Jessica Infante joined Brewbound in 2019 after nearly a decade in a variety of marketing roles in the craft beer industry. Prior to that, she was a daily newspaper reporter at the Jersey Shore. Jess holds a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and a master’s degree in integrated marketing communication from Emerson College. She is a certified Cicerone and lives in Salem, Massachusetts.
The Brewers Association tapped representatives from law firm McDermott Will & Emery to educate members on the $2.2 trillion stimulus package signed into law last week to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
San Diego-headquartered Stone Brewing’s long-running trademark infringement lawsuit against Molson Coors’ Keystone brand will move to trial in October. Stone first brought the lawsuit against MillerCoors in February 2018 in the U.S. District Court Southern District of California, alleging that the April 2017 packaging and marketing refresh for the company’s Keystone Light brand that more prominently featured the word “Stone” infringed on the craft brewery’s intellectual property.
The state of Massachusetts, which temporarily banned on-premise dining and drinking on March 17, has taken a step toward approving to-go sales of beer and wine, something most other northeastern states have had in places since their on-premise bans began.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the $2.2 trillion stimulus package Friday afternoon and sent the bill to President Donald Trump, who signed the bill into law at 4 p.m. ET in the Oval Office. U.S. brewers shipped 11,350,000 barrels in February, a decline of 0.7% compared to February 2019, according to national trade group the Beer Institute.
Ball Corporation has added production of 32 oz. crowler cans and expects to have a supply ready to hit the market in two days. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the $2 trillion stimulus package to aid the public health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Deschutes Brewery founder Gary Fish told the Bend Bulletin that the company has laid off about 60% of its staff.
As draft beer has almost entirely stopped flowing in the U.S. due to on-premise shutdowns caused by efforts to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19, craft brewers are turning to crowlers — 32 oz. cans filled and sealed on demand — to sell the beer left in their kegs before it oxidizes.
San Diego, California-headquartered Green Flash Brewing has furloughed or laid off most of its staff, VP of marketing Ben Widseth confirmed to Brewbound on Tuesday evening.
Deschutes Brewery has laid off “well over 100” employees after temporarily shuttering its pubs and tasting rooms and scaling back on-premise sales through distribution, VP of sales and marketing Neal Stewart confirmed to Brewbound.
As on-premise consumption has ceased almost nationwide in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, the preservation of capital is now paramount for both packaging and taproom breweries, attorney Mike Drumm advised craft brewers during a Brewers Association (BA) Power Hour session titled “Beer in a Time of Disruption” on Monday.
In California, where more than 1,000 breweries are in operation, the state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has offered temporary regulatory relief for license holders such as drive-thru windows for off-premise transactions, packaged goods sold to-go from on-premise retailers and delivery to consumers.
As states enforce bans on on-premise consumption at breweries, bars and restaurants to stop the spread of the COVID-19 global pandemic, some are also loosening restrictions on takeout and delivery of alcoholic beverages.
The Senate approved a multi-billion dollar relief bill to offer immediate aid in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday afternoon.
This bill makes coronavirus testing free, provides paid sick leave, expands unemployment benefits and provides grants to states to process and pay claims.
As the hospitality industry grapples with the impact of mandated closures of restaurants, bars, brewery taprooms and tasting rooms, craft breweries and brewpubs are beginning to announce staff layoffs and furloughs.
With mandated shutdowns of bars, restaurants and taprooms in more than 20 states and voluntary closures in many others, the novel coronavirus has forced craft brewers to get creative in getting their beer to consumers.
