The Czech brewing industry’s annus horribilis

Czech Republic | As if the first lockdown had not been bad enough for the country’s brewers, the lack of foreign tourists over the summer and a second lockdown in the autumn will prove an unmitigated disaster for everyone.  

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Campari hit by ransomware attack

Italy | The Campari Group (Cinzano, Aperol, Skyy Vodka), headquartered in Milan with an annual turnover of EUR 1.8 billion (USD 2.2 billion), is one of the world’s largest spirits firms. In early November, the company became the victim of a cyber attack.

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Diageo’s growth plan: more women and people of colour in leadership

United Kingdom | Championing diversity and inclusion is good for business. In November 2020 the world’s number one drinks company Diageo published its most recent ten-year sustainability action plan.

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Camden Town brewery to be fully integrated into AB-InBev’s UK unit

United Kingdom | Both Camden Town’s CEO Adam Keary and founder Jasper Cuppaidge will step down from their roles, as the owner, AB-InBev, seeks to restructure the craft brewer and fully integrate it into the wider group.

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Nearly 400 German breweries have deferred their excise payments

Germany | With beer production declining almost 5 percent in the first ten months of 2020, some 380 breweries have asked the taxman to defer their excise payments until the end of this year.

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BrewDog’s climate awareness ad banned by ASA

United Kingdom | The advertisement, launched to raise awareness for the brewer’s aspiring status as a carbon-negative company, reads “F*** You CO2”, with the middle of the first word obscured by a can of the brewery’s Punk IPA beer.

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Heineken to cut head office staff

Netherlands | Never let a crisis go to waste. Dutch brewing giant Heineken plans to cut personnel costs at its Amsterdam headquarters and regional country offices. An estimated one in five people are to go. Hundreds of jobs will be lost. The reorganisation is to take place in the first quarter of next year.

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AB-InBev’s Brito dismisses rumour that he will step down

Belgium | Is Mr Brito doing the Donald thing? Talking to Reuters on 29 October 2020, Mr Brito dismissed a rumour about his imminent departure, saying that he expects to be leading the world’s largest brewer “for many quarters to come”.

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Dr Oetker takes over delivery firm flaschenpost for EUR 1 billion

Germany | The drinks delivery start-up flaschenpost (a pun on “message in a bottle”) was sold to the Oetker Group, a food and beverage conglomerate, for allegedly EUR 1 billion (USD 1.2 billion). The spectacularly expensive deal makes observers question the rationale behind it.

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Guinness 0.0 launch gone bad

United Kingdom | Guinness is recalling cans of its non-alcoholic stout because of contamination fears, just two weeks after they were introduced, the BBC reported on 11 November 2020. Guinness 0.0 was launched to much fanfare in supermarkets on 26 October, having taken the brewer four years to develop.

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Hospitality industry faces jobs losses and closures

United Kingdom | Trade bodies fear mass redundancies and permanent closure of venues due to the coronavirus crisis. It is believed that one in four pubs could go under, following a sector wide survey in October 2020 by trade bodies UK Hospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping, and the British Beer & Pub Association.

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Carlsberg to push into non-booze segment

Denmark | Due to consumers’ growing predilection for all things healthy and nice, Carlsberg seeks to expand its range of non-alcoholic drinks and hard seltzers.

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Guinness rolls out 0.0 stout

United Kingdom | Irish brewer Guinness has become the latest to offer a non-alcoholic pint, announcing the release of its first ever non-alcoholic stout, Guinness 0.0.

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Europe’s brewers to expand beyond the beer shelf

Europe | The concept of “total beverage company” is having a comeback. There was a time when only Foster’s and SABMiller styled themselves such. Now the idea is proving attractive again.

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Röko acquires a majority of Sweden’s biggest craft brewer Oppigards

Sweden | Investment firm Röko has acquired 70 percent of Sweden’s leading independent craft brewery, Oppigards Bryggeri, from founder and CEO Björn Falkeström, who will retain 30 percent.

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BrewDog expands pub estate

United Kingdom | While other pub chains announced plans to close some venues and warned over job cuts, BrewDog has confirmed that it seeks to open 20 new bars across the UK and internationally. There are already more than 100 bars in its estate.

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Heineken fined for putting undue pressure on pubs

United Kingdom | Heineken's UK pub business, Star Pubs and Bars, was fined GBP 2 million (EUR 2.2 million) by the pub industry watchdog, after forcing tenants to sell “unreasonable levels” of its own beers and ciders.

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Carlsberg not off the hook in beer cartel trial

Germany | The Federal Court of Justice overturned a ruling by a lower court in Düsseldorf, which had argued in April 2019 that the case against Carlsberg in the so-called German beer cartel had lapsed. Now the case needs to be retried.

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Bitburger sells Wernesgrüner brewery to Carlsberg

Germany | Carlsberg Group will buy the Wernesgrüner Brewery, including the Wernesgrüner brand, in the Vogtland region of eastern Germany from Bitburger Brewing Group for an undisclosed price. The transaction, announced on 12 October 2020, is pending regulatory approval.

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