Justin Kendall provides daily coverage of the beer industry on Brewbound.com, conducts live-streamed interviews during Brewbound’s events and co-produces the Brewbound podcast. Kendall is a nearly 20-year career journalist who led alt-weekly newspapers in Kansas City, Missouri, and Des Moines, Iowa.
In the latest edition of People Moves, BrewDog USA changes its leadership team; Reyes taps Tom Day to lead its Beer Division; ex-NY alcohol regulator joins Drizly; and more personnel moves.
After growing dollar sales 14.8 percent last year, the Canarchy Craft Brewery Collective’s double-digit growth trends are continuing in early 2019. Off-premise dollar sales of products from the Fireman Capital-backed brewery consortium — whose brands include Oskar Blues, Cigar City, Deep Ellum, Perrin Brewing, Three Weavers, and Utah Brewers Cooperative (Wasatch and Squatters) — are up more than 29 percent through February 24, according to IRI’s multi-outlet and convenience store channel.
Big beer’s “corntroversy” is moving from television screens to the courtroom. MillerCoors today filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin that claims Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light Super Bowl ads and its subsequent “transparency” ads are part of a “false and misleading advertising campaign” aimed at deceiving health-conscious consumers.
Father-and-son Bruce and Andy Rhine have acquired a majority stake in Bend, Oregon-based Cascade Lakes Brewing, the company announced Tuesday. Speaking with Brewbound, Andy Rhine said he and his father purchased ownership stakes held by previous owners Rick Orazetti and Doug and Ron Kutella. The Rhines now own 75 percent of the 25-year-old company.
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament officially tips off on Thursday, and several major beer manufacturers are already jockeying for fans’ attention. MillerCoors, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) and D.G. Yuengling are among the beer companies hoping consumers will want to catch a buzz with their products while watching for buzzer beaters this month.
Uinta Brewing Company announced Monday its third notable leadership change in the last four years, promoting chief marketing officer Jeremy Ragonese to president. Ragonese assumes the role from long-time beer industry executive John Lennon, who took over as CEO in early 2018 following the departure of Steve Mills, who left the Utah-based craft brewery to become CEO of Maine Beer Company.
Maryland’s craft brewers, wholesalers and retailers have reached an agreement on sweeping legislation that, if approved, would reform the state’s laws surrounding self-distribution, taproom sales and franchise agreements.
In this week’s Last Call: Anchor workers vote to unionize; Texas beer distributor opposes to-go sales; Utah lawmakers agree on stronger beer bill; Instacart offers alcohol delivery service to 40 Million U.S. households; and more industry news.
North Carolina craft brewers and wholesalers have reached a compromise in a contentious years-long dispute over the state’s self-distribution and franchise laws. After filing a lawsuit two years ago challenging the constitutionality of a state law requiring brewers who sell more than 25,000 barrels to forfeit self-distribution rights and sign with a wholesaler, Craft Freedom LLC — a trade group consisting of Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and NoDa Brewing Co. — has struck a deal with the North Carolina Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association that could create an additional brewer classification for “mid-sized independent breweries” selling fewer than 100,000 barrels annually.
Colorado-headquartered Ceria Beverages plans to begin selling its THC-infused, non-alcoholic beers in Southern California within the next 90 days, according to co-founder Keith Villa.
Count Deschutes Brewery among the list of beer companies experimenting with no- and low-alcohol offerings. The Bend, Oregon-headquartered craft brewery — the 10th largest U.S. craft brewery, according to the Brewers Association — has begun testing prototypes of two non-alcoholic beers.
In the latest Legislative Update: Maryland inches closer to franchise reform; a flow meter bill in Texas is in limbo; Connecticut brewers seek to-go sales increase; and more.
Hoping to build off the continued growth of its flagship Kona Brewing portfolio, Craft Brew Alliance said it plans to increase sales of the Hawaiian-themed brand by double digits in 2019. During Thursday’s earnings call with investors and analysts, CEO Andy Thomas laid out the company’s plans to hit that goal, while also reflecting on a “good” 2018.
In the latest edition of People Moves: Long-time beer executive Bill Hackett retires from Constellation Brands; Crook & Marker hires Bai president; and Anheuser-Busch InBev board chairman set to resign.