AB InBev Posts First Quarterly Sales Gain in Three Years

AB InBev reported its first quarterly sales increase in three years on Thursday, saying that higher demand for premium beer, alcohol-free products and digital sales helped lift revenue in the first quarter, while the company also highlighted continued investment in sustainability at its brewery in Lancashire, England.

The world’s largest brewer said revenue rose 5.8% from a year earlier to $15.27 billion in the first quarter of 2026. Beer volumes increased 1.2%, total volumes were up 0.8% and underlying earnings per share climbed 20.8% to $0.97. Michel Doukeris, the chief executive, said the results reflected “the strength of the category and the consistent execution of our consumer-centric strategy.”

The company said it gained or held market share in 75% of its markets during the quarter. Growth was led by premiumization and by expansion in its Beyond Beer and no-alcohol portfolios. Revenue from no-alcohol beer rose 27%, while Beyond Beer revenue increased 37%, according to company figures.

Several of AB InBev’s global brands posted strong results. Corona revenues rose 16% outside Mexico, Stella Artois grew 14% and Michelob Ultra increased 39%. The brewer also said Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, South Africa and Peru each delivered record first-quarter beer volumes.

Digital sales remained a major part of the company’s growth strategy. Gross merchandise value on BEES Marketplace rose 55% from a year earlier to $1.1 billion, while total BEES gross merchandise value reached $14.6 billion in the quarter. Its direct-to-consumer businesses, including Zé Delivery, TaDa Delivery and PerfectDraft, generated $139 million in revenue and served 12 million active consumers.

In the United States, sales to retailers rose 0.3%, which AB InBev said outpaced the broader industry. The company also said Cutwater was the top share-gaining brand in the total spirits industry during the quarter, citing Circana data.

The financial update came shortly after AB InBev opened a wastewater treatment facility at its Samlesbury brewery near Preston, part of a £7.8 million investment at the site in 2025. The brewery has operated since 1972 and employs about 500 people. It had already received a £45 million investment in 2021 as part of efforts to secure its long-term role as a manufacturing center.

At the opening of the treatment plant, Yleni De Neve, AB InBev’s sustainability director, said water remained central to the company’s environmental goals. “If there is no water, there is no beer,” she said.

The new facility turns organic material from brewery wastewater into biogas that is fed back into the site’s energy system. The boilers at Samlesbury were designed to run on both natural gas and biogas. De Neve said the process could cut fossil gas use and reduce Scope 1 carbon dioxide emissions by between 5% and 8%, depending on how much wastewater is treated.

AB InBev said it has improved global water-use efficiency by 22.7% per hectoliter since 2017. In high-stress areas, water-use efficiency improved by 31.3% over the same period to 1.95 hl/hl. The company also said that in Britain it brewed with 100% operational renewable electricity during 2025 and reduced Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions per hectoliter by more than 44% since 2017.