Just as I prepare to fly south to Argentina for the Great South Beer Cup and on to São Paulo for a couple of beer dinners comes word from Reuters that Heineken is seeking a second entry to the Brazilian beer market.
Already in bed with Cervejarias Kaiser, which it picked up from Molson after that latter’s disastrous foray into South America, Heineken is now reportedly mulling over the purchase of Brazil’s number two brewing company, Schincariol. If pursued, the purchase will reportedly cost in the area of $2 billion.
Even with Kaiser AND Schincariol, Heineken would still be trailing Anheuser-Busch InBev by a considerable margin in the rapidly developing market. But I’m betting the world’s largest brewing concern is paying very close attention to these developments nonetheless.
I would be surprised if Heineken doesn’t end up buying CCU (Cervecerías Unidass de Chile), the biggest brewer group in Chile and second biggest in Argentina now that SAB-Miller has taken over Isenbeck in my home country.