E-Malt.com News article: 1485

The world's biggest brewer, Anheuser-Busch, said on August 26 it had signed up Dutch brewer Heineken to sell its flagship Budweiser brand in Italy, after its previous partner pulled out to market a rival beer, according to Reuters.
Birra Peroni, which had sold Budweiser in Italy since 1995, said it was working on the launch of Miller Genuine Draft, following its takeover by the world's second-biggest brewer, SABMiller Plc, earlier this year.
Anheuser-Busch said the transfer of rights to brew, market and distribute Budweiser, the world's top-selling beer, would take effect on November 11, 2003.
Heineken is the world's fourth-biggest brewer.
SABMiller, which bought a 60 percent stake in Peroni in May, said it planned to launch Miller Genuine Draft in Italy toward the end of 2003.
The maker of Miller Lite, Pilsner Urquell and Castle beers is struggling to turn around U.S. brewer Miller, which it bought for $5.6 billion in July of last year. The firm disappointed investors in May by saying the recovery would take three years.
Budweiser sales accounted for about four percent of total Peroni volumes in 2002.


26 August, 2003