World beer markets show signs of improvement, but regrettably not everywhere, analysts reported late in April.

China, Southeast Asia, Africa and South America report increases of beer sales.

In Japan beer sales hit an 18-year low in the first quarter of 2010, 5.7% down from last year. The share of lager beer is only 47.5%, while 3rd category beer climbed to a 33.9% market share.

Russia continues to suffer from a catastrophic slump of beer sales, minus 19.7% for Jan-March 2010.

Germany reports a very good month of March, it turned a reduction of beer sales of 5.7% in Jan/Feb into a 1.1% growth for the first quarter.

The U.S. sold 15.75 mln barrels in March, unchanged from a year ago, but could not compensate losses of Jan/Feb yet.

Hope seems justified that both the EU and NAFTA will return to good average beer sales during spring and summer, experts said.

Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (ThaiBev) reported on May, 14 that its consolidated net profit for the first quarter of 2010 fell 17.2 per cent to 2.5 billion Baht.

Revenue rose 8.6 per cent to 30.02 billion Baht.

EBITDA contracted by 14.2% to 4.9 bln Baht.

ThaiBev’s total sales volume dropped by 4% to 153 mln litres in the first quarter of this year.

Sales revenue from the beer operations grew by 8.3% to 8.59 mln Baht. The division’s net loss widened from 161 mln Baht in Q1 2009 to 415 mln Baht this year.

The company said the political protest in various parts of Bangkok and the outlying areas during the first quarter of 2010 has had a direct impact to the overall beer industry.

“Most people refrained from leaving their homes and going out especially to on-premise places,” it said.

USA performance continues to improve with a strong increase in sales year on year, sales growth was driven by activation of programs behind Chang Beer in Southern California, New York, and Boston markets leading up to the sponsorship of Bird Concert in Los Angeles, and New York City at the end of May.

ASEAN performance was driven by Chang Beer sales increasing by 81% with ...More Info

Singapore-based Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd (APB) announced on May, 13 a significant 45% or S$77.5 million gain in Group profit before interest, tax and exceptional items (PBIT) to S$250.2 million for the six months ended 31 March 2010.

Group attributable net profit before exceptional items (APBE) advanced strongly by S$43.7 million or 48% to S$134.7million.

Group revenue grew to S$1.25 billion, which is 17% higher than the same period last year, mainly due to higher volumes.

Earnings per share before exceptional items rose from 35.3 cents to 52.2 cents. Net asset value per share gained 26 cents to S$4.26 while net tangible assets (NTA) per share decreased from S$3.17 to S$1.77 when compared to September last year. The reduction in NTA is mainly due to an increase in intangible assets arising from the acquisition of breweries in Indonesia and New Caledonia and the Bintang brand, the company said.

Mr Roland Pirmez, Chief Executive Officer, APB said, "The demand for our beers remained strong in the second quarter although the growth rate has moderated as compared to the first quarter."

"For the six months under review, our largest PBIT contributor, IndoChina (comprising Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) continued to be the Group's key driver of ...More Info

Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA) said on May, 14 that Pacific Beverages JV, its joint venture with SABMiller plc, has continued to invest in building its brands and growing its market share of the Australian premium alcoholic beverages market in the current first half of 2010.

While the beer market overall has experienced a softer start to the year, Pacific Beverages’ premium beer portfolio has continued to grow volumes and market share and now accounts for almost 10% of the premium beer market in Australia, the company said, citing AC Nielsen data.

The Bluetongue Brewery in New South Wales will be commissioned later this month with the first commercial production expected at the end of June, CCA reports.

“With the Bluetongue Brewery about to be commissioned, we will have the manufacturing platform to take our beer business to the next level,” CCA’s Group Managing Director, Mr Terry Davis, said.

In a press conference after the annual general meeting, Davis said players in the premium beer market, into which it is selling its Bluetongue and Peroni Leggera beers, is losing some of its pricing power, with a 3%-5% compression in prices in that market recently. The premium market has grown more competitive in Australia given ...More Info

Danish brewer Carlsberg A/S will fight off competition in Russia and grow market share this year, Chief Executive Jorgen Buhl Rasmussen was quoted as saying by Dow Jones Newswires on May, 11.

"We are still confident about that," he said. "We have a very strong sales machine in the country."

Carlsberg reported forecast-beating first-quarter earnings on May, 11, but volumes for Russia were a disappointment. The Copenhagen-based company's market share in Russia was 39.1% in the three months ended March 31, compared to 40.9% a year earlier. Carlsberg pointed out that market share was up compared to the fourth quarter of 2009.

