S business journals are rife with speculation that AB InBev and SAB Miller may resume merger talks worth US$100 billion.

Following a Reuters report, the Financial Post said that with Carlsberg protected by a trust and Heineken being family owned, it was not unreasonable to think of the world’s two biggest brewers joining forces as undeveloped markets dwindle.

It continued that merger talks of this kind were “not new”, with talks having previously taken place until they were suspended in June 2012 when AB InBev took over Grupo Modelo.

Furthermore, it said that some industry experts were expecting a deal, within a year”.

One insider source with experience of large drinks industry mergers said it was, “more a question of when, not if”.