Brewery and beer news

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English and American archaeologists have found a large-scale brewery in Egypt. It is considered to be the world's oldest industrial brewery. It writes Princeston University in a press release.

The brewery is estimated to be from about 3000 BC, ie about 5000 years old. It is found in the city of Abydos. It is estimated that approximately 22,000 liters could be brewed per. batch.

The brewery consisted of eight seperate installations, built in parallel. Each installation was approximately 20 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 40 cm deep. Each installation consisted of approximately 40 large ceramic vessels arranged in two rows. The 22,000 liters, based on ancient Egyptian figures for the amount of beer delivered daily to workers on government projects as part of their salaries, would turn into a one-day beer ration for more than 8,800 people.

In line with its commitment to promptly and proactively address potential regulatory considerations Anheuser-Busch InBev, in close cooperation with SABMiller, is exploring the sale of a number of SABMiller’s European premium brands and related businesses.
AB InBev will contact potential purchasers in the coming weeks to assess their interest in the Peroni and Grolsch brand families and their associated businesses in Italy, the Netherlands and the UK and, given the brand’s premium positioning, UK-based Meantime.

The Boards of Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller plc announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended acquisition of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of SABMiller by AB InBev. The Transaction will be implemented by means of the acquisition of SABMiller by Newco (a Belgian company to be formed for the purposes of the Transaction). AB InBev will also merge into Newco so that, following completion of the Transaction, Newco will be the new holding company for the Combined Group.

Anheuser-Busch InBev confirm, that it has made an approach to SABMIller regarding a combination of the two companies.

AB InBev’s intention is to work with SABMiller’s Board toward a recommended transaction.

"There can be no certainty that this approach will result in an offer or agreement, or as to the terms of any such agreement", says AB InBev.

The famous monastary Orval are home to only 12 monks. That amount are probably not enough to maintain the production of beer at the monestary, without getting help from outsite.

If Orval choose to get workers from outsite, it can mean, that the Trappist counsil will deny Orval the rigth to be a Trappist-brewery.

Orval brewery is now considering whether to increase the production by employing workers from outside or stabilize or even diminish the production.

Duvel Moortgat nv has reached agreement on the acquisition of 100% of the shares of the Brouwerij De Koninck group. With this acquisition, Duvel Moortgat expands its portfolio of specialty beers; it also aims to reinvigorate the De Koninck beer brand.
Brouwerij De Koninck is located in the heart of Antwerp and has a unique bond with the city. The De Koninck “Bolleke” is most popular in Antwerp and the surrounding area as well as in the Netherlands, but it also enjoys strong brand recognition throughout Belgium.

The Scottish brewery Brewdog has lanced there last bid for the strongest beer in the World. The beer is named The End of History and are limited to 12 bottles, all bottles are put inside the bodies of dead squirrels and stoats. They where sold for 700 and 500 pund each.

The beer is 55% and according to the brewery is it best served up in a spirit glass rather than a pint glass.

The brewery Diekirch in Luxembourg will be closed and the production of the brands will be moved to Leuven and Jupille in Belgium.

Diekirch Premium are brewed since 1871 in the green valleys of Diekirch, but costsavings now moves the beer over the border to Belgium.

For the first time has Heineken Entreprise, the French division of the Dutch brewing giant, surpassed the market share of Brasseries Kronenbourg (owned by Danish Carlsberg). Heineken achieved 36.1 per cent in 2009, and Kronenbourg market share in 2009.

Brasseries Kronenbourg accounted for 35.5% in 2009.

9 November 2009 marks the anniversary of the Carlsberg Elephant Beer. Fifty years after its creation, Carlsberg Elephant is a true Carlsberg classic and some might even call it a design icon.

One winter morning November 1959 the first trucks loaded with Carlsberg Elephant Beer took off from Carlsberg Brewery in Copenhagen. No doubt this was an eye-catcher; on the back of the trucks, both the motorized and horse-drawn ones, was a small turquoise elephant who, surrounded by a nice warm and dense jungle, declared itself as charming, elegant and elephant.

Back in 1955 Carlsberg's Export Lager Beer was exported to a number of countries. The label was ornamented with Carlsberg's perhaps most famous landmark; the Elephant Gate. This resulted in the beer becoming known as the elephant beer on several markets, which ultimately inspired the launch of a new beer, based on the recipe of Special Brew and Export Lager Beer. The beer was officially named Carlsberg Elephant Beer.

