Ah, the joys of a duopoly.

Despite a recession and slumping U.S. beer shipments, the largest beer producers will raise their prices. They are convinced that enough customers will keep raising their glasses that the brewmasters can raise revenue, profit, and share prices.

So what if they raise the hackles of customers? They know they can get away with it because of their market power. The Budweiser, Miller, and Coors families of brands account for about 80%of the U.S. beer market.

They haven't described the size of their increases, but Anheuser-Busch InBev (OTC BB: AHBIY.PK) and the U.S. joint venture of Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP) and SABMiller (OTC BB: SBMRY.PK) will act this fall in most of their markets, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The price increases will arrive as beer volumes decline or remain stablecompared to year-ago periods. The forecast for the U.S. is a slower volume growth ratefor 2009-2012 compared with 2004-2008.

They've done it before
Last year, when Molson Coors and SABMiller created a U.S. joint venture,the main goals were cutting costs and streamlining administration. The venture and InBev's takeover of Anheuser-Busch last year created a climate that is not conducive to price wars in order to gain market share.

Boosting prices in a crippled economy has worked as recently as last year. While Anheuser-Busch was still independent, it successfully imposed higher prices in September and October for most markets in the U.S. Similarly, the joint venture said a fourth-quarter price increase produced more revenue in a "softened" U.S. market.

An epidemic of pricing power
Other international brewers, including those with big exports to the U.S., aren't letting the recession get in the way of decisions.

Grupo Modelo, Mexico's biggest brewer and maker of the leading U.S. import brand, Corona,recently told Bloomberg News that it would hold the line on prices even though the recession is causing some U.S. drinkers to trade down to cheaper beers.

Grupo Modelo exports Corona to the U.S. via a joint venture with Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ). Anheuser-Busch InBev owns 50.2% of Grupo Modelo, although the Mexican company's board retains operational control. Continued...