AB InBev: Becoming the world's biggest brewer

Becoming the World’s Biggest Brewer: Artois, Piedboeuf, and Interbrew (1880-2000), recently published by Oxford University Press is the story of how two Belgian family breweries took over the industry. It’s never been told before despite the fact that AB InBev is by far the biggest industrial player since its absorption of Anheuser-Busch in 2008. The story starts with two Belgian breweries, Artois in Leuven and Piedboeuf in Jupille near Liège. Artois created the beer Stella in 1926 which became the leading Belgian beer after the second world war; then Piedboeuf created Jupiler in 1966 and wrested the crown from Artois. Their rivalry was legendary. We spoke with Kenneth Bertrams, one of the four authors, who is professor of economic history at the ULB where he teaches economic history and the history of science.