Alcohol

Nearly 1,900 new products hit retail shelves across the United States in 2011/12. Yet, only 11 percent of those launches achieved exceptional first-year sales. Here's a look at the top 20 products, including Dannon Oikos and Starbucks K-Cups, that beat daunting new product odds and stimulated growth despite a challenging economic environment.

These include an all-cash tender offer of USD 9.15 per share by AB InBev for all the outstanding Grupo Modelo shares it does not already own and, upon completion of the tender offer, the sale of Grupo Modelo's Piedras Negras brewery and stake in Crown to Constellation.

Mike's Hard Lemonade Co. rolls out beverage innovations with entries into new categories, beer and cider, and providing new ways for consumers to enjoy mike's hard lemonade flavors.

The Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in January challenging the proposed acquisition, saying that the $20.1 billion transaction would substantially lessen competition in the market for beer in the United States.

Falcon Social is expected to enable Carlsberg to create, launch and measure the performance of its social media campaigns and coordinate all its social marketing programs from a single, centralized SaaS platform.

SVEDKA Orange Cream Pop and Strawberry Colada are the latest flavors to join SVEDKA's flavor portfolio.

The Heineken Champions mobile and Facebook app were developed by Cultur8.