Carlsberg Elephant is still brewed at Carlsberg Breweries in Denmark, and is exported around the world to markets such as Iceland, New Zealand and Belgium just to name a few. Some markets brew their own Carlsberg Elephant beer locally according to the original recipe.

The scale is widely used within science and food manufacturing assuring both consumer safety and product quality by using the pH measurement to confirm that the product is safe for consumption. For modern brewing techniques the development was a leap forward. When the pH value is measured during beer production, the process of the fermentation can be monitored and ultimately ensure that beer production is in order. Additionally, the pH value also affects the shelf life of beer. The pH value is also vital in the production of insulin, in farming, knowing the pH of soil is extremely important when determining the soil quality where crops are grown, and when baking bread the addition of acid to the dough actually has a beneficial influence on the finished bread just to mention a few examples.

In 1909 the Head of the Chemistry Department at the Carlsberg Laboratory, Professor S.P.L. Sørensen, developed the pH scale during his pioneering research into proteins, amino acids and enzymes - the basis of today’s protein chemistry. The conception of the pH scale provided a revolutionary standard measurement for determining whether a solution is acidic or alkaline. Before the pH scale, the only parameter to measure acid levels were vague terms such as "good", "bad" or "slightly more than last time". Several scientists had worked on the subject around the turn of the century, but S.P.L.Sørensen's was the first systematic definition.

Today, Professor Jens Ø Duus, Head of the Carlsberg Laboratory, describes the impact of S.P.L. Sørensen's research: "S.P.L Sørensen was capable of systematically creating a whole new concept by the exact definition of the pH scale, enabling us to produce a high quality product. In fact our founder J.C. Jacobsen was a firm believer in telling about his work and in competing in an open manner which he believed was the best way to improve yourself. He believed that our society would only become wiser and more prosperous if we shared information with one another, a belief still very much reflected in the way Carlsberg operates today, and which was also reflected in the development of pH, which was freely given to science, and is now used world-wide by everyone", says Professor Jens Ø Duus.

The 100th anniversary for pH will be marked at Carlsberg and at the International congress “The Centenary” at the Italian Chemical Society in September 2009. Go to www.chimica.unipd.it/the-centenary

MillerCoors today celebrates the 50th anniversary of the seamless and recyclable aluminium can, writes news.prnewswire.com.

The first can was introduced for use, after several years in development, at the Coors Golden brewery on Jan. 22, 1959. This invention revolutionized the beer and consumer packaged goods industry and spurred recycling efforts nationwide.

- We are proud to be a part of history and the recycling revolution that resulted from this innovative aluminum can invention, Pete Coors, chairman of MillerCoors, said.

The research began in 1957. At the time, beer was packaged in tin containers that gave beer an aftertaste, and was an environmental problem. Aluminum allowed the company to deliver fresher tasting beer to consumers without needing pasteurization and was 100 percent recyclable.

After many prototypes, Bill Coors and his team finally succeeded in developing a seamless aluminium can, a version of which is still in use today throughout the industry. To further celebrate the achievement, ASM International - The Materials Society (ASM), today will confer Historical Landmark status on the site where the aluminium can was first invented and produced - the current CoorsTek location at 600 9th Street in Golden, Colo. writes news.prnewswire.com.

InBev UK is proposing to close the Stag Brewery in Mortlake West on the banks of the river Thames in London.

The site has been used for brewing since 1765. In 1865 Charles John Phillips and James Wigan, two entrepreneurs, built a brewery which is where the current operations are housed.

The Stag Brewery isone of the oldest brewing sites in Britain. It currently employs 182 workers.

investors are very concerned over Anheuser-Busch InBev's ability to meet the deadlines for debt of nearly $38 billion over the next two years.

InBev's takeover of Anheuser-Busch means that the company will have to make disposals and launch a rights issue in coming months to pay down big debts.

$17 billion of debt is due for repayment in the next 12 months, and $19 billion has to be repayed within 24-months.

Guinness have plans for building a new brewery in Kildare near Leixlip, Ireland. The brewing capacity is expected to be around five million hectolitres. And the brewery will, beside stout, make ales and lagers.

The new brewery will be named The Arthur Guinness Brewery and take up over 70 acres.

InBev and Anheuser-Busch has agreed to combine the two companies, forming the world’s leading global brewer. Anheuser-Busch shareholders will receive $70 per share in cash, for an aggregate equity value of $52 billion, in an industry-transforming transaction. The combined company will be called Anheuser-Busch InBev.

