The World's Best Selling Beer Company Probably Won't Come As A Surprise

Beer has been enjoyed the world over for centuries. With a history dating back thousands of years to ancient Sumeria, every nation seems to have its own distinct brewing traditions today, creating a kaleidoscope of styles manufactured by countless producers. But while the country that drinks the most beer is China, this nation is not home to the company that sells more beer than any other on the planet. The world's biggest beer-slinger is actually based in Belgium.

Belgium is known for its local brews – its beer is part of UNESCO's World Heritage list – but perhaps not for churning out cans upon cans of big-name, mass-marketed stuff. Your surprise might fade, though, when you learn about the company we're talking about: the massive conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev. The parent company of Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona, Michelob Ultra, and many more beer brands, Anheuser-Busch InBev absolutely dominates the beer industry, with a market capitalization of $123.15 billion for 2024 (via Business 2 Community). This is nearly $40 billion more than its closest competitor. The company's 2023 sales also equalled approximately $57.83 billion. 

The only alcoholic beverage company of with a higher market cap than Anheuser-Busch is Kweichow Moutai, which holds dominion over the Chinese alcohol industry (but isn't a major beer producer). Also important to note is that Anheuser-Busch doesn't owe all its success to Belgium; its history is marked by quite a few different countries.

It may seem strange that a signature American beer like Budweiser isn't owned by an American company, but the secret is that it used to be. Anheuser-Busch was founded as a brewery in St. Louis in 1852 by George Schneider, then bought by German businessman Eberhard Anheuser in 1860. Anheuser's daughter married brewery supplier Adolphus Busch the following year, thus giving the company the hyphenated name we know today. 

To create beer that could be sold all over America without spoiling, which would greatly expand their market share, Anheuser-Busch made use of innovative beer pasteurization technology and railcars with refrigeration systems. The iconic Budweiser was invented in 1876, becoming the brewery's flagship brand. The company would eventually become the largest brewer in the world, but lost its crown at one time.

InBev became the largest brewing company on the planet in 2004, born out of a series of complicated mergers between Brazilian and Belgian companies. But Anheuser-Busch would get the title back shortly thereafter in 2008 — kind of — when InBev purchased it. While the top beer producer in the world isn't technically American, its history is still deeply rooted in the United States.

The nine runners-up for the top beer-producing companies of 2024 are spread out across the globe in a surprisingly even manner. The United Kingdom's Diageo, the owner of Guinness (as well as non-beer alcohol brands like Smirnoff, Tanqueray, Johnnie Walker, Bailey's, and Captain Morgan), comes in second place at a $83.24 billion market cap. There's another big drop off for the third-place finisher, Dutch brewing company Heineken, with a $53.29 billion valuation. Afterward comes the first U.S.-based entry on the list, Constellation Brands (makers of Modelo Especial) at $47.11 billion. Confusingly, Constellation actually owns Corona Extra in the United States, while Anheuser-Busch InBev owns the brand everywhere else in the world.

The rest of the top ten sees another significant drop-off, with Carlsberg Group (Denmark), Asahi Group Holdings (Japan), China Resources Beer (Hong Kong), Molson Coors (U.S.), Tsingtao Brewery Group (China), and Kirin Holdings (Japan) all possessing a market cap between $10 and $20 billion. All of these brands are left looking up at Anheuser-Busch InBev's absolute rule over the market.