"You have to look at the long-term trend," Buhl Rasmussen said. "We should be able to outperform the market every year."

Beer consumption in Russia has increased rapidly in the past few years but the economic downturn coupled with a tax increase has sent beer volumes lower. Buhl Rasmussen said that Carlsberg has a "very detailed plan" to pass on the tax hike to consumers.

"As a principle, we believe the consumers will have to pay," he said, "and we have managed to pass on a very significant part already."

All brewers with a foothold in Russia are facing the ...More Info

Shares of Boston Beer have jumped 4% to $62.63 after Massachusetts Senator John Kerry presented a new bill to Senate on May, 12 proposing that the excise tax for small beer makers be cut to $3.50 a barrel for the first 60,000 barrels produced each year from $7, TheStreet communicated on May, 13.

The proposed change would also reduce the excise tax to $16 from $18 for every additional barrel up to 2 million barrels.

There are about 1,500 small breweries in the U.S. that could stand to benefit from such a tax cut, including 40 small ones in Massachusetts. Boston Beer, the maker of Sam Adams and the biggest of the group, is, of course, one of them.

Co-sponsoring the bill with Kerry, a Democrat, are Republican Senators Mike Crapo of Idaho and Olympia Snowe of Maine; as well as Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon.

Democrat Representative Richard Neal of Massachusetts and Republican Represntative Kevin Brady of Texas introduced the bill to the House toward the end of last year.

Once in a while there is still demand for malt for delivery during 2010, industry sources inform.

Brewers must still buy malt for 40 – 50 %of their needs in 2011, it is estimated.

The price development will depend mainly on barley crops and markets, which point to modestly higher levels.

The latest IGC report sets the forecast of EU’s barley production at 56.5 mln tonnes this year, which represents a 9% drop versus last year.

The winter barley acreage is expected to drop by 7%, spring barley – by 11%.

Trade estimates of both the acreage and production are lower, a research note said at the end of April.

Growing conditions are still favourable, although any extension of the present warm and dry weather would be negative for yields, grain size and protein contents. Rains are forecast for northwest and central Europe.

In general one would expect a smaller crop than last year, because of a smaller acreage, a long and hard winter, late spring with delayed planting of spring grains, a lower input of fertilizer, early dryness. There is one reserve, however: in the past two years crops were surprisingly good, better than anticipated even shortly before harvest, experts point out.

United States’ barley planted areas declined by 8% to 1.33 mln ha, industry analysts communicated earlier this month.

Of the total barley acreage, North Dakota planted 397,000 ha (last year 490,000), Montana - 320,000 ha (352,000) and Idaho – 210,000 ha, the same as last year.

Canada Statistics reports a drop of 4% of the planted barley acreage from 3.506 to 3.377 mln ha, but expects a lower abandonment. The Western provinces are estimated as follows (in 1000 ha, last year in brackets): Manitoba 271 (283), Saskatchewan 1315 (1396), Alberta 1558 (1603).

T. Silvetti, M. Brasca, R. Lodi, L. Vanoni, F. Chiolerio, M. de Groot and A. Bravi

J. Inst. Brew. 116(1), 33–40, 2010
ABSTRACT
Lysozyme is an antimicrobial enzyme that could be applied to counteract those bacterial species which, due to their own metabolic activity, possess notable beer spoilage ability and lead to loss of beer quality. Experiments were carried out to assess lysozyme potential to prevent the growth of beer spoilage bacteria, and to verify the effect of lysozyme on the microbiological stability and sensory characteristics of unpasteurized beer. Eight replicates, all from the same lot of Italian beer, were treated with 0 and 100 ppm lysozyme. Microbiological analyses were conducted bimonthly to investigate the presence of spoilage bacteria. Sensory analyses were performed to determine whether there were any significant differences in sensory impressions between beers produced with and without lysozyme. Lysozyme exerted a strong inhibitory action on the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) present in the beer and was very stable throughout the shelf life. Sensory tests revealed no unfavourable influence on beer flavour when using lysozyme. Indeed, the shelf life of beer with added lysozyme proved to be extended. Even as late as 1 month after the expiry date it still met with the panellists’ approval. Lysozyme may be regarded as an effective agent for preventing microbiological contamination and prolonging the stability of unpasteurized beer. Key words: lactic acid bacteria (LAB), lysozyme, shelf life, unpasteurized beer. Load full article, 8 pages, 258 kb , PDF file