The combination of Anheuser-Busch and InBev will create the global leader in the beer industry and one of the world’s top five consumer products companies. On a pro-forma basis for 2007, the combined company would have generated global volumes of 460 million hectoliters.

The company will make St. Louis, Missouri the headquarters for the North American region and the global home of the flagship Budweiser brand. With about 40% of the combined company's revenues to be generated in the U.S., the company will draw on the collective expertise of Anheuser-Busch's dedicated and experienced employees and its culture of quality. Given the limited geographical overlap between the two businesses and the efficiency of Anheuser-Busch’s brewery footprint in the United States, all of Anheuser-Busch’s U.S. breweries will remain open.

Thwaites Brewery in Blackburn, UK, are reintroducing local deliveries by horsetransport.

The managers at the brewery has considered how to cut down the carbon footprint from the brewery. One solution was the reintroduction of horsetransport to the local pubs.

The Syabar Brewing Company has been operational since October 2005 following the reconstruction of a state owned brewery, employs 280 staff and is located in Bobruysk, 140 km South-East of Minsk. The portfolio consists of the national mainstream beer brand Bobrov, which holds the number two position in the market and the recently introduced premium brand Syabar. In 2007 it is estimated that sales volume will be 600,000 hectolitres, compared to 370,000 hectolitres in 2006. Technical production capacity is 1.1 million hectolitres with the possibility to extend to 2.1 million hectolitres.

The famous Hoegaarden wheat beer was produceded in brewery De Kluis from 1966.

Last year InBev decided to move the production of the famous Hoegaarden wheat beer away from the city Hoegaarden.

Problems in the production imply that InBev now are moving the brewing of the Hoegaarden-beer back to the city Hoegaarden.

Baltic Beverages Holding AB (BBH) has announced the official inauguration of its new brewery in Uzbekistan.

BBH has invested approximately 50 million EURO in building the greenfield brewery in Tashkent, as well as in training and development of marketing and distribution systems.
The new business, Sarbast Plus, is a joint venture with a local partner, where BBH controls 75.1%. The brewery started shipments of its first local brand, Sarbast, in July 2007. The initial planned capacity of the plant is one million hectolitres per annum, with the potential to double the capacity by the end of 2008.
All production processes are fully automatic; the quality control system has been designed and installed by a specialist team from BBH, combining the expertise of Carlsberg and Scottish & Newcastle. The equipment was provided by leading manufacturers.
The new operation directly creates 300 new jobs, while supporting new jobs in auxiliary companies.
With a population of approximately 27 million, a stable economy and growing level of beer consumption (ca 10 litres per capita), BBH believes the Uzbekistan market has the potential to grow strongly in the future.
“SARBAST” means ”free, independent” in ancient Uzbek.

African flavors and health extracts will see a dramatic rise in applications in the near future, as further attention shifts towards the continent. Baobab is thus far all but unheard of in new product applications. But things are looking up for the “upside-down fruit.” In July, fruit from the African baobab tree moved a step closer to approval for use as a food ingredient in the EU, with the publication of a positive opinion from the UK Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) novel foods committee. Because it does not have a significant history of use in the EU before May 1997, the extract needs to go through the Novel Foods procedure first before it can be marketed, according to Innova Database.

Marula is better known, particularly in

South Africa

, mainly because of its use in the popular Amarula Cream liqueur. But its health benefits are now also being marketed. Recent new product applications have included Roemerquelle Emotion Marula Flavored Water in Austria . The bottle includes a description of marula and its benefits.

- A rapidly developing trend towards beauty foods exists, spearheaded by launches such as Danone Essensis. Going in line with this, The Innova Database believes that marula will be an extract to watch in food applications marketed on both beauty and fair-trade grounds, said Robin Wyers, an Editor at Innova Market Insights.

Apart from baobab and marula, the Innova Database predicts a bright future for honeybush, buchu, prickly pear and the already well-established rooibos. A scan of rooibos products launched in the last year found that while chief applications were still limited to hot and iced teas, the flavor was also being incorporated into juice and juice drinks and chocolate. The US, Germany and

South Africa

recorded the most new product launches containing rooibos.

“Out of Africa,” is just one of 21 presentations that the new products information supplier The Innova Database will be demonstrating at the Taste The Trend Pavilion at the Institute of Food Technologists Food Expo (IFT) in Chicago . The Innova Database is joining with the Institute of Food Technologists to present Taste The Trend in a spacious pavilion.

