Dutch brewer Heineken: Sales rose 2.2 percent in 1st quarter thanks to growth in Asia, America

Dutch brewer Heineken NV says it sold 2.2 percent more beer in the first quarter of 2015 compared with a year earlier, thanks to growth in Asia and the Americas.

The company reported Wednesday 2.2 percent organic sales growth to 4.8 billion euros for the first three months of the year. Organic sales figures strip out the effects of currencies and acquisitions.

Net profit for the quarter soared to 579 million euros ($625 million) from 143 million euros a year ago, but included an extraordinary gain of 375 million euros from the sale of Mexican packaging unit Empaque.

Heineken says Asian sales growth would have been stronger had it not been for convenience stores in Indonesia cutting their stocks ahead of an impending ban on them selling beer.