Shareholders of brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev approved the blockbuster takeover of rival SABMiller, the brewer said on Wednesday, clearing a major hurdle towards one of the biggest mergers ever attempted.

AB InBev, the brewer of Budweiser and Stella Artois, is already the world's top brewer and the SABMiller acquisition for $104 billion is in line to be the third largest merger in history.