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[url:288w5145]http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/apr/03/molson-coors-buys-staropramen-brewer-starbev[/url:288w5145]

Great news for beer drinkers in central and eastern Europe. <!-- s:roll: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_rolleyes.gif" alt="" title="Rolling Eyes" /><!-- s:roll: -->

I'll be interested to see what happens in Ireland. Staropramen was C&C's prestige lager, via their distribution deal with A-B InBev, former owners of Staropramen. Do they reckon they'll get by on just Beck's? I doubt the Stella or Tennents brands could be sufficiently rehabilitated to replace it, though the latter could be worth a punt with some slick marketing.

MolsonCoors, meanwhile, already have Grolsch as their flagship premium lager in Ireland. Will they drop it in favour of Staro which already has plenty of good brand equity? Will they run both? Have they completely given up on regaining the rights to Coors Light from Heineken Ireland?

For any spectators of the sport of Shitty International Lagers, it's going to be an interesting time.

I guess the distribution deals transfer over, no?

My only wish for macro lager is that someone would distribute Pilsner Urquell.

&amp;quot;Diablo&amp;quot;:2nhvb2pm wrote: I guess the distribution deals transfer over, no? [/quote:2nhvb2pm]They'll expire and it's up to the new owner to decide what to do. I'd been told that MolsonCoors wanted Coors Light back in Ireland after Heineken's contract expired, for instance, but I don't know if it ended up being renewed or what. C&C distributing Staro is going to mean MolsonCoors make less money out of their new property -- I can't see why they'd leave it with C&C.

&amp;quot;Diablo&amp;quot;:2nhvb2pm wrote: My only wish for macro lager is that someone would distribute Pilsner Urquell.[/quote:2nhvb2pm]Richmond do. Anywhere you see a Miller or Peroni tap could equally have Urquell.

I genuinely thought Staropramen[/url:2fwld7fd] was already owned by a megaswill.

It belonged to AB InBev until 2009 when it was bought by some venture capitalists. Who, presumably, were only in it to offload to the highest bidder ASAP. Hello Mr Molson.