The Old Bear Brewery in Keighley, Yorkshire, UK, has solved the problem for a lot of pubs all over UK and other countrys.

The smoking ban means, that the pub-guests are forced to go outside, if they nead a cigaret. But now there is a good solution to the problem. The Old Bear Brewery is making a Tobaco Ale with nicotine, that means that the pub-guest can enjoy his beer and get the nicotine at the same time, without leaving the pub.

Diageo, the owner of St James's Gate brewery in Dublin, which has made Guinness for close to 250 years, is considering to shut down the brewery, as part of a review of operations, writes Finansial Times.

Diageo was engaged in an "assessment of its investment options for its brewing operations in Dublin, Dundalk and Kilkenny to enhance the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the business in Ireland.

The paper is quoting David Gosnell, managing director of Diageo Global Supply: "Everything is on the table" including the possible closure of the historic brewery but added no final decision was likely before "well into 2008".

Heineken has announced the acquisition of Krusovice Brewery in the Czech Republic from Radeberger Gruppe KG. As a result of this transaction, the market share of Heineken in the Czech Republic will increase to 8 percent, with total volumes of over 1.6 million hectolitres, improving Heineken’s position in the market to number three.

SABMiller is considering a bit for Scottish & Newcastle, according to the Brittish newspaper Sunday Express. Sources close to SABMiller said that the UK arm of S&N could be sold to Diageo, and possible also the French part. S&N's half part of the shares in BBH could be sold to Carlsberg.

For years Czech brewery Budejovicky Budvar and U.S. beer giant Anheuser-Busch has been fighting a legal battle over the right to the name Budweiser. But today they have "formed a historic alliance".

Czechvar (the U.S name for the Czech Budweiser in U.S.) is currently sold in 30 states, now Anheuser-Busch will help the brand to a bigger sale.

The agreement does not impact existing litigation or trademark disputes between the two companies in other countries. The two compagnies are still involved in 40 lawsuits worldwide.

Anheuser-Busch will become the exclusive U.S. importer of a number of InBev’s premium European import brands, including Stella Artois®, Beck’s®, Bass Pale Ale®, Hoegaarden®, Leffe® and other select InBev brands, the two brewers announced today.

Effective February 1, 2007, Anheuser-Busch will import these premium brands and be responsible for their sales, promotion and distribution in the United States. These InBev brands, which had sales volumes of about 1.9 million hectoliters (or about 1.5 million barrels) in 2005, will be available to Anheuser-Busch’s U.S. wholesaler network where possible.

InBev’s Canadian brands, including Labatt Blue^® and Labatt Blue Light^®, as well as Brahma^®, are not included in the agreement. Working closely with Labatt Breweries of Canada, InBev USA will continue to market and sell the Labatt and Brahma brands through a separate distribution network.

SABMiller, the worlds second biggest brewer, said that the China Resources Snow Breweries (CR Snow) has risen to be the biggest brewer on the Chinese market, with at marketshare of 14,9 percent, against Tsingtao with 13,9 percent.

SABMiller owns 49 percent of China Resources Snow Breweries. China Resources Snow Breweries best selling beer is called Snow.

The Danish brewer Carlsberg, with brewery in UK is claiming to be the first major UK brewer to launch a specially brewed Christmas beer.

Carlsberg descripe the Christmas Beer as rich, dark Continental-style premium lager, brewed with an added blend of Munich, crystal and chocolate roasted malts.

- We have taken a traditional Danish recipe for Christmas Beer and adapted it to suit the British palate. It is therefore a unique product, developed for the UK market, said Darran Britton, marketing director at Carlsberg UK according to Checkout Magasine.

In UK there is a tradition for Winter Warmes, and some small brewers has made Christmas brews.

Beers from the first microbrewery in Iceland, Bruggsmidjan, will be available in stores next week. The brewery started prodoction on 22. August, and the first tasting was offered at Bruggsmedjan last week, and now the first beer Kaldi will be awailible on bottles.

Agnes Sigurdardóttir and her husband has worked day and night to get the brewery running, since she got the idea in July last year .

Kaldi is brewed according to a Czech tradition, and stored a month before tapping.

Normaly we see James Bond with a martini, but in the upcoming James Bond movie Casino Royale, will the super-spy Bond drink beer.

Heineken and the producers has signed a six-fugure deal for a promotional partnership.

But the beer plot is not just a money grab by the movie's makers. Casino Royale was the first Bond book written by Ian Fleming, and the only one in which Bond drinks beer.

