Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), Leuven, Belgium, will acquire the remaining stake in Grupo Modelo, Mexico City, for $20.1 billion. The combined company would lead the global beer industry with roughly 400 million hectoliters of beer volume annually and 2012 estimated revenues of $47 billion, AB InBev noted in a statement. Tangentially, Constellation Brands Inc., Victor, N.Y., which in a joint venture with Grupo Modelo currently owns 50 percent of Crown Imports LLC, Chicago, signed an agreement with AB InBev to purchase the remaining 50 percent interest in Crown for $1.85 billion.

Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), Leuven, Belgium, released a statement regarding speculation about a possible merger between AB InBev and Grupo Modelo, saying the following:

 Oskar Blues Brewery and Sun King Brewing Co. collaborated to introduce Chaka. 

 Through mid-July, Budweiser is showcasing patriotic packaging.

 The winners of the first “Canny Awards,” which recognized craft beer cans with high-quality, captivating graphics, were announced during the Craft Brewers Conference, May 2-5 in San Diego.  

With more than 4,500 attendees from 35 countries, the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America, hosted by the Brewers Association, Boulder, Colo., May 2-5 in San Diego, was a testament to the growth in the industry. Setting the tone for the event, Brewers Association President Charlie Papazian addressed any doubts about the industry’s potential, saying, “We are not in a bubble, we are knee-deep in foam — and the foam is still rising.”

 In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Baltimore’s Camden Yards baseball park, Pabst Brewing Co. launched National Bohemian beer in a limited-edition can.  

Churchkey Can Co. launched a handcrafted Pilsner-style beer in three-piece, flat-top steel cans supplied by Ball Corp. 

SABMiller plc, London, and Molson Coors Brewing Co., Denver, reported that its joint venture MillerCoors’ first quarter underlying net income increased 16.6 percent to $175.3 million and total net sales increased 3.6 percent to $1.76 billion compared to the first quarter of 2011. The companies attributed the performance to positive pricing growth, cost management and favorable mix.

Anheuser-Busch (A-B), the St. Louis-based subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B InBev), announced the expansion of Bud Light Platinum production to its St. Louis and Columbus, Ohio, breweries as well as plans to add its Fort Collins, Colo., brewery in June. The production expansion will keep up with demand for the new product that launched early this year and is outpacing expectations, the company said in a statement.