Asahi offers to sell some brands to appease regulator

Australia | What is taking the regulator so long to vet Asahi’s purchase of CUB? In an effort to speed things up, Asahi has now proposed to ditch some brands.

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Sydney’s All Hands brewpub sold for AUD 20 million

Australia | Melbourne-based hospitality entrepreneurs Brad Harris and James Sinclair have acquired the All Hands Brewing House in Darling Harbour for AUD 20 million (USD 13 million), media reported on 18 February 2020.

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Phil Sexton to step in as keynote speaker at IBD convention in Perth

Australia | The founder of vanguard craft brewer Matilda Bay, Phil Sexton, has been announced as the keynote speaker at the IBD Asia Pacific Convention in Perth this month.

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Coronavirus: Brewers expect beer sales to take a hit

China | People come first. While analysts worry that the Chinese government’s measures to stop the virus from spreading will hamper beer sales, Carlsberg’s CEO Cees ´t Hart showed above all sympathy for China’s citizens. He called the current situation “very sad for China and its people.”

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Vietnam’s clampdown on drink-driving could slash beer sales

Vietnam | Beer sales in January are estimated to have dropped by at least 25 percent, as the authorities have cracked down on driving under the influence. Analysts say the new measures could drive down beer sales this year by 5 percent.

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Coopers hikes sales but suffers hit in profits

Australia | Price competition in a crowded beer market, combined with higher costs, have eaten into the profit of Coopers, Australia’s major independent brewer. Total beer sales rose 2 percent to nearly 770,000 hl, but pre-tax profit dropped 33 percent to AUD 23.1 million.

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Two standard alcoholic drinks a day no longer safe

Australia | Dry January is upon us. Those still imbibing may want to take note of Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Its new tougher guideline recommends no more than 1.4 drinks per day.

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Kirin’s purchase of New Belgium okayed despite Myanmar links

USA | New Belgium is no longer employee owned and can no longer be considered an independent craft brewer, after employees/shareholders approved of the sale to Australia’s brewer Lion on 17 December 2019.

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Ethics in business: from Myanmar to Fort Collins

USA | Consider this: Kirin’s purchase of craft brewer New Belgium did more to raise international awareness about Kirin’s political balancing in Myanmar than previous reports by the United Nations and Amnesty International.

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Hitting the headlines: reputational risks in Myanmar

Myanmar | Multinational companies doing business in the south-east Asian country could be facing risks to their reputation, following criticisms of Kirin’s partnership with a military-linked conglomerate.

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Australian regulator concerned about sale of CUB to Asahi

Australia | The country’s competition watchdog ACCC has raised concerns over the USD 11 billion deal by AB-InBev to sell its local unit CUB to Japan’s Asahi. AB-InBev acquired Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) from SABMiller in 2016.

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Asahi to stop disclosing data for volume sales

Japan | Asahi Breweries will report beer sales by value rather than volume, starting with 2019 data. This will allow it to bow out of a costly battle for market share in Japan and free up resources for expansion abroad.

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CUB buys Australian craft brewer Balter

Australia | It is a ridiculous amount of money. Allegedly, CUB paid between AUD 150 million and AUD 200 million (USD 140 million) for craft brewer Balter, which could be selling 50,000 hl beer this year.

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ThaiBev rumoured to mull beer IPO in Singapore next year

Thailand | Is this a first step towards some sort of merger with AB-InBev? Media reported on 29 November 2019 that Thai Beverage (ThaiBev), Southeast Asia’s major brewer, is planning to spin off some regional beer assets in an initial public offering (IPO) in Singapore next year.

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Why ThaiBev may spin off its beer business

Thailand | Given that valuations for pure-play brewers in Asia are higher than for brewers with a diversified beverage portfolio, it would make sense for ThaiBev to seek a separate listing for its beer interests in Thailand and Vietnam.

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Southeast Asian beer market expected to grow in mid-single digits

Vietnam | Euromonitor says that the beer scene in Southeast Asia is booming. Beer consumption is expected to grow 5 percent annually up to 2023 from 90 million hl in 2017, with the Philippines and Vietnam being the key drivers for growth.

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Investor criticises Kirin’s diversification strategy

Japan | The disgruntled UK-based investor FP has launched a campaign to persuade Kirin’s management to focus on beer, and ditch the “unrealistic hope” that it can thrive as a conglomerate that also includes food, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

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Lion’s foray into craft beer

Australia | Japan’s brewer Kirin has tasked its Australian subsidiary Lion with buying craft brewers in the UK and United States. Observers wonder: Is this a coherent and considered strategy, which will prove profitable, or just a case of posting flags on a map?

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Kirin’s non-alcoholic Karada Free is a slimming potion

Japan | A beer which actually reduces your beer belly could be the Next Big Thing. In October 2019, Kirin launched Kirin Karada Free, a functional “beer-taste beverage” in corporate speak, which doesn’t have any alcohol.

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