Drunken Crayfish

World: Budweiser, Corona and Heineken named world?s most valuable beer brands in 2011

Budweiser, Corona and Heineken are listed as the world?s most valuable beer brands by the recently published Interbrand 2011 Best Global Brands report.

AB InBev?s Budweiser is ranked the 29th brand of the top 100, its value being estimated at USD12.252 bln. While the brand?s growth in Brazil saw some slowdown in 2011, it continues to build its presence in Latin America and China, which both represent huge growth opportunities, Interbrand experts believe. Budweiser, however, has added zero points vs. its value last year.

Grupo Modelo?s Corona holds the 86th position with a value of USD3.924 bln (+2% vs. last year). The number one beer in Mexico and the number one imported beer in Australia and North America is linked to a laid-back lifestyle, vacation, and relaxation, through its somewhat iconic lime wedge and beach. This is captured at every touchpoint, whether it is social media or more traditional advertising. The brand has been able to evolve this message?even inviting fans to ?find your beach? in recent campaigns. This year, Corona announced its biggest retail sweepstakes promotion yet?a chance for its customers to win one of 100 trips to Mexico.

Heineken?s series of acquisitions in fast-developing markets continued this year, following 2010?s purchase of Femsa Cerveza, which rebalanced the portfolio from a steadily declining European base. Notably, this year the brand has been eyeing Africa, acquiring additional brewery capacity in Nigeria, and entering the South Sudan market after buying two Ethiopian breweries. Additionally, it remains steady in Brazil where it has had a presence for many years.

According to the annual survey, Heineken’s brand value increased 8% over last year and more than 60% since 2005 to USD3.809 bln.

Belgium?s strong golden ales

Belgium?s strong golden ales are high-fermenting beers of pale golden color with a long-lasting foam, and a very high alcoholic strength ranging from 6 to 9%.

What differentiates them from ‘Triple’ is the paler and clearer colour, simpler taste, a flavour more on the malt and hops side and no distinctive yeast character. Some complexity arise from the high ABV. A fruity and spicy character may be present, from either warm fermentation or actual spice additions.

The most famous example in this category is the classic Duvel, one of the flagships of Belgian beer worldwide. The name of this beer is an alteration of the word “duivel” which means “devil” in Flemish, and most beers produced after this model have similar demonious names. But all of them are not copies of the most renowned brand, and many are excellent beers, acclaimed by experts.

Belgium & India: Duvel Moortgat to launch its Duvel and Liefmans beers in India

Belgian specialty beer maker Duvel Moortgat has lined up the launch of its namesake beer brand in India, local media reported on October, 3.

Joining Duvel in the country will be the brewer’s Liefmans brand, Duvel Moortgat confirmed late last week. Both beers will be available in Delhi and Mumbai, with both retailing at around INR450 (US$8.90) per bottle.

Cerana Imports will handle the brands’ importation and distribution.

The brewer took control of Liefmans back in June 2008, after Liefmans had been declared bankrupt six months earlier.

Belgium & UK: SABMiller surges in London trading on unofficial report of takeover talks with AB InBev

SABMiller Plc, the world?s second- biggest brewer, surged in London trading after Brazilian news website IG reported that the beer maker is in talks to be bought by larger competitor AB InBev NV, Bloomberg reported on October, 6.

The stock rose as much as 11 percent, the steepest intraday gain since Nov. 24, 2008, after Guilherme Barros, a columnist at the Sao Paulo-based website, said a deal could be worth about $80 billion. He didn?t say how he obtained the information.

Nigel Fairbrass, a spokesman for London-based SABMiller, and Marianne Amssoms, a spokeswoman for Leuven, Belgium-based AB InBev, declined to comment on the report.

SABMiller traded up 140 pence, or 6.7 percent, at 2,240 pence at midday, giving the company a market value of 35.6 billion pounds ($54.5 billion). AB InBev fell as much as 2.2 percent in Brussels and was down 44 cents, or 1.1 percent, at 39.19 euros at 1 p.m. local time.

SABMiller, the maker of Grolsch and Peroni, agreed to buy Australia?s Foster?s Group Ltd. for about A$9.9 billion ($9.6 billion) on Sept. 21.

Chocolate lifts up mood

Devouring a bar of chocolate might make you forget your sorrows for those sweet moments it takes to melt on your tongue. But the mood-boosting benefits of chocolate pass as quickly as the experience of eating it, a new study has found, according to Los Angeles Times.

In order to assess chocolate’s supposed antidepressant qualities, the study reviewed all the research findings ever produced on the relationship between chocolate and mood .

The temporary relief may come from eating chocolate, according to the study, led by Gordon Parker, a professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. There is no evidence that eating chocolate removes feelings of depression, the scientists found. At last, while people crave chocolate, chocolate cannot cause the type of chemical addictions that alcohol, cigarettes or drugs do, the report determined.

A professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, Janet Polivy, conducted a chocolate-craving study published last year in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. She deprived patients of either chocolate or vanilla. Those deprived of chocolate had a much harder time.

A brief history of beer in Europe

Beer is one of the oldest drinks in the world, with evidence suggesting it has been brewed and enjoyed as far back as the 6th century BC, Norh Wales Chronicle posted on August, 18.

It was certainly alive and kicking in around 450BC, when the Greek writer Sophocles wrote a piece about the importance of moderation when drinking beer (not much has changed, then). The Greeks saw beer, or zythos, as an important part of their daily diet, and brewed it from a barley mixture following a process they probably learned from the Egyptians. Ancient Rome also had beer by the barrel, although it