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King of beers: Brands owned by biggest brewers

Published:Thursday | September 17, 2015 | 12:08 PM
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AP
This March 5, 2015 file photo shows Budweiser beer for sale at a concession stand at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida.
Wong Maye-E
In this August 14, 2012, file photo, a worker unloads a truck delivering Heineken and Tiger beer to a pub before its opening hours in Singapore.
AP
This March 11, 2015 photo shows newly-filled and sealed cans of Miller Lite beer.
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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.

While no specific offer has yet been made, stock in SABMiller rocketed 22 per cent higher on the news on Wednesday. That indicates investors expect the deal to value the company at around US$90 billion.

Under United Kingdom takeover rules, AB InBev has until 5 p.m. on October 14 to make an offer for SABMiller or walk away. The combined company would have a market capitalisation of some US$275 billion and be by far the largest brewer in the world.

This is how the top brewers currently line up:

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV

Brands: Budweiser, Bud Light, Corona, Beck's

Latest annual revenue: US$47.1 billion

Size: World's largest brewer. According to Euromonitor, AB InBev has a 21 per cent share of the global beer market. It says it makes almost half the beer sold in the United States.

History: The company traces its lineage to a brewery in Belgium in 1366. AB InBev was created in 2008, when Brazilian-Belgian brewer InBev bought US-based Anheuser Busch. The company later acquired Mexico's Grupo Modelo, although it sold Modelo's US business.

SABMiller PLC

Brands: Miller, Peroni, Milwaukee's Best, Grolsch

Annual revenue: US$26.3 billion

Size: World's second-largest brewer, with a market share of almost 10 per cent.

History: South African Breweries bought Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2002. SABMiller sells beers, including Miller Lite, Coors Light and Blue Moon in the United States 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: US$21.76 billion

Size: About nine 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: US$9.77 billion

Size: A six per cent global market share.

History: Founded in 1826 and combined with Danish 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 in the Scottish & Newcastle deal.

Tsingtao Brewery Company

Brands: Tsingtao

Annual revenue: US$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.