Who owns what

Leuven, Belgium (operational hub: New York City)

The largest brewer on Earth — roughly 25% of the global beer market and 630+ brands. Built through the most aggressive merger streak in corporate history: Interbrew + AmBev (2004), the $52B Anheuser-Busch takeover (2008), and the $100B+ SABMiller acquisition (2016).

Tokyo, Japan

Japanese beverage giant that acquired Pilsner Urquell (via SABMiller's Central European assets) in 2017.

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Publicly traded maker of Samuel Adams, Truly, and Twisted Tea; merged with Dogfish Head in 2019.

Copenhagen, Denmark

The #4 brewer globally (~100M hL/year). In 1883 the Carlsberg Laboratory isolated the first pure brewing-yeast cell — Saccharomyces carlsbergensis — and shared it freely; nearly every modern lager descends from it.

Bogotá, Colombia

Colombian brewing venture (Postobón and partners) challenging AB InBev's Bavaria monopoly; owns 3 Cordilleras.

London, UK

The Coca-Cola bottler (formerly Coca-Cola Amatil) that acquired Australian IPA pioneer Feral Brewing in 2017.

Dublin, Ireland

Irish drinks group (Bulmers/Magners) that owns Tennent's and Innis & Gunn.

Santiago, Chile

Chile's largest brewer, jointly controlled by Quiñenco and Heineken. Owns craft names like Kunstmann and macro brands Austral, Salta, and Santa Fe.

Hong Kong

Li Ka-shing's Hong Kong property-and-infrastructure conglomerate that controversially bought Greene King — once the UK's largest independent brewer — in 2019, and with it Belhaven.

Santiago, Chile

One of the world's largest wine producers; took a majority stake in Chilean craft brewer Kross in 2011.

Hong Kong / mainland China

The #3 brewer on Earth (110M+ hL/year). Its flagship, Snow Beer, is the best-selling single beer brand in the world by volume — yet almost never exported. Freed from Western control in 2016 when SABMiller sold its 49% stake back for $1.6B to clear the AB InBev merger.

Barcelona, Spain

Spanish brewing giant (Estrella Damm) that acquired the Old Speckled Hen brand from Greene King in 2026.

London, United Kingdom

Global drinks conglomerate (Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Guinness). Parent of St. James's Gate.

Puurs-Sint-Amands, Belgium

Family-owned Belgian brewer that operates as a craft conglomerate — owner of Firestone Walker, Boulevard, Ommegang, Achouffe, Liefmans, and more.

Perth, Australia

ASX-listed Australian beverage group that owns Gage Roads and Matso's.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The #2 brewer globally — ~€28.8B net revenue across 190+ countries, still under 50%+ voting control of the founding Heineken family via L'Arche Green N.V. Owns 300+ brands and the runaway NA leader, Heineken 0.0.

Tokyo, Japan

Japanese listed holding company, brewing since 1885. Its Australasian subsidiary Lion — wholly owned since the 2009 Oceania restructuring — is the company that acquired New Belgium, Bell's, Stone & Wood and Little Creatures; those are Lion's acquisitions, made under Kirin ownership, not Kirin's own. Kirin also holds a stake in Brooklyn Brewery.

Madrid, Spain

Spain's largest brewer, still family-controlled. Bought a 30% stake in Founders Brewing in 2014 and a controlling ~90% by 2019 — so the Michigan 'craft' icon is now majority Spanish-owned.

Chicago, USA / Montreal, Canada

The #5 brewer globally, born from the 2005 merger of Canada's Molson (1786) and America's Coors (1873). Owns Coors, Miller, Blue Moon, Hop Valley and more.

California, USA

The energy-drink giant that bought the CANarchy craft collective in 2022 — pulling Oskar Blues, Cigar City, and others under its umbrella.

Tokyo, Japan

Japanese brewing giant that owns much of Canada's 'craft' heritage: it acquired Sleeman Breweries in 2006, and through it controls Unibroue, Upper Canada, Wild Rose and more.

Osaka, Japan

One of Japan's 'Big Four' brewers (The Premium Malt's) and a global whisky and spirits giant.

Lieshout, Netherlands

Dutch family group (formerly Bavaria) that swallowed craft names De Molen, Uiltje, Rodenbach, and partners with La Trappe.

New York, USA

Canadian cannabis-and-beverage company that became a craft-beer roll-up, buying SweetWater, Breckenridge, Blue Point, Terrapin, Hop Valley, Montauk, and more from divesting macros.

Qingdao, Shandong, China

China's second-largest and most-exported brewer, founded by German settlers in 1903; part state-owned.

Bordeaux, France

French family-owned wine and beer conglomerate whose Brasseries et Glacières Internationales arm makes it one of the dominant brewers across francophone Africa.

Beijing, China

State-backed Chinese volume giant. Yanjing was designated the official beer of state banquets in the Great Hall of the People.

Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey's dominant brewer and a major force across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, operating the Efes brand alongside a large regional portfolio.

Victor, New York, USA

Holds the perpetual US license to brew and sell Grupo Modelo brands including Corona and Modelo Especial — an anomaly that made it one of the strongest performers in American beer.

Saint Petersburg, Russia

The largest brewer in the Russian market. Formerly Carlsberg's Russian division before the group's forced exit and the asset seizure of 2023.

Petrópolis, Brazil

Brazil's largest wholly domestic brewer, built on a vast national distribution network and the Itaipava brand.

Mandaluyong, Philippines

Southeast Asia's dominant brewing house and one of the Philippines' largest conglomerates, with San Miguel Pale Pilsen as its flagship.

Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand's first brewery and the pioneer of South Asian export lager. Family-owned and the producer of Singha and Leo.

Guangzhou, China

Operates one of the largest single-site beer production facilities in the world, anchoring the southern Chinese market.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Vietnam's market leader, producer of Bia Saigon and 333. Majority acquired by ThaiBev in 2017 in one of Asia's largest beverage deals.

Frankfurt, Germany

Germany's largest private brewing group, owned by the Oetker family. Holds a wide portfolio of regional German heritage brands.

Bangkok, Thailand

Southeast Asian beverage giant behind Chang beer, and the majority owner of Vietnam's SABECO.

Oettingen, Germany

High-volume German value leader that famously avoids advertising and sells largely through discount retail, keeping prices at the bottom of the market.

Munich, Germany

Iconic Munich brewing group and Oktoberfest mainstay, jointly held by the Schörghuber family and Heineken.

Kreuztal, Germany

Germany's best-selling premium pilsner, family-owned and famous for its Felsquellwasser marketing.

Bitburg, Germany

One of Germany's top draft suppliers, family-owned and holding a portfolio that includes König, Köstritzer and Licher.

Seoul, South Korea

South Korea's dominant beverage group, combining the Hite beer business with Jinro, the world's best-selling spirit brand.

Iisalmi, Finland

Finnish brewer with a controlling presence across the Baltic states through subsidiaries in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

A Coruña, Spain

Fifth-generation family brewer and one of Europe's fastest-growing exporters, built on the Estrella Galicia brand.

Faxe, Denmark

Northern European beverage group operating across the Nordics, Baltics and Italy, with a portfolio spanning beer, soft drinks and cider.

Bocholt, Belgium

One of the world's largest contract and private-label brewers — a family business whose beer reaches supermarket shelves globally under other people's names.

Debre Birhan, Ethiopia

Major East African industrial brewer, notable for its community shareholding model. Bavaria N.V. of the Netherlands holds a controlling stake.