It is common knowledge that the Pilsner was developed by brewer Jacob Grolle in the city Pilzen in Czech Republic in1842.

But an information in an old Danish article from 1794 indicateds that it maybe not is the hole truth .

Johann Clemens Tode wrote in 1794 an article about the beers advantages compared to wine. In the article does he mention winetypes and beertypes, among others from Germany. He mention Breslover, Schøps and Magdeborger Pils.

If Magdeborger Pils is a pilsner, which the name indicateds, then is the pilsner at least 48 years older than the Jacob Grolles pilsner from Pilzen.

The biggest beerfestival in the World. That is what the 20. beerfestival i the german city Leverkusen is called. The festival opens freiday, 11. august.

Around 1050 different beers from 87 countrys is pressent at the four days festival.

I Tivoli amusement park in Copenhagen was it, the latest days, possible to taste the worlds first Greenland brewed beer. The beers is not only new, it is also unik, because it is brewed on Ice Cap Water.

Greenland Brewhouse, as the brewery is named, has two brews on taps. A brown and a pale ale. The brewery is situated in Narsaq.

As a surprise for the most did Greenland Brewhouse win the battle for the first Greenland beer over the competitors from Nuuk - Godthåb Bryghus. They are ready with there beers the 17. august.

The UK brewer Shepherd and Neame's in Faversham is busy rewriting its history. The brewer has always claimed to be Britain's oldest - from 1698. But a local historian claims, that the brewery maybe is more than 100 years older.

John Owen, Shepherd and Neame's archivist, will reveal that there has been brewing at the same place since at least 1573, writes Morning Advertiser.

The Glasgow based West Brewing Company has been threatened by the local authority with prosecution for selling the beers in litres.

The brewery, wich is UK's newest and most exciting independent brewery, is only producing german style beers and selling them in german glasses, but under the 1985 Weights and Measures Act, it is a criminal offence to offer beer in dimpled litre steins and it could face prosecution. Beer in glasses must be sold in pints or half pints.

But an unexpected help is now comming. The Metric Martyrs, a group campaigning against the enforced metrication of produce sold in Britain, is backing West Brewing Company up.

Both danish Carlsberg and danish Royal Unibrew are put in connection with a posible buy of the polish brewery Lomza. Both danish brewerys owns other brewerys in Polan.

According to emalt offeres Carlsberg to buy 100 percent of the shares, while Royal Unibrew apparently also is interested in buying shares of Pepees, the owner of Lomza.

Coors Brewers has unveiled new technology enabling to serve beer with ice in the glass, writes The Publican.

Coors Sub Zero i served at -2.5° C. It has taking eight years and £10m to develop this new draught Coors Fine Light.

The Sub Zero system will not be subject to a mass roll-out. It will be carefully targeted at top-end bars in London, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.

Professor Jonathan Powell, who led the study, said: "This is a very interesting finding. Everyone knows that calcium inhibits bone loss but we found that the ethanol in beer has the same, if not better, effect.", writes Daily Mail.

Friedrich Weissheimer Malzfabrik, Germany, has declared its bankrupcy. The Factory is the worlds sixth' largest maltcompany.

Friedrich Weissheimer Malzfabrik KG declared on March 16 about its bankrupcy. According to market analysts this fact confirms that the actual malt prices level will bring most of the maltsters into bankruptcy if no substantial prices improvement happens soon.

Few months after Fullers Brewery in London took over the small Gales Brewery in Horndean, says roumours, that Gales is about to be closed by the end of next month.

A spokesmand from Fullers, will not comment on the press speculations but say, that they are reviewing the situation, acording to The Publican.

Carlsberg is investing DKK 800m in expanding and modernising the brewery in Fredericia, where Danish beer production will be concentrated from 2009. The transfer of production from Valby is expected to bring annual efficiency gains in the region of DKK 130m.

The microbrewery Jacobsen will still be operating in the old brewery i Valby, Copenhagen. The Carlsberg Brewery headquater will also remain in Copenhagen.

The interest for gluten free beers is rising, and now is the supply of the special beers also rising. Here is two good places to look for gluten free beers.

Caledonian Brewing Company have acquired the Harviestoun Brewery in Alva, Scotland.

Stephen Crawley, Managing Director of the Caledonian Brewing Company, said, “The Harviestoun portfolio fits perfectly into our range. It includes the famous Bitter & Twisted, CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain in 2003".

