Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, Todd Harper, has proposed removing the current excise on light beer to promote the consumption of products with lower alcohol volumes. “With a rising tide of binge drinking and associated violence and crime, it’s essential that we shift our drinking culture towards lower alcohol alternatives,” Mr Harper said. According to Mr Harper, the tax system provides the best chance to encourage consumers to switch their... ...Read more »

A Queensland boutique brewer has announced the launch of what they believe to be Australia’s first no-carb beer. The product, Bighead, has been created by the Burleigh Brewing Company, an independent craft brewery based in Burleigh Heads on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Burleigh Brewing CEO, Peta Fielding, believes demand for low-carb beers, which continues to strengthen, will see their product find a strong market. “There are a lot of low-carb beers on the Australian market, but only... ...Read more »

Lucky Beer, an Australian brew, has beaten a range of other lagers to win Asda’s beer competition, providing them with an enviable position on the shelves of the UK supermarket. Asda, a subsidiary of Wal-Mart and now the UK’s second biggest supermarket by market share, offered the prize of a 12-week listing at their stores to the winner of their beer competition - which attracted over 100 entries. “In the current climate, it’s essential that new beers offer real a point of... ...Read more »

The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) has labelled the latest action by the Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia (DSICA) in delivering look-alike alcopop products to Government Members and Senators, as nothing more than a cynical media stunt. The WFA is supporting attempts to close the loophole that allows the overseas practice of manufacturing so called ‘wine-pops’ and ‘malternatives’ by using alcohol stripped from wine or beer and selling them at... ...Read more »

Barons Brewing Company has taken out the top prize at the popular JD Wetherspoon International Beer Festival. JD Wetherspoon is one of the UK’s largest pub operators and more than 8,500 of their consumers participated in the judging of 50 beers, with Barons Black Wattle Original Ale coming out on top. Barons was the first Australian beer to be part of the festival and was among four overseas beers invited to participate. The potential for international brewers to appeal to the tastes of UK... ...Read more »

InBev announced this morning (ADST) that it has finalised the US$52b purchase of Anheuser-Busch, following approval from shareholders of both companies. The combination creates the global leader in beer and one of the world’s top five consumer products companies. The name of InBev will change to Anheuser-Busch InBev, with Anheuser-Busch becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev and will retain its current headquarters in St. Louis. The belgian-based brewer will now manage... ...Read more »

SABMiller is about to lose its title as the ‘world’s biggest brewing company’, with the deal between InBev and Anheuser-Busch now almost complete. Belgian brewer InBev announced overnight that a majority of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. shareholders have voted to approve the proposed combination of InBev and Anheuser-Busch during a special shareholder meeting. InBev shareholders approved the combination on September 29. Upon close of the transaction, America’s largest brewer -... ...Read more »

Molson Coors has been identified as the mystery stakeholder in Australia’s largest brewer, Foster’s, strengthening speculation of a takeover. Deutsche Bank bought a 5.26% stake in Foster’s on behalf of a previously unidentified client on September 25, while rumours circulated that the stake could be an indication of a possible takeover bid in the near future. Molson Coors, which has operations in the US, Canada and the UK, made the announcement overnight when presenting their third... ...Read more »

For many Australians the idea of running their own successful brewing business is a dream, but for Scott Garnett, Managing Director of Barons Brewing Company, it is a reality. Together with university mate Richard Adamson they have managed to make a major impact in the intensely competitive Australian and international beer markets. They are now Australia’s largest independent craft brewing company, have major export deals with distributors in the US and Russia and a number of awards to boot.... ...Read more »

Foster’s Group, Australia’s largest brewer, has announced that first-quarter results were in-line with expectations and advised that their wine review - originally slated for completion before the end of the year - is unlikely to be released until February. “As previously advised, we expected to complete the wine review by the end of this calendar year,” Foster’s Chairman David Crawford told shareholders at the company’s AGM. “However, we have taken the decision... ...Read more »