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The top 10 biggest beer brands in the world

27 June 2019 By Edith Hancock

Asian beer brands are some of the fastest growing in the world right now, and could even threaten the market dominance of western brewing giants like AB InBev, according to a new report.

Each year, accountancy firm Brand Finance compares the revenues the world’s largest drinks companies make from their brands to determine which have the most influence and exposure.

In the ranking, value is understood as the “net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.” This is calculated by both estimating a proportion of parent company’s annual revenues attributable to a brand, and also forecasting revenues by taking into consideration historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.

David Haigh, Brand Finance’s CEO, said this year it is the “Asian, particularly Chinese, beer brands that are seeing the highest brand value growth.”

He said this is because demand for beer “at an all time high in China and predictions of inflated growth over the coming years as a result of greater disposable income from the emerging middle class, this trend looks set to continue.”

“If these brands begin to expand beyond China and into new markets, we could potentially see some very stiff competition to established Western beer brands.”

Keep scrolling to see how the global beer market has changed in the past year.

10. Guinness

(Photo: Diageo)

Origin: Ireland

Producer: Diageo

Sales value in 2018: US$2.53 billion

Sales value in 2019: $2.88 billion

Growth rate: 14.1%

9. Skol

Origin: Brazil

Producer: Carlsberg, but AB InBev in South America, and Unibra in Africa

Sales value in 2018: $3.32 billion

Sales value in 2019: $3.43 billion

Growth rate: 3.3%

8. Brahma

Origin: Brazil

Producer: AB InBev

Sales value in 2018: $3.72 billion

Sales value 2019: $3.64 billion

Growth rate: -2.1%

7. Snow

Origin: China

Producer: China Resources Beer Holdings

Sales value in 2018: $2.42 billion

Sales value in 2019: $3.67 billion

Growth rate: 51.8%

China’s Snow is the fastest-growing brand in this year’s ranking, breaking into the top 10 on value for the first time.

6. Corona

Origin: Mexico

Producer: Group Modelo (owned by AB InBev), but Constellation for exporting to the US

Sales value in 2018: $3.12 billion

Sales value in 2019: $4 billion

Growth rate: 17.2%

5. Kirin

(photo: YURIKO NAKAO/Reuters/Corbis)

Origin: Japan

Producer: Kirin Holdings

Sales value in 2018: $2.79 billion

Sales value in 2019: $4.05 billion

Growth rate: 45.4%

Parent company Kirin Holdings, which as well as the Kirin Brewery Company and Kirin Beverage Company, is Japan’s second largest brewer. The company, which confirmed it would ban all non-necessary testing on animals following a lengthy campaign by PETA, also has a 55% stake in Myanmar Brewery Ltd, jointly owns San Miguel Brewery and has a 24.5% stake in Brooklyn Brewery.

4. Harbin

Origin: China

Producer: AB InBev

Sales value in 2018: $3.54 billion

Sales value in 2019: $5.18 billion

Growth rate: 46.4%

Chinese beer brands were among the fastest growing in the world within the past year. Harbin, China’s fourth largest brewery, came behind Snow in terms of growth, but still has a higher sales value overall.