The Brewers Association (BA) has severed ties with longtime New York-based PR firm The Rosen Group. The Colorado-headquartered not-for-profit trade association representing small and independent U.S. craft brewers today announced it has chosen Backbone Media as its new public relations agency of record. Backbone, based in Carbondale, Colorado, supplants The Rosen Group, which had served as the BA’s public relations firm for more than a decade.

Bear Republic Brewing Company co-founder Richard R. Norgrove will step down as CEO, the Northern California-based company announced Monday. Mr. Norgorve’s son, Richard G., will take over as the company’s chief executive. In addition to the younger Norgrove’s transition into the CEO role, Bear Republic named long-time employee Peter Kruger as its new chief operating officer. He takes over for Richard G. Norgrove, who also goes by “Ricardo.”

The largest beer wholesaler in the U.S. has made another big acquisition in California. Reyes Holdings today announced that subsidiary Harbor Distributing LLC has reached an agreement to acquire DBI Beverage Inc.’s assets in Northern California. The news comes one week after Reyes sold its Reinhart Foodservice division to Performance Food Group Company for $2 billion.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Smuttynose and Hop Valley shuffle executives; Boston Beer and Dogfish Head’s merger closes; Deschutes Brewery adds distribution in Indiana, New Jersey; Reyes Holdings sells Reinhart Foodservice for $2 billion; and more news.

A majority of Americans say beer is their alcoholic beverage of choice during the July 4 holiday, according to a survey commissioned by national trade group the Beer Institute (BI). The poll — conducted by Quadrant Strategies between June 21-25 — asked 1,000 legal-drinking-age adults which alcoholic beverage they’d be consuming or serving during Independence Day. Beer was the answer for 75 percent of the respondents.

Financially troubled Austin craft beer maker Celis Brewery has staved off an impending closure, for now. The company’s assets and property were set to be sold at auction on Tuesday, but a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing submitted yesterday has protected Celis from losing its real estate and its brewing equipment.

In this week’s Press Clips: German brewer Gilde reveals its U.S. expansion plans in North Carolina; Pennsylvania lawmakers lower brewery sales tax; North Carolina paves the way for alcohol sales at college sporting events; and more news.

Constellation Brands’ beer portfolio continues to drive the company’s growth. The multifaceted alcohol company today reported