Editing Brewing (section)

==Brewing industry==

The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant [[Multinational corporation|multinational companies]] and many thousands of other producers known as [[Craft brewery and microbrewery|microbreweries]] or regional breweries or craft breweries depending on size, region, and marketing preference.<ref name="market"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/market-segments |title=Market Segments: Microbrewery |year=2012 |publisher=Brewers Association |access-date=21 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718215423/http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/market-segments |archive-date=18 July 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> More than {{convert|133|e9L|USgal impgal|abbr=none|sp=us}} are sold per year—producing total global revenues of $294.5 billion (£147.7 billion) as of 2006.<ref name="researchandmarkets1">{{cite web|url=http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/53577/beer_global_industry_guide.htm|title=Beer: Global Industry Guide|publisher=Research and Markets|access-date=5 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011084307/http://researchandmarkets.com/reports/53577/beer_global_industry_guide.htm |archive-date=11 October 2007 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |url-status=live}}</ref> [[SABMiller]] became the largest brewing company in the world when it acquired Royal Grolsch, brewer of Dutch premium beer brand [[Grolsch]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/05/30/sab.miller/|title=Brewer to snap up Miller for $5.6B|work=CNN|date=30 May 2002|access-date=4 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071207043821/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/05/30/sab.miller/ |archive-date=7 December 2007 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |url-status=live}}</ref> [[InBev]] was the second-largest beer-producing company in the world and [[Anheuser-Busch]] held the third spot, but after the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch by InBev, the new [[Anheuser-Busch InBev]] company is currently the largest brewer in the world.<ref>{{cite press release |title=InBev Completes Acquisition of Anheuser-Busch |url=http://www.ab-inbev.com/documents/press_release.pdf |publisher=AB-InBev |date=18 November 2008 |access-date=21 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325102821/http://www.ab-inbev.com/documents/press_release.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[homebrewing|Brewing at home]] is subject to regulation and prohibition in many countries. Restrictions on homebrewing were lifted in the UK in 1963,<ref name="ukrepeal">{{cite web |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200104090044 |title=New Statesman&nbsp;– What's your poison? |publisher=newstatesman.com |access-date=10 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728155250/http://www.newstatesman.com/200104090044 |archive-date=28 July 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Australia followed suit in 1972,<ref name="ausrepeal">{{cite web|url=http://www.adelaidereview.com.au/_archives.php?subaction=showfull&id=1119829107&archive=1120781372&start_from=&ucat=2&|title=Adelaide Times Online|access-date=10 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820163637/http://www.adelaidereview.com.au/_archives.php?subaction=showfull&id=1119829107&archive=1120781372&start_from=&ucat=2& |archive-date=20 August 2006}}</ref> and the US in 1978, though individual states were allowed to pass their own laws limiting production.<ref name="Papazian 3rd">Papazian ''The Complete Joy of Homebrewing (3rd Edition)'', {{ISBN|0-06-053105-3}}</ref>