The fierce dispute between Heineken and Ambev () for the beer market has even taken on linguistic contours. One of the elements of this battle lies precisely in defining the fastest growing segment for both brands: premium.
Over the space of a week, the balance sheets published by the competitors brought relevant information about the dispute for the most expensive beer category in Brazil.
On the one hand, Heineken announced drops in organic net revenue and shipment volume in Brazil. The Dutch manufacturer highlighted, however, that it had gained share in the total beer market — the Heinekn and Amstel brands, it says, showed a high single-digit drop in the quarter, but gained market share.
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A few days later, it was Ambev’s turn: on balance, the company recorded growth of around 15% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024 in its premium and super premium brands, reaching, for the first time in ten years, 50% market share, according to its own estimates.
Original is one of the most important labels for Ambev’s performance in the segment, and its positioning within the premium category is challenged by the competition. “Premium is how you deliver, not just price positioning. In our view, to qualify as premium, it is not simply looking at a pure, simple, black and white price ruler. There is a whole criteria”, says the director of the new business area at Heineken Brazil, Rafael Rizzi.
According to Heineken’s calculations, using criteria from the research firm Nielsen, it remains the market leader with its premium brands from January to September 2025, with more than 50% of the market.
In the case of Ambev, premium beers are considered internally to be those whose price is 130% higher than the core brands — such as Brahma, Skol, Antarctica — found the InfoMoney together with people with knowledge of calculus. Competitors claim that the cost of Original beer in bars and restaurants weighs on the bill by increasing its average cost.
“In the premium segment, we have brands such as Corona, Stella Artois, Chopp Brahma, Original and Spaten. The brands mentioned belong to the premium segment regardless of the sales channel or packaging. This portfolio has been recording consistent growth over the last 18 quarters”, said Ambev in a note.
For the director of LEK Consulting, Cid Passini, value is, in fact, the most obvious indicator to qualify premium beers. “But you can look at it in other ways. Traditionally, quality, level of bitterness, a fruity beer and even the addition of protein”, he says.
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When broken down brand by brand, Heineken is the market leader, the company says based on Nielsen data. “We have more than double the share of Original, which is in second place.”
Between the mainstream and the premium
Deciding which beers will be part of the premium portfolio is simply a strategic decision. Budweiser, for example, was launched by Ambev in Brazil among the most expensive lines and was later moved to what the company categorizes as core plus, a segment with a cost 110% to 120% higher than core.
This category, between the most popular and premium beers, is where Amstel, from Heineken, is located. In the case of the Dutch brewery, the brand positions itself as a mainstream pure malt, which is also seeing rapid growth in Brazil, a country that has become the brand’s largest market.
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Heineken precisely to increase the production capacity of Heineken and Amstel beers — labels that have their largest market in Brazil. “This subcut, of mainstream pure malt, also grows more than mainstream common, let’s talk about it this way.” So, this dynamic is valid for any cut you make”, points out Rizzi.
For Passini, from LEK Consulting, there are still many possibilities to be developed in low consumption trends, such as zero or reduced-calorie beers, as well as versions fortified with flavors, proteins and new ingredients.
He points out that this variety of categories demonstrates the possibility of segments to be developed by large breweries and their maturation. “When we look back, what was premium some time ago is no longer premium,” he says.
