Brewbound — Craft Beer News, Events & Jobs

Yet another established craft brewery founder has stepped away from day-to-day CEO responsibilities. Deschutes Brewery founder Gary Fish has turned his CEO position over to Michael LaLonde, who had been serving as the president and chief operating officer for the Bend, Oregon-based craft brewery.

Salt Lake City’s Uinta Brewing Company is headed for a milestone moment as the brewery looks to eclipse the 100,000 barrel threshold this year.

The number of licensed breweries in Virginia has grown 468 percent since 2012, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced last week. In a press release, Gov. McAuliffe said Virginia was now home to 206 licensed beer companies, ranking the mid-Atlantic state no. 13 in the U.S. for number of breweries.

If you asked Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione, he’d tell you the reports of a craft beer slowdown have been greatly exaggerated.

Indiana-based Tin Man Brewing Company has been acquired by Neace Ventures, a Louisville-headquartered venture capital and real estate firm.

Despite the growth in “own-premise” sales, executives from prominent beer-centric retail chains Yard House, Old Chicago (Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries) and World of Beer told a room of industry professionals attending last Thursday’s Brewbound Session that the increasing amount of beer flowing through brewery taprooms wasn’t yet a major concern.

Craft beer has an identity crisis, Bell’s Brewery CEO Laura Bell told an audience of nearly 200 industry professionals attending Thursday’s Brewbound Session in New York City.

Armada Brewing emerged victorious in Startup Brewery Challenge 8, a business pitch competition sponsored by Craft Brew Alliance, which was held during Thursday’s Brewbound Session conference in New York City. John Kraszewski, the founder of Armada Brewing, competed against representatives from four other emerging breweries: M.I.A. Beer Company, Good City Brewing, Black Star Line Brewing Company, and Torch & Crown Brewing.

Independence matters to craft beer drinkers. During Thursday morning’s New York version of the Brewbound Session, Nielsen senior vice president of beverage alcohol practice Danny Brager and associate client manager Caitlyn Battaglia revealed the findings of a new 2,000-person Harris Poll survey co-developed by Brewbound and Nielsen examining whether 29 popular buzzwords used to market beer are resonating with regular craft beer drinkers.

In today’s edition of Press Clips: The New Jersey attorney general calls the Hunterdon fine the ‘largest ever imposed’ in the state; Ballast Point opens its Virginia tasting room; Kevin Durant cracks open a few Bud Lights; and more.

We’re less than 48 hours away from Brewbound Session Summer 2017, taking place at the Metropolitan West in New York City on June 15, and it’s time to introduce our presenters and judges for Startup Brewery Challenge 8. Presented by Craft Brew Alliance, Startup Brewery Challenge is our on-of-a-kind business pitch competition for new and emerging beer companies.

The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) now has a majority of support in the U.S. House of Representatives, with the addition of North Carolina Rep. David Rouzer as the legislation’s 218th co-sponsor.

In today’s edition of Press Clips: Texas craft brewers ask governor to veto taproom bill; the Maryland alcohol task force convenes; a federal court dismisses Total Wine’s pricing challenge; and the NFL allows spirits advertising.

The 2017 Summer Brewbound Session will be live from the New York City’s Metropolitan West at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 15, but hundreds of attendees will get the networking started early during the official welcome reception on Wednesday, June 14. Hosted at the Anheuser-Busch commercial strategy office in Chelsea (125 W 24th St, New York, NY 10011), the welcome reception – taking place at 6:00 PM — will give Brewbound Session attendees their first chance to network with the top entrepreneurs and executives from across all three tiers of the beer industry.