NEW YORK – The world’s largest beer brewers have a few things in common: they’re very large, very old, and they often have very close relationships with their competitors. That would increase if Budweiser maker Anheuser-Busch InBev buys Miller brewer SABMiller, uniting the two largest beer makers.
Anheuser-Busch InBev NV
Brands: Budweiser, Bud Light, Corona, Beck’s.
Latest annual revenue: $47.06 billion.
Size: World’s largest brewer. According to Euromonitor, AB InBev has a 21 per cent share of the global beer market. The company makes almost half the beer sold in the U.S.
History: The company traces its lineage to a brewery in Belgium in 1366. In 2004, Belgian Interbrew combined with Brazilian Ambev to make InBev, and in 2008 InBev bought U.S.-based Anheuser Busch. The company later acquired Mexico’s Grupo Modelo, but sold Modelo’s U.S. business.
SABMiller PLC
Brands: Miller, Peroni, Milwaukee’s Best, Grolsch.
Annual revenue: $26.29 billion.
Size: World’s second-largest brewer, with a market share of almost 10 per cent.
History: South African Breweries bought Miller Brewing Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2002. SABMiller sells beers including Miller Lite, Coors Light and Blue Moon in the U.S. and Puerto Rico through a joint venture with Molson Coors. A joint venture with China Resource Enterprises sells Snow, a beer that is only sold in China and is the biggest-selling single brand of beer.
Heineken NV
Brands: Heineken, Dos Equis, Tecate, Amstel.
Annual revenue: $21.76 billion.
Size: About 9 per cent share of the global beer market.
History: Founded in 1864 in the Netherlands. Teamed with Carlsberg to buy UK-based Scottish & Newcastle in 2008, keeping the company’s cider and beer business.
Carlsberg AS
Brands: Carlsberg, Tuborg, Somersby.
Annual revenue: $9.77 billion
Size: A 6 per cent global market share.
History: The Danish company was founded in 1826 and combined with competitor Tuborg in 1970. Carlsberg acquired Orkla of Norway in 2004, expanding its business in Russia, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, and built on those moves with its part of the Scottish & Newcastle deal.
Tsingtao Brewery Co.
Brands: Tsingtao.
Annual revenue: $4.55 billion
Size: A global market share of 4.7 per cent.
History: Founded in 1903 and started exporting beer in 1954. The Chinese state-owned company says its beer is the number one consumer product exported from China.
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