Beer Sales Down Beer sales have been on the decline in the U.S., with shipments dipping 1.4% last year to 210 million barrels, an eight-year low, according to publication Beer Marketer's Insights. Anheuser-Busch, whose brands include Budweiser and Bud Light, slipped below the 100million-barrel benchmark for the first time in a decade. Big brewers are fighting back, introducing craft beers and other spins in a bid to recapture straying customers. Anheuser-Busch InBev, which is spending at least $30 million on Super Bowl ads, will devote two of its six game-time spots to one of those products, its new higher-alcohol Bud Light Platinum. The brew's 6% alcohol content reflects Americans' growing interest in stronger drinks with a perceived sophistication. Sales of both wine and hard liquor such as vodka, bourbon and whiskey are up 4% or more over the last year, helped in part by images in popular media. |
Government Fights Beer In Russia, which has one of the world’s highest rates of alcoholism and alcohol-related illness, vodka remains the top choice but beer is not far behind. The average Russian drinks more than four gallons of alcohol a year. Because of ever increasing consumption the government has put a new law into effect to, they believe, cut back on beer sales. The new law bans beer sales from kiosks entirely, and in other stores between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. That along with increased taxes on beer aims to curb public drinking, particularly the casual drinking in city parks and snow-covered promenades that can begin before breakfast and end after midnight. Though technically illegal, drinking in such public spaces is usually tolerated. Industry statistics show that the kiosks, which line streets and typically cluster around subway stations, account for about 30 percent of all beer sales. The brewing industry warns that the crackdown could make harder alcohol even more popular. "It will be tougher if you want to buy a beer on the way home from work, or pop down from your apartment," Isaac Sheps, chairman of the Union of Russian Brewers, said. "So you have to stock at home. And stocking beer is more problematic than stocking vodka. It's bulky, it's big and there's no room for it in small homes. It's much easier to buy two bottles of vodka and manage for your instant need for alcohol. So it's quite ironic that this attempt to improve health and lower alcoholism could have the opposite effect and cause people to drink more harmful spirits," Sheps said. Winter remains the prime drinking time for Russians. Government statistics show that Vodka accounts for almost 50% of alcohol sales between November - February. while beer has 35%, wine 10 %, champagne 1 %, and other spirits 4%. |
| Feature News from beernexus.com |
Edited by Jim Attacap
 |  |
 |
| |
 |
| BEERNEXUS the crossroads of the beer world |
Bud Wins Lawsuit
Anheuser-Busch InBev can trademark the
name “Bud” for its beers in Europe over the
objections of Czech company Budejovicky
Budvar, which makes brews that it calls
Budweiser Budvar and Bud Premier Select.
The General Court of the European Union in
Luxembourg said in just released statement that it
“dismisses the actions brought by Budejovicky Budvar
against the registration of the Community trade mark
‘BUD’ for beer applied for by Anheuser-Busch.”
Budejovicky Budvar says that it holds 380 trademarks
registered in 101 countries, the best known of which
include Budweiser, Budvar, Budweiser Budvar and Bud.
The company says its use of the names is “closely
linked” to the place where it says its beers originated —
the town of Ceske Budejovice, formerly known as
Budiwoyz or Budweis.
Global disputes over the Budweiser and Bud names
have been ongoing for more than a century, since 1907,
according to Budejovicky Budvar. The company said
that 124 court cases and administrative procedures
over the issue were finalized between 2000 and 2011.