Brewbound — Craft Beer News, Events & Jobs

In this week’s edition of Last Call: A Massachusetts A-B wholesaler is cleared in a pay-for-play case; New Holland buys a building in Battle Creek for a third Michigan brewery; Sony sues Knee Deep Brewing over Breaking Bud; and more.

In recent years, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s “global growth and innovation team” ZX Ventures has invested in at least nine international breweries, and now the company is pushing into spirits. ZX Ventures today announced the acquisition of Atom Group, a United Kingdom-based spirits, eCommerce and import business. Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Brewbound’s Brew Talks meetup at CBC will feature two thought-provoking discussions on the state of beer marketing and retailing. Panelists will explore topics from marketing investment strategies and engaging new consumers to the evolving craft beer retail environment and direct-to-consumer opportunities. Brew Talks CBC will give brewers, distributors, and retailers a space to come together and take part in honest conversations about the state of the industry. Register to attend!

In the information age, consumers are more aware than ever of how the products they purchase, and the packages in which those products come, impact the environment. For products that use sustainable packaging like glass, this can be a boon. This article explores the myriad ways glass is the ultimate eco-friendly container, and how this fact can be leveraged to influence purchasing decisions and create brand loyalty.

Two years after announcing plans to build a $95 million secondary brewing facility in Roanoke, Virginia, Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery has hit the pause button. The company, which was set to purchase 49 acres of land by May 1, is in the process of renegotiating an incentive package in order to maintain “flexibility” on the timeline, size and scope of the project, Deschutes CEO Michael LaLonde told Brewbound.

Shmaltz Brewing Company will boost its trade presence thanks to a new brand management partnership with Artisanal Imports, the two companies announced today. In addition to “more than doubling” its current sales staff as a result of the agreement with Artisanal, Shmaltz, which currently sells beer in about 30 states, plans to expand the availability of its beers to at least six new markets.

Whether it’s a Dogfish Head hop-pickle or a Guinness-branded thick cut potato chip, beer’s influence on the broader CPG category can be seen in a variety of new products. Food and beverage brands are trying to create excitement by partnering with and taking notes from beer leaders on everything from innovations and packaging to distribution and marketing strategies. The result: booming business brewed for all industries involved.

The maker of Samuel Adams beer is planning to set up shop in the heart of downtown Boston, today confirming plans to open a taproom in the summer of 2019. Boston Beer Company — which makes and markets a variety of beer, cider and flavored malt beverage products – is “in the final stages of negotiating” a lease for another Samuel Adams taproom to be located at 60 State Street.

In this edition of People Moves: Uinta Brewing hires a new CEO; Deschutes names a new director of brewery ops; NAB announces plans to grow its sales team; and A-B expands its North American executive leadership team.

In the final scene of Back to the Future, after Marty McFly has improved the arc of his fate by correcting errors of the past, his mentor, Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown, sends his flying DeLorean time machine careening into McFly’s driveway. You might have fixed the mistakes of the past, he says, but in the future, your offspring are jerks. Let’s move to the final scene of another video, now, on April 22, 2009, at the Brewers Association’s annual conference – when toasts are raised by a room full of brewing entrepreneurs, who have just viewed the debut of the provocative “I am a Craft Brewer” video to great acclaim.

In this week’s edition of Press Clips: Stone Brewing fires back at MillerCoors; BrewDog buys a UK cider maker and eyes an IPO; Reuben’s Brews identifies a new production space; and Tow Yard Brewing closes.

Since signing up its first four craft breweries about a year ago, Night Shift Distributing has inked agreements with 14 new brewery partners and expanded its reach into non-alcoholic beverages, wine and spirits. The Massachusetts-based company today announced distribution partnerships with seven new companies, including a cold brew coffee maker, an organic plant-based water producer and a variety of other brands.

It took two months, but MillerCoors has finally responded to Stone Brewing’s trademark lawsuit. In February, the San Diego craft brewery filed a lawsuit against the multinational beer company alleging that its rebranded packaging and advertisements for the Keystone brand infringed upon Stone Brewing’s own “Stone” trademark. Early this morning, MillerCoors answered back with several counterclaims.

You’ve probably never heard of Craftroots Brewing in Milford, Massachusetts, but it was just named the fastest growing craft brewery in America by industry trade group the Brewers Association (BA). According to Craftroots co-founder Maureen Fabry, production at the small brewery grew 1,440 percent last year, from 20 barrels in 2016 to 308 barrels in 2017.

Starting this summer, Bell’s Brewery will begin selling beer throughout New England and New Jersey, expanding its footprint to 39 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico in the process. The Michigan-based craft brewery will partner with 11 beer distributors across Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey.

Less than one month after announcing plans to purchase Smuttynose Brewing Company from Provident Bank, New Hampshire’s Runnymede Investments has finalized its deal for the struggling Portsmouth-area craft brewery and launched a 90-day plan aimed at helping it return to growth.