Beer, an age-old beverage, is a cultural unifier, a bridge between countries, and a source of joy for billions. Beyond its centuries-long history, beer represents progress, a monument to humanity’s desire to make high-quality and flavorful products.
Beer is consumed worldwide, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, with production covering 160 countries. Except for 14 countries where alcohol consumption is prohibited, all 195 countries are likely to consume beer. Around 4,000 B.C., the Sumerians first drank this ancient alcoholic beverage, which is thought to be the oldest in the world. It is still widely consumed, ranking third in the world behind water and tea.
China is the world’s largest beer producer, producing nearly twice as much as the United States, the world’s second-largest beer producer. Brazil is ranked third. Given China’s vast population, this is hardly surprising. In terms of per capita beer consumption, the Czech Republic leads the way. Asia has a substantial impact on beer production, with 11 of the 25 largest beer businesses established there, four of them in China (or 12 if Turkey, which is positioned between Asia and Europe, is excluded).
Other countries are included on the list in addition to Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Anheuser-Busch InBev, situated in Belgium, is number one, producing twice as much beer yearly as Heineken, which is second. Anheuser-Busch InBev is connected with well-known American brands such as Budweiser, Michelob, and Busch. Germany had the most businesses on the list, with six making the cut, but just one cracking the top 25.
It should be noted that any company’s list of brands is generally incomplete. Because of the convoluted network of alliances, minority interests, and local agreements, companies linked with beer frequently have relationships with one another.
For example, San Miguel of the Philippines has an agreement with a Spanish company to produce beer under its brand name, resulting in both San Miguels being listed as independent organizations. Furthermore, Compaa de las Cerveceras Unidas in Chile manufactures Heineken in South America and imports and distributes many well-known beer labels.
Here are the top 10 biggest beer companies in the world in 2023
1. Anheuser-Busch InBev
- Headquarters: Belgium
- Annual output: 13.7 billion gallons
- Major brands: Budweiser, Michelob, Rolling Rock, Busch, Stella Artois, Pacifico
- Market statistics: Anheuser-Busch InBev is the world’s largest brewer and one of the top five consumer goods firms in terms of revenue. Anheuser-Busch revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 was $59.091 billion, a 4.59% rise year on year. Anheuser-Busch’s annual sales for 2022 was $57.786 billion, up 6.4 percent from 2021. Anheuser-Busch’s yearly revenue for 2021 was $54.304 billion, a 15.83% increase over the previous year.
2. Heineken
- Headquarters: Netherlands
- Annual output: 6.8 billion gallons
- Major brands: Heineken, Amstel, Moretti, Cruz Campo
- Market statistics: Heineken is one of the world’s largest brewers, with a strong international presence through a network of distributors and breweries around the world. The revenue for the first quarter of 2023 was €7,632 million (€6,989 million in 2022).
3. China Resources Snow Breweries
- Headquarters: China
- Annual output: 3.3 billion gallons
- Major brands: Snow
- Market statistics: China Resources Snow Breweries is China’s largest beer producer and one of the world’s largest. According to projections, the most profitable firm in the Chinese beer market in 2022 will be CR, the maker of the famous Snow beer, with RMB 35 billion (USD 4.9 billion) in revenue, followed by Tsingtao Brewery and Chongqing Beer.
4. Carlsberg Group
- Headquarters: Denmark
- Annual output: 2.7 billion gallons
- Major brands: Carlsberg, Tuborg, Kronenbourg
- Market statistics: Carlsberg Group is one of the world’s biggest brewery corporations, with a diverse portfolio of beer and other beverage brands. The company anticipates a translation impact on operating profit of roughly DKK -900 million in 2023. It does, however, expect organic increase in operating profit of +4% to +7%.
5. Molson Coors
- Headquarters: USA/Canada
- Annual output: 2.2 billion gallons
- Major brands: Coors, Molson, Miller, Yuengling, Blue Moon
- Market statistics: Molson Coors is a multinational brewing company with a diverse array of owned and partner brands. Molson Coors Beverage revenue for the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $3.267 billion, representing an 11.8% rise year over year. Molson Coors Beverage’s revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 was $11.178 billion, a 5.67% rise year on year.
6. Tsingtao Brewery Group
- Headquarters: China
- Annual output: 2.1 billion gallons
- Major brands: Tsingtao
- Market statistics: The company’s revenue in 2022 is expected to be at 32.2 billion yuan. Tsingtao Brewery sold approximately 8.07 million kiloliters of beer that year.
7. Asahi Group
- Headquarters: Japan
- Annual output: 1.6 billion gallons
- Major brands: Asahi, Grolsch, Peroni, Pilsner Urquell
- Market statistics: Asahi is one of the world’s largest beer manufacturers, accounting for around 3% of global beer volume sales. Asahi Group Holdings’ international operations contributed more than 39 percent of its sales in fiscal year 2022.
8. BGI/Group Castel
- Headquarters: France
- Annual output: 1.2 billion gallons
- Major brands: Flag, Castel
- Market statistics: BGI/Groupe Castel is France’s top brewer, capitalizing on the expanding popularity of beer in the country. The group claims to own a quarter of the earnings from the African beer market.
9. Yanjing
- Headquarters: China
- Annual output: 996 million gallons
- Major brands: Yanjing
- Market statistics: According to a 2022 report, Yanjing Beer, together with Snow Beer, Tsingtao Beer, Harbin Beer, and Budweiser, is a major domestic beer market shareholder in China, accounting for more than half of the total beer market.
10. Efes Group
- Headquarters: Turkey
- Annual output: 34.0/898 million gallons
- Major brands: Efes
- Market statistics:Efes Market Statistics: Efes Group is a multinational corporation that exports three-quarters of its output. In terms of sales volume, it is Europe’s sixth largest brewer. Efes is also the world’s 11th largest brewer. Efes Beverage Group’s sales in 2023 is expected to be $5.55 billion.
