Danish brewer Carlsberg announced on August, 5 its interim results as at 30 June 2009.

Carlsberg said it delivered a strong result for the first six months of 2009 with strong cash flow growth, margin improvement and organic profit growth.

Free cash flow increased considerably to DKK 4.1 bln in the six months, operating margin improved to 15.1% (13.1% in 2008) and for beverage activities organic operating profit growth was 26%. The intensified focus on efficiencies more than off-set the ongoing market challenges, Carlsberg said.

The markets were challenging during the first six months of 2009. Organic beer volume growth for the Group was -5%. Including acquisitions beer volumes increased 15% to 56.9 mln hl (49.6 mln hl in 2008). Q2 beer volumes declined organically by 6%. The beer volume declined in most markets in Eastern Europe and in Northern & Western Europe although the Asian business continued to grow.

Net revenue increased by 9% to DKK 29.4 bln (DKK 27.0 bln in H1 2008). Organic net revenue growth was flat (-7% in DKK). The price increases implemented in 2008 and early 2009 together with a greater focus on value management have driven a positive price effect of +6% year on year ...More Info

MillerCoors, the US second-largest brewer and a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company, reported double-digit profit growth on a pro forma basis for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.

"Since combining operations last July, we have achieved double-digit growth in underlying earnings for four consecutive quarters," said MillerCoors CEO Leo Kiely. "These results show MillerCoors is connecting consumers with its new brand portfolio and effectively driving synergies to become stronger and more competitive in the U.S. beer industry."

"We have grown five of our six national focus brands in the past year. This demonstrates the power of our portfolio to drive profitable growth in this challenging economic environment," added Kiely.

Key operating results for the second quarter are compared to the prior year on a pro forma basis (based on results for Miller and Coors reported under either International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for the fiscal quarter ended June 2008, or U.S. GAAP for the fiscal quarter ended June 2008. Adjustments have been made to reflect comparative data including amortization of definite-life intangible assets and the exclusion of significant one-time items) and include MillerCoors operations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Six national focus brands (Coors Light, Miller Lite, MGD ...More Info

Molson Coors Brewing Company reported on August, 3 strong income growth for the second quarter. Net income attributable to Molson Coors increased 136.3 percent to $187.3 million for the second quarter, up from $79.4 million a year ago.

The brewer’s net sales dropped 55 percent to $798.9 million.

Underlying after-tax income increased 20.6 percent to $205.4 million, or $1.11 per diluted share, up from $170.3 million, or $0.92 per diluted share a year ago. This earnings performance was driven by increased beer pricing and substantial cost reductions across the company, which were partially offset by continuing unfavourable currency movements, cost inflation, and lower worldwide volume.

During the quarter, Molson Coors achieved an incremental $32 million of cost savings as part of its three-year, $250 million Resources for Growth (RFG) cost savings program. Savings from the RFG program during the past 2 ½ years now total $229 million. These cost savings include the company’s 42 percent share of RFG cost savings that were achieved by MillerCoors, which equalled $3 million in the second quarter.

Molson Coors Brewing Company’s total worldwide beer volume was 13.533 million hectolitres in the quarter, 3.2 percent lower versus the prior year on a pro forma basis.

Canada business

Canada underlying ...More Info

The Boston Beer Company, Inc. reported on August, 4 a second quarter core product depletions increase of 2% as compared to the second quarter of 2008, adjusted for comparable selling days.

Net income for the second quarter was $11.9 million, or $0.83 per diluted share, an increase of $3.4 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, from the second quarter of 2008, primarily as a result of provisions taken for the product recall in the second quarter of 2008. Excluding the provisions taken for the product recall in 2008, the company's second quarter net income increased $0.6 million, or $0.04 per diluted share. Net revenue for the second quarter of 2009 was $118.1 million, an increase of $0.7 million, or 1%, over the same period last year.

Jim Koch, Chairman and Founder of the Company, commented, "Our 2% depletions growth in the second quarter was an improvement over the 5% decrease in the first quarter. We believe that while underlying trends improved slightly, most of this improvement is due to the comparison to a period impacted by the voluntary recall that was announced in April of last year. We continue to face increased competition from expanded distribution of domestic specialty brands ...More Info

Financial crisis and a relatively cool summer reduced Czech beer output by more than 6% in the first half of this year as compared to the same period in 2008, the Czech Union of Breweries and Malthouses reported its preliminary estimates on August, 3.

The official first half statistics will be made public by the end of August.

Another factor negatively influencing beer consumption in the country is falling number of tourists. Foreign visitors account for about 15-20% of the Czech beer consumption.

In the first 3 months of the financial year (April 2009 - March 2010), Ursus Breweries continued to grow its share and achieved market leadership in a market which declined 9% in the first six months of this year, Ursus’ parent company SABMiller reported on July, 31.

The company now holds a market share of 30.6% (MEMRB Retail Data, Apr-June 09). Ursus’ overall volume recorded a decline of 3%, and this after a very strong increase of 22% in the prior year. By strengthening its brand equities, ensuring optimum portfolio distribution and wise financial management, Ursus Breweries continued to deliver better results than the market.

“These quarterly results prove once again that a professional and dedicated team, benefiting from a portfolio of high quality products appreciated by the consumers, can sail a ship during stormy weather to a leading position. Despite the difficult economic period the market is facing, we continued to invest in our brand portfolio and organisation. We also finalised the important investment project of modernising and expanding the production capacity of the Timisoara brewery in June. This will further optimize our production footprint and continue to ensure the constant high quality of our beers, highly appreciated by ...More Info

Construction of Queensland’s biggest malting facility was scheduled on August, 5, according to a report by Weekly Times Now.

