Heineken has rejected a takeover approach made by SABMiller, putting on ice what would have been a multibillion-dollar beer deal.

With a valuation of about $44 billion, the Dutch brewer is one of the last big independent brewers in the world, remaining autonomous in an era of global consolidation.

Heineken's international appeal and scale - the very attributes that allow it to thrive as an independent company - have also made it an enticing takeover target for larger brewers.

SABMiller, headquartered in London, has a market capitalization of about $55 billion, and produces beers including Miller Lite, Blue Moon and Peroni.

AB InBev, based in Belgium and the largest beer company in the world, has been viewed as another potential acquirer of Heineken.

But late Sunday, Heineken said it was determined to remain independent.

"Heineken has consulted with its majority shareholder and concluded that SABMiller's proposal is nonactionable," the company said in a statement.

Heineken is still overseen by the Heineken family, who control a majority of the voting shares and own a minority of the brewer's publicly traded stock.

"The Heineken family has informed SABMiller, Heineken and Heineken Holding N.V. of its intention to preserve the heritage and identity of Heineken as an independent company," the company said. "The Heineken family and Heineken N.V.'s management are confident that the company will continue to deliver growth and shareholder value."

The global beer business has undergone sweeping consolidation in recent years.

AB InBev, which has grown to be worth nearly $140 billion by rolling up big companies including Anheuser-Busch and the maker of Corona, has also been named as a potential buyer of SABMiller.

In its most recent big deal, AB InBev bought back South Korea's Oriental Brewery for $5.8 billion, five years after it sold the company to the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

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Had SABMiller succeeded in acquiring Heineken, it would have nearly doubled in size by market value, making an acquisition by AB InBev more difficult. But without that added scale, SABMiller may still be a target.

Any takeover of SABMiller will not be easy, however, as 40 percent of its shares are controlled by a private family in South America, the big tobacco company Altria and the government of South Africa.

Heineken, for its part, sought to quell any further speculation about potential deals. "Heineken does not intend to make any further public statements in relation to this announcement," the company said Sunday.