The Netherlands | Heineken is facing a criminal investigation for not implementing the deposit on cans by the 1 April deadline, Dutch media reported on 27 July. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) in Amsterdam saw sufficient leads to launch an investigation.

Russia | On 16 July, Russia seized control of the local subsidiaries of France’s Danone and Denmark’s Carlsberg under a decree aimed at companies from “unfriendly” countries.

Italy | Good news from Italy: Beer sales are ticking over nicely. According to the 2022 annual report published by Assobirra, an industry body, beer consumption reached 37.8 litres per capita, two litres more than in 2021.

Germany | The cost-of-living crisis has reached supermarkets. While plenty of shelves remain empty as retailers and suppliers haggle over conditions to keep inflation down, beer prices have crept up. Super-deals of EUR 9.99 (USD 11) for a crate of beer (10 litres) have become a rare sight.

Denmark | Since 2018, Danish microbrewery and bar company Mikkeller has been struggling to pull itself out of an existential crisis, which dragged it into the red year after year. In 2022, Bjergsø Holding, which owns the brewery, bars and restaurants, made its biggest loss ever: DKK 107 million (USD 16 million).

Russia | Jägermeister is one of the most popular bitter liqueurs in the world. Since the German firm stopped exports to Russia, a local imitator has been trying to step into its place. The two firms – Germany’s Mast Jägermeister and Russia’s Kaluga Distillery Kristall – have been embroiled in a bitter legal dispute, with both companies suing each other for damages.