Barrett Burston Malting Company’s A$80 million Pinkenba Maltings is the first malthouse to be built in the state for more than 40 years and the only plant to export malt.

The facility will create up to 20 new jobs, expand the market for Queensland barley growers and increase demand for Australian barley by 100,000 tonnes each year, the owner said.

Pinkenba Malting Plant will convert barley from Queensland and northern NSW into high quality brewing malt, with half supplied to Foster’s Yatala Brewery and the other half exported through the Port of Brisbane to major brewers in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Pinkenba malt will be the main ingredient in all beers produced at Queensland’s biggest brewery Yatala including VB and Carlton Mid Strength. Barrett Burston Malting Company president and chief executive officer Angelo Di Petta said the opening of the plant represented a great opportunity for the Queensland economy, and in particular, Queensland barley growers.

"This project will put Queensland on the map when it comes to Australian barley production, with local growers soon having the opportunity to sell an additional 100,000 ...More Info

The French spring barley crop may be even larger than the last official estimate of 3.365 mln tons, 70% of which are anticipated to qualify as malting barley, analysts communicated in a recent research note.

Yields are said to be almost as high as last year, quality – grain size, moisture – are excellent, and protein is on the low side, some perfect 10.0 – 10.5%, some down to 9%.

Starting on the 23rd of July, markets broke down under the impression of the unexpectedly good crop. French price levels dominate markets in all neighbouring countries and even influence the most distant markets in the Balkans and Scandinavia. Spring barley price levels fell so low in July that winter barley lost all attraction for maltsters and brewers; it looks as if large quantities of Cervoise and also other winter barley will end up in the feed sector or in intervention, experts comment.

Farmers are most unhappy sellers at present levels, and all forecasts for 2010 expect a much reduced acreage of malting barley in the EU.

In Germany the harvest of winter barley is well advanced, but not much spring barley has been combined yet, reports show. First quality results look very good.

The German Malting Barley Association estimates that 1.5 mln tons of spring malting barley will become available, equal 72% of the total spring barley crop. It would be the highest selection rate ever in experienced in this country.

Offers are: Feed barley ex silo East Germany EUR 85,-, delivered Hamburg 102,-, 2rs malting barley prompt delivery, EUR 122,-/129,-, but there is no business reported.

Certified barley seed for use in 2010 was planted on 12,583 ha vs. 18,252 ha last year.

With prospects of a good harvest becoming more likely, both feed and malting barley prices have declined during the last two weeks in the US, Farm & Ranch Guide reported on August, 1.

Larry Raap, grain merchandiser for Sun Prairie Grains in Minot said the crop in his area is looking very good, with the start of harvest probably two weeks away. Right now it looks like the yields on those acres that were planted will make up for those acres where growers were prevented from planting a barley crop, Mr. Raap said.

“The prices keep retreating because the crops look so big,” he said. “It's been just about perfect for barley, cool and plenty of moisture.”

While the supply side looks favourable right now, the lack of demand, especially for exports, continues to put downward pressure on an already weak market. In addition, the movement of domestic barley is backed up. Raap noted that Sun Prairie Grains still has about one million bushels of last year's malting barley crop to ship to a market that's clogged with product.

“The maltsters are jammed up and can't take it all at one time-they're kind of full,” he said. “As a result, bids today for feed ...More Info

Russia has harvested 50 – 70% of its barley in the south (Krasnodar to Rostov), yields per ha are 15 – 20% below last year’s, industry observers reported late last month.

In the black soil region between Moscow and the Ukrainian border spring barley is ripe, but needs better weather for the start of harvest. Prospects are for a good, albeit somewhat smaller crop than last year.

As estimated by experts, there will be enough malting barley to cover Russia’s domestic demand.

In the Volga valley from Samara to Volgograd and further east in the regions of Ufa and Orenburg stretching into Kazakhstan, a long drought has led to crop losses from 10 to 50%. In the Urals and Siberia barley crops look good.

According to USDA and IGC estimates, Russia’s barley crop may amount to 17 mln tons versus 23.1 mln last year.

Russian barley exports came in full swing late in the last grain year, but still reached 3.3 mln tons. This year’s Black Sea barley exports are expected to be smaller, but Russia and Ukraine remain the world’s price leaders. At US$ 125,- FOB small ports and 135,-/145,- FOB large ports they are well below the prices of EU barley and ...More Info

E. Denise Baxter, Daniel Cooper, Gillian M. Fisher and Robert E. Muller

Abstract:
J. Inst. Brew. 113(2), 130–134, 2007 A method has been developed for the detection of trace quantities of residual isinglass present in fined beers. Isinglass residues in beer are concentrated by means of an antibody raised using isinglass as an antigen. The separated isinglass is hydrolysed to its constituent acids and quantified by measuring the content of hydroxyproline. The limit of quantification of this method, that is the concentration of isinglass in beer which can be distinguished from background levels of hydroxyproline, is 0.17 mg of isinglass /litre of beer (on an isinglass dry weight basis). This method has been used to quantify the concentration of isinglass residues which could be present in brewery and cask conditioned beers, and also to determine whether there is likely to be stratification of isinglass residues in casks. Key words: Analysis, beer, isinglass. Load full article, 5 pages, 151 kb , PDF file