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Mexico-based Femsa is a beverage and retail conglomerate in Central and South America. The holding company owns controlling stakes in bottler Coca-Cola Femsa (47% economic stake, 56% voting rights), in addition to operating 100%-owned retail assets, including convenience stores under the Oxxo banner, drugstores, and gas stations. The firm divested its 15% stake in Heineken and its distribution business in 2023. Coca-Cola Femsa and the Oxxo chain made up 75% of total company revenue and over 90% of profits in 2024.

Coca-Cola Femsa, a subsidiary of Femsa, is the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola in volume terms. The company purchases beverage concentrates and syrup from Coca-Cola, which it then processes and packages for distribution through modern trade, traditional trade, and the on-premises channel. Mexico and Brazil make up 80% of the total volume and sales, with the rest from other Central and South American countries, including Panama, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Argentina. Femsa and Coca-Cola hold 47% and 28% economic interests in Coca-Cola Femsa through nonpublicly traded A and D shares, respectively, while controlling 56% and 33% of the voting power.

Formed in 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan and Guinness, Diageo is the largest distiller globally by sales. Diageo acquired some of the Seagram assets in 2001, which gave it brands such as Captain Morgan rum and Crown Royal Canadian whisky. Since then, mergers and acquisitions have mostly been bolt-on in nature, plugging gaps in the company’s product and geographic portfolio.

Boston Beer is a top player in high-end malt beverages and adjacent categories in the US, with strong positions in craft beer, flavored malt beverages, hard cider, and hard seltzer. The bulk of volume and revenue is concentrated in four brands: Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, and Truly. Beverages are produced using a hybrid model leveraging both in-house capacities and third-party breweries through contract arrangements. While the firm is required to use distributors to reach end markets, including retailers and on-premises operators, it also employs 500 internal sales representatives to educate the market about its products. The firm generates almost all sales in the US.