Getting stuck with the beer tab.
The week's news at a glance.
Netherlands
Luuk Kortekaas
Algemeen Dagblad
Dutch beer drinkers are in a lather, said Luuk Kortekaas in Amsterdam’s Algemeen Dagblad. The E.U. has just slapped fines on prominent Dutch brewers Heineken, Grolsch, and Bavaria for price fixing. The three formed an illegal cartel in the 1990s that would still be merrily overcharging if it hadn’t been ratted out by InBev, a Belgian beer consortium. Now that the truth has been exposed, drinkers have begun adding up the damages—no small task. “I’ve been coming to the same bar since I was 16,” said Rob, 44, a maintenance engineer. “Often I’ve dropped 100 guilders [$56] a week there.” So far nobody has launched a lawsuit against the brewers, since “it would be tough to prove how much any given plaintiff drank.” But anger is palpable all across the country. “A draft beer costs around $2.40,” says one bartender. “That’s a lot of money for three gulps,” particularly considering that beer is a workingman’s drink. Asked one bitter boozer, “Did you know who’s the richest man in the Netherlands? Alfred Heineken.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.