Anheuser-Busch's $1.5m US investment, Thatchers' craft ciders head to Glastonbury, and more beverage bites

Anheuser-Busch announces $1.5bn US investment ​

Anheuser-Busch will drive $1.5bn into US operations by 2018, it announced on Tuesday. It follows an investment of $1bn between 2011 and 2014. 

The beer giant will spend around $850m on brewery and packaging projects, $220m on product innovation, and $720m on increasing efficiency. 

2015 projects include a $150m expansion project to grow production of Bud Light aluminium bottles at the St Louis-area Metal Container Corporation facility, and $45m for new can line at Fort Collins brewery.

Mexico’s soft drink tax has cut consumption, says study​

Mexico introduced a tax on soda and sugary drinks in January 2014, which at 1 peso a litre (approx seven cents) is around a 10% tax. 

Purchases of sugary drinks fell by 6% in 2014, then by December had dropped by 12% compared to previous years, according to a study by the Mexican National Institute of Public Health and University of North Carolina.

The study has been submitted to an academic journal but has not yet been published, reports NPR. 

Jamie Oliver implements his own tax​

Meanwhile, English celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is implementing his own tax to added sugar drinks in his restaurants. He will charge an extra 10p for these beverages.

Other restaurant chains are expected to follow suit, reports the Sunday Times, to send a message to the UK government on the need to tackle childhood obesity.

Money raised by the charge will go to a healthy eating education fund for children.

Thatchers goes to Glastonbury​

Thatchers Cider is gearing up for a party weekend as it returns to Glastonbury Festival, one of the UK’s biggest music festivals.

Thatchers is family-run Somerset cidermaker, with Glastonbury located in the same county. 2015 is the second year of a three year partnership.

Thatchers Gold is available on tap at the festival’s bars, while it will also host its own craft cider bars featuring traditional oak aged ciders, Heritage and Cheddar Valley. 

Martin Thatcher, managing director, Thatchers Cider, said he hopes the craft cider bars will give festival goers ‘a real West Country welcome.’

Glastonbury Festival opened on Wednesday 24th and runs until Sunday 28th June, expecting around 177,000 people over the main weekend. Acts include Florence and The Machine, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and The Who.