There’s a pair of wholesaler deals in the works involving the distribution rights to a number of major brands, Brewbound has learned. In California, Nor-Cal Beverage Company will sell its beer division to Markstein Beverage. In Virginia, Reyes Beverage Group has agreed to acquire all of the assets of Kozak Beverages Inc.
On the heels of what may go down as the worst week in the history of the National Football League (NFL), one of its largest sponsors, Anheuser-Busch (A-B), is speaking out. A-B issued a statement Tuesday expressing concern over the NFL’s handling of recent off-field incidents involving active players who are alleged to have abused women and children.
Sam Calagione and Dogfish Head are investing in a growing craft spirits segment. Calagione, who described the recent influx of small-batch spirit producers as a “revolution,” believes Dogfish, the company he founded in 1995, has an opportunity to once again extend the brand outside of the beer category.
New Belgium today announced the promotion of current chief financial and chief operations officer, Christine Perich, to the position of president. Perich, who joined the company as CFO in 2004, has overseen all facets of operations since 2009. She was instrumental in guiding the company through its second employee stock ownership program transaction in 2012.
MillerCoors announced Tuesday that longtime Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing president, Jake Leinenkugel, 62, will retire at the end of the year. His brother, Dick Leinenkugel, will take over as president of the company, which is part of MillerCoors’ craft and import division, Tenth and Blake.
Just days after Brew Hub officially opened the doors to its Lakeland, Fla. facility, the “partner brewing” venture today announced its next location: St. Louis, Mo. The company plans to begin construction on a $20 million, 200,000-barrel craft brewery in Chesterfield, Mo. later this year.
Boston Beer is going vertical in the U.S. cider category. The company, which produces and markets the Angry Orchard line of hard ciders, has agreed to purchase a 60-acre orchard in upstate Montgomery, New York. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Let’s talk numbers again, shall we? IRI’s principal of Beverage Alcohol Clients Insights, Dan Wandel, joined last week’s Power Hour webcast hosted by the Brewers Association’s and shared a ton of positive trends for craft brewers.
In addition to broadening its distribution footprint, Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing is now expanding its political reach. Last month, the Fort Collins-based brewery filed paperwork to create its own national political action committee (PAC), a move that company spokesman Bryan Simpson said will enable New Belgium to strengthen its voice at both the state and national levels.
Coors Distributing Company president Scott Whitley has been tapped as the new CEO of MillerCoors’ craft and import division, Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the company announced last week.
Salt Lake City, Ut.-based Uinta Brewing today announced it has sold a percentage of its business to The Riverside Company, a private equity firm with offices in New York City and Cleveland, Ohio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Uinta founder Will Hamill told Brewbound that he would retain a “significant” piece of the Uinta business and continue to lead the company as CEO.
Year-to-date craft dollar sales in IRI’s multi-outlet and convenience retail channel universe (MULC), which comprises grocery, drug, Wal-Mart, Club, Dollar, Mass-Merchandiser and Military stores, were up 22.9 percent to $1.3 billion through Aug. 10. Volume sales are also growing steadily, up 19.3 percent in MULC during the same period.
In an effort to help re-launch its sessionable year-round offering Peacemaker Extra Pale as “Peacemaker Anytime Ale,” the Texas-based craft brewery today rolled out an enormous, Texas-sized 99-pack of the 5 percent ABV golden ale. Packaged in cardboard, the multi-pack is seven feet long, weighs 82 lbs., and sells for $99 at Austin package stores.
Sweetwater Brewing will distribute throughout Mississippi beginning in September after signing agreements with four Anheuser-Busch wholesalers in the state. The addition of Mississippi will expand the brewery’s footprint to 10 states as well as Washington D.C.
