The beer biz never sleeps at American Craft Beer. And here’s just some of what’s been happening in the beer world while you were enjoying the weekend.

Heineken UK Named “Most Admired Company”

On January 21, Heineken’s UK division received a big honor, being named “Britain’s Most Admired Company” in the drinks sector. The recognition came from a peer-reviewed survey evaluating reputation, strategy, financial strength, and overall performance.

The survey, conducted by Echo Research in partnership with the London Stock Exchange, looked at which companies are most respected across the United Kingdom. For Heineken UK — whose portfolio includes not just beer, but also cider, and pubs — the honor highlights both its corporate reputation and its perceived long-term value.

“The recognition from our peers reflects the quality of our brands, the strength of our customer partnerships and the dedication of our people,” said Heineken UK Managing Director Boudewijn Haarsma said. “We’ll keep raising the bar — brewing great beer and cider, expanding choice in no- and low-alcohol options, and investing to help our customers grow, all while running a responsible business that reduces environmental impact and creates long-term value.”

This bigtime recognition reflects the feedback from more than 350 CEOs, senior executives, financial analysts, and City commentators. Together, they assessed 260 leading UK companies across 28 sectors.

Companies were judged on 13 drivers of corporate reputation, including product and service quality, competitiveness, clarity of strategy, financial stability, environmental responsibility, and long-term value, and not all that surprisingly, companies are not allowed to rate themselves.

“Securing a first sector gold is a significant achievement and reflects growing peer confidence in Heineken UK,”  added Echo Research Group CEO Sandra Macleod. “It underlines the strength of their reputation among those closest to performance in the sector.”

Words to Drink By

“24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence?” – Stephen Wright American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer

Samuel Adams Beer Gets More Expensive

If you’ve noticed that picking up a six-pack of Samuel Adams hits your wallet a little harder these days, you’re not imagining things. A recent report from FinanceBuzz found that Samuel Adams prices have jumped a whopping 71% from 2015 to 2025—way above the 41% average increase for beer overall, and certainly faster than general inflation.

So, what’s behind the steep climb? No need to play detective. The Consumer Price Index shows that “beer at home” has been getting more expensive every year since 2020, thanks to rising costs for ingredients, cans, bottles, and shipping. Boston Beer Company, the folks behind Samuel Adams, have confirmed that trend in their public earnings reports.

Part of the price hike comes down to Samuel Adams’ European-inspired brewing style. The beer relies on German noble hops, which are rarer—and pricier—than most other hop varieties. When you add in higher packaging costs, state taxes, and regional pricing differences, it’s not hard to see why that beloved six-pack costs a lot more than it did five—or ten—years ago.

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