For decades, Luxembourg's two largest breweries have been tightening their grip on the industry. Bar owners raised concerns about restrictive practices, while the national competition authority opened an investigation. The kick-off of our Beer Wars series put the country's beer market under the microscope, through sharp, in-depth journalism with clear societal impact.

 The investigation was a collaborative effort by reporters from LuxTimes, Wort and Contacto, led by Ricardo J. Rodrigues of Contacto.lu. Originally written in English, the piece was translated into German, Portuguese and French, reflecting the strength of our multilingual newsroom and our commitment to reaching readers across all brands. 

The impact was immediate: exceptional reader numbers, new subscriptions, coverage by a competing outlet and even a parliamentary question demanding a government statement. Meanwhile, the competition authority’s inquiry and a court case are still ongoing.

Beer Wars typifies our ambition for exclusive stories and cross-brand synergy. It was the first project produced by our investigative reporting team, a pilot model bringing all four brands together. The flexible structure allows editors and journalists to pitch ideas and assemble the right expertise for each story.

After a successful second trial, we’re ready to make the reporting team a permanent fixture next year – a milestone for quality journalism across our brands.

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