The success and growth achieved by founder Ken Brooker mirrors that of Caledonian. Caledonian’s own beers have grown rapidly. In particular Deuchars IPA.

- We will continue to brew Harviestoun’s beers with the pride that they have always demonstrated. Over the last two years, Caledonian has developed an excellent national sales and distribution network. We will make sure that lovers of quality beer will benefit from the increased availability of these superb Harviestoun products, said Stephen Crawley.

InBev announced that it has reached agreement with various parties to acquire 100 percent of the equity interests in Fujian Sedrin Brewery Co. Ltd. (“Fujian Sedrin”), the largest brewer in Fujian province, for a total cash consideration of RMB 5,886 million (equivalent to Euro 614 million).

An initial equity stake of 39.48 percent will be acquired from Fujian Sedrin’s State-owned shareholders immediately, following receipt of regulatory approval. The balance of 60.52 percent will be acquired from various other shareholders in one or more stages, before the end of 2007.

Fujian Sedrin has a significant footprint in southeast China and is widely recognized for its outstanding management team and long-standing support from local government. It is headquartered in Putian, a city in Fujian Province with a population of approximately three million. The company operates three breweries: in Putian and Sanming (both in Fujian Province) and Nanchang (Jiangxi Province). The total capacity of the three breweries is approximately nine million hectoliters. Fujian Sedrin is the leading brewer in Fujian Province with a market share of approximately 45 percet in 2004.

The brand Heineken Premium Light will be launched nationwide in the US beer market in the on-trade in March 2006 and in April 2006 in the off-trade channel.

The launch of Heineken Premium Light in the USA will be supported by a $50 million (€42 million) incremental marketing budget. Heineken estimates that it will sell around 5 million cases (app. 400,000 hectolitres) of Heineken Premium Light in the first year.

Carlsberg, the Danish brewing force, has sold its remaining 11.86 % stake in Hite Brewery Co., the largest beermaker in South Korea. Carlsberg invested about 319 billion won, or US$ 325 million, ending a six and a half year investment in Hite Brewery, according to Asia Pulse.

The Sai Gon Beer Beverage corporation had the ground-breaking ceremony for a new 100 million litres brewery Dec. 25 in Ho Chi Ming City, Vietnam.

The brewery is The Sai Gon-Cu Chi brewery, to be built at a cost of 1,904 billion VND, will be equipped with German texpected to turn out the first batch of beer about 18 months later.

100 million litres of beer is the annual capacity of the project in its first phase, which will be increase in the second phase to 1 billion litres, writes vnanet.vn.

Scientists at Oregon State University say the hops used to brew beer contain a compound called flavonids that neutralize "free radicals," which are rogue oxygen molecules that can damage cells.

The researchers say porter, stout and ale have much higher levels of flavonids compared to lager and pilsner beers.

The international association of trappists have just issued a press release that the La Trappe beers may now use the official trappist logo on their labels again.

After extensive investigation they have decided the Abbey Koningshoeven brewery now meets the criteria again to be called an authentic trappist product.

The Finnish brewery Laitilan has made the world's first malt beer that do'nt contain gluten.

"Until recently, real beers have been prohibited from celiac (gluten-intolerant) patients' diet ... Today they are allowed to enjoy the full-malt Kukko Pils beer from Laitilan brewery," the company said in a statement.

Kukko Pils is the first ever full-malt beer to receive the international gluten-free product trademark.

Gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, is a chronic nutritional disturbance caused by the inability to metabolize gluten, which is found in all wheat, rye, barley and oat products.

The Halloween season are approaching. Anheuser-Busch and Michelob has launched to Pumpkin-beers at the Great American Beer Festival. Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale is the first in a series of four seasonal draughts the brewer plans to introduce, Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale is carefully crafted by Anheuser-Busch brewmasters, many of whose love and passion for beer originated with homebrewing.

Michelob Pumpkin Spice Ale can also be found for the first time in the Michelob Specialty Sampler Collection along with the malty, full-bodied Michelob Marzen and generously dry-hopped Michelob Pale Ale. Michelob Pumpking Spice Ale is created using a special pumpkin variety known as "Golden Delicious" from the Stahlbush Farm in Oregon, with a distinctive blend of harvest spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, this all-malt beer is designed to strike a chord with beer purists and novices.

The Australian brewery Coopers reject a hostile million bid from Lion Nathan Ltd. Australia's second largest brewer.

