Molson Coors has created a new commercial division for the U.S. and Canada that chief marketing officer Michelle St. Jacques will lead as chief commercial officer effective March 1, the company announced.

A lawsuit filed against Molson Coors’ Vizzy Hard Seltzer is nearing completion, after a federal judge said last week he plans to approve the company’s plan to settle with plaintiffs for $9.5 million.

Premium craft lager brand House Beer is revving things up in 2023 with new ownership. The decade-old company is set to be acquired by motocross athlete Carey Hart.

Some of the extra marketing spend Molson Coors promised during its Q4 earnings call with investors this week is already coming to fruition.

It’s been a tough week for the staff at breweries in the Brewers Collective, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) craft division. First, we learned the company decided to cease operations on Wednesday at Platform Beer Co., the Ohio-based craft brewery A-B acquired in 2019.

One day after a report that Anheuser-Busch InBev was ceasing operations and eliminating jobs at Cleveland, Ohio-based Platform Brewing, news of layoffs at other craft breweries in the company’s Brewers Collective has come to light.

Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) owned Platform Beer Co. has ceased operations in Ohio, according to a Cleveland.com story citing “several sources.” However, the Platform brand will live on as three IPAs, according to a Platform spokesperson.

Golden Brands – the Reyes Beverage Group’s Northern California subsidiary – has acquired rights to the Constellation Brands and Sierra Nevada portfolios from Sacramento-based Markstein Beverage Co.

Molson Coors’ U.S. business ended 2022 on a weak note, as the company recorded declines in both shipments (-11.2%) and depletions (-6.8%) in the fourth quarter, according to the company’s Q4 and full-year 2022 earnings report.

Rhinegeist Brewery will launch Beer for Humans, which the Cincinnati, Ohio-based company has dubbed an “easy hop ale,” next week. Bend, Oregon-headquartered Deschutes Brewery has launched Tropical Fresh IPA, the newest year-round offering in its family of Fresh-branded IPAs. Charlotte-based NoDa Brewing has rolled out Cheerwine Ale, a new year-round offering brewed in collaboration with Cheerwine, a North Carolina-based cherry soda.

Both sales velocity and check value at bars and restaurants nationwide increased by nearly double-digits in early February, according to CGA, the on-premise arm of market research firm NielsenIQ. Leading up to the Super Bowl, which took place on February 12, on-premise velocity in the host city and state of Phoenix, Arizona, increased +35% compared to the previous week.

California craft breweries Bear Republic Brewing and Drake’s Brewing will merge, according to reports. In the transaction, which is expected to be announced on Thursday, Drake’s will acquire Bear Republic’s formulas, recipes and intellectual property, according to SiliconValley.com.

For the full fiscal year, Boston Beer shipped 8.2 million barrels to wholesalers, marking a -3.8% decline compared to 2021. Depletions (shipments to retailers) also declined by -5%.

Boston Beer is hitting the reset button with Truly Hard Seltzer in an effort to reverse the brand’s negative trends. Ahead of today’s Q4 and full-year earnings report, Boston Beer announced it would release new packaging, a new advertising campaign and communicate “clearer messaging” for Truly this spring as the company looks to grow Truly’s share and hold the No. 2 position in the segment behind White Claw.