Snow beer

Known in China as Xuehua, Snow stands as the best-selling beer brand in the world by volume. The brewing operations trace their roots back to 1936 with the founding of the original Shenyang brewery. While the brand name Snow officially launched in 1993 to unify various regional products, its dominance stems from a massive distribution network that once included over 90 breweries at its peak in 2014.

The company operates under CR Snow Breweries, a joint venture originally established between China Resources Enterprises and SABMiller. A major corporate restructuring driven by regulatory pressure saw Anheuser-Busch InBev acquire SABMiller in 2016. To comply with antitrust laws, the new parent divested its stake in CR Snow for $1.6 billion. Heineken entered the partnership in 2018, acquiring a 40% equity stake while China Resources retained majority control.

Snow produces more than 10 billion liters annually, equating to roughly 16.5 billion pints. Despite this global volume, the brand has very limited presence outside of China and Asian markets. It exports select variants like Snow Brave The World, marketed internationally as a crisp, refreshing pale lager. Critics often describe the taste as watery or bland compared to craft beers, yet it remains the undisputed choice for the average Chinese consumer due to aggressive pricing and ubiquitous availability. [edit]