Lion Nathan, who is 46 percent owned by Japan's Kirin Brewery, has offered $A260 a share for Coopers. The board advises the shareholders not to sell.

Now is Coopers brought to court - by a former shareholder.
A Adelaide solicitor claims to have been mislead in relation to a share buyback in 2003. The brewery offered at that time $45.01 per share. The price is far from the $260 Lion offers now.

The solicitor said in his claim that at the time of the buyback in 2003 Coopers had not consulted parties who had pre-emptive rights.

Carlsberg acquires 50 percent interest of Cambrew Ltd. in Cambodia. The brewery is located in Sihanouk Ville on Cambodia's west coast.

Cambrew has a total capacity of 450,000 hl and holds a 45 percent market share in Cambodia. The brewery owns the Angkor Beer brand, named after the famous temple Angkor Wat.

The potential for growth in the Cambodian beer market is significant as the beer consumption per capita is only about 6 litres per year, which is below the level in the neighbouring countries. Here the average consumption is 12-22 litres per capita per year.

The acquisition is a further step in fulfilling Carlsberg's strategy to enhance the strong position in South East Asia, where Carlsberg is already present via shareholdings in Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

Instead of pleasing the people has a swimmingpool big fountain by the Fourth Harbin International Beer Festival in China caused an uproar.

The beer is not for drinking, but to create attention, and that is has done. In China, where there is a big gab between rich and poor, has it made a great stir, that so much beer is wasted.

A local media said that the fountain involves 1,800 tonnes of water, 9,000 kg of coal, 14,400 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 18,000 kg of grain that can feed a family of three for 20 years at least.

The brewery has in last moment decided to replace beer with water, but even that could not pacify public anger.

The beverage activities for the Danish brewer showed increased profit in all regions, that lead to an net increasing revenue by 5 percent in first halfyear to a total of DKK 17.8bn, driven by the positive trend in BBH and the other Eastern European activities.
Favourable is specially the situation in Sweden. Carlsberg Sweden achived improved results due to price increase combined with cost savings.

Operating profit (EBIT) amounted to DKK 1,328m of which profit from beverage activities accounted for DKK 1,314m.

SABMiller announces a major investment in Latin America through a transaction with the Santo Domingo Group in which SABMiller will obtain a controlling interest in Bavaria S.A.

Bavaria is the second largest brewer in South America with leading market positions in Colombia (99% of the beer market), Peru (99%), Ecuador (93%) and Panama (79%) where its key brands are Águila, Cristal, Pilsener and Atlas, respectively. The combined business will have annual beer volumes of approximately 175 million hectolitres.

As a result of this transaction, Heineken's market share in Russia will grow to 10%, with volumes over 8 million hectolitres, further strengthening the number three position of Heineken in the world's fifth largest and rapidly growing beer market.

BeverageMarketing/Nautilus GmbH Laboratoriumsbedarf announced the recent European launch of NicoShotT, the world's first smoking-cessation beer containing a shot of natural nicotine, about what you would get in a couple of regular filtered cigarettes. NicoShot is brewed to the German Purity Law of 1516 and contains 3 milligrams of naturally derived nicotine alkaloids, 63 calories and 4.5 carbohydrates, with 6.3% alcohol by volume per 250 ml shot can. The cutting-edge nicotine beer is fire brewed separately and a standardized herbal extract of natural tobacco leaf (Nicotiana tabacum L.) of the Solanaceae nightshade family is added at the end of the natural brewing process.

NicoShot is cigarette satisfaction in a beer without the smoke. For most smokers, three cans of NicoShot is comparable to an entire pack of conventional cigarettes. Best of all, there's none of the tar or carbon monoxide the comes from burring tobacco. Similar to nicotine gum,NicoShot is considered nicotine replacement therapy that provides a steady, controlled release of nicotine.

SABMiller acquire the Slovakian brewer Topvar. Topvar sold 569,000 hectolitres of beer in 2004.

Under the terms of the agreement with the controlling shareholders, SABMiller will make an offer to acquire all the shares of the minority shareholders in the Company (40.5% interest). Depending on the level of acceptances, the controlling shareholders, who have a 59.5% interest in the Company, have agreed to sell sufficient shares such that SABMiller's interest will be at least 33%, but not more than 49% of the issued share capital.

As a result of this transaction, Heineken's market share in Russia will grow to 8.3 precent, with volumes over 7 million hectolitres, further strengthening Heineken's number three position in the world's fifth largest and rapidly growing beer market.

