Molson Coors Brewing Company (TAP), Boston Beer Co Inc (SAM): Beer Battle Brewing in the Great White North

Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE:TAP) is fighting back and recently won an injunction against Miller that bars it from terminating the agreement. With the court case scheduled for December of this year, the risk for Miller is that the acrimony becomes so bad that the U.S.-based partnership ultimately falls apart too.

Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE:TAP)’s Coors Light commands a 14% market share in Canada, and it says it’s the country’s top-selling beer. Its Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE:TAP) Canadian is the third biggest seller, with an 8% share. Yet Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (ADR) (NYSE:BUD) claims that its Labatt Breweries, which it acquired in 1995, is the top brewery in the country. And Euromonitor International says that between Labatt and Molson, they controlled 79% of the beer market up north in 2011.

Here at home, Bud Light remains the top-selling beer, and Coors Light has retained the No. 2 position over Budweiser. Without the ability to break the lock those brands have on the U.S. market, and should their partnership fall apart completely, Miller may end up crying in its beer that its sales will decline all across North America.

The article Beer Battle Brewing in the Great White North originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Rich Duprey.

Fool contributor Rich Duprey has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Beam, Boston Beer, and Molson Coors Brewing (NYSE:TAP) and owns shares of Boston Beer.

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