That's not cricket.

Boundary Road Brewery, owned by Independent Liquor, has poked fun at the trade marking of “Radler”.

In the latest twist to globalisation, New Zealand's two main breweries will indirectly have the same shareholder.

Lion Nathan owner Kirin Holdings, one of Japan’s leading beer companies, has taken a shareholding in Singapore's Fraser & Neave, which has an indirect shareholding in DB Breweries.

Kirin is paying nearly $US1 billion for the Singapore government’s 14.7% stake in F&N, which in 1931 with Heineken formed Asia Pacific Breweries (formerly Malayan Breweries). (Heineken is the largest shareholder in listed APB with 42.5%.)

Beer drinkers’ more sophisticated palates are boosting the bottom lines of the two major brewers despite an overall drop in market volume.

Asia Pacific Breweries, owner of DB Breweries, says pretax earnings are up 52% for the first half, due mainly to a 4% volume gain, favourable sales mix and the appreciation of the New Zealand dollar.

Overall, APB reported group revenue grew to $S1.25 billion for the six months to March 31 – 17% higher than the same period last year, mainly due to higher volumes.