The Patra brewery is based in the number three city in Russia,Yekaterinburg, situated in the fast growing Urals region, which accounts for 17 percent of the total beer market. The brewery has a sales capacity of 1.0 million hectoliters. The portfolio consists mainly of the regional beer brands Patra, Strelets and Zhigulevskoye and soft drinks, which represent a total volume of 715,000 hectolitres of beer and 40,000 hectolitres of soft drinks in 2004. National market share is 0.8 percent, market share in the Urals region is 5 percent and in Yekaterinburg 20 percent.

The new beergiant Molson Coors buys the small Canadian Creemore Springs Brewery to get a high-price brand, Creemore Springs Premium Lager.

The Ontario-based Creemore has employs 50 people and is founded in 1987.
Molson Coors had 42 precent of the Ontario beer-sale.

Heineken NV create a new top management structure that will drive and support its next phase of growth as a global organization.

To better align its operations and strategy, Heineken will create five operating regions: Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, The Americas, Africa and the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Each region will be headed by a regional President.

In 2004, the new Western Europe region accounted for 29 percent of group beer volume and 42 percent of operating profit BEIA. The new Central and Eastern Europe region accounted for 38 percent of group beer volume and 20 percent of operating profit. Americas region accounted for 13 percent of group beer volume and 21 percent of operating profit. Africa and the Middle-East accounted for 12 percent of group beer volume and 13 percent of operating profit. And the new Asia-Pacific region accounted for 8 percent of group beer volume and 4 percent of operating profit.

Baltika has announced that the Russian tax authorities have presented a $10.6 million claim against a subsidiary and $1.5 million against the brewery itself.

The claim was presented against Leasing-Optimum for a period in 2003. The $1.5 million claim against Baltika itself was presented after a check of its activities in 2004.

According to Baltika the disagreement with the tax authorities is caused by a different interpretation of the leasing laws.

The Eastgerman brewer Helmut Fritsche, Neuzelle Kloster-Bräu, has won the right to ad sugar syrup to his dark brew and still call it beer in Germany.

That means, that the German Reinheitsgebot (purity law) from 1516 is overruled. The old law says that the ingredients in beer only can be grain, hops and water.

Helmut Fritsche has fight against the law in 10 years for the right to call his Schwarzer Abt beer. The beer contains suger syrup. Now he has succeed.

Then come the big question about the brewerys cerry beer and other special beers.

The Danish Brewery Group"s has lounged a new Strategic Plan, MACH II. The overall objective of the 3-year plan is to ensure increased business value and that, also in the future, The Danish Brewery Group remains among the leading businesses in Denmark and in the focus markets of the Group.

- We want to be bigger and we want to go fast – we have the capacity for that. But our growth is based on the invariable requirement that we must maintain two-digit ROIC and profit margin and a free cash flow of at least 7 per cent of net revenue. The MACH II target is profitable revenue growth from some DKK 3 billion today to at least DKK 4.5 billion over 3 years", says Mr Poul Møller, CEO.

The MACH II further accelerate the internationalisation of The Danish Brewery Group. Therefore change the company name to Royal UNIBREW A/S on 18 April 2005.

Once again send the Albani Brewery in Denmark a beer on the market to celebrate the birth of the Danish storyteller and poet Hans Christian Andersen. Similar happend when HC Andersen reached 100 and 150 years. Now the beer comes to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen.

The shareholders at the American Coors have overwhelmingly voted in favour of the merger with Canadian Molson.

The three-and-a-half-billion-dollar deal makes the worlds fifth largest brewery with 15 breweries.

The transaction is expected to complete on 9 February. Before that waits the final approval from the Quebec Superior Court.

The shareholders of Molson, Canada, has voted overwhelmingly in favour of the merger with the third-largest U.S. brewer Coors.

If the shareholdes of Coors also approve the deal, when they vote Tuesday, the worlds fifth-largest brewer will be a reality.

The belgian diabetolog prof. Ivo de Leeuw has in a study experienced, that people who drink a half litre beer each day, more rarely become diabetes than a teetotaller and people with a big alcoholconsumpsion.

The Lion Brewery in Columbo, Sri Lanka, shift from producing beer to bottle water.

The company stopped making beer after hearing reports that survivors of the disaster ran the risk of drinking contaminated water.

The whole brewweryplant become cleaned and the remaing beer in the system was purged.

The normal packing system is mechanized, therefore is it necessary for the brewery to pack the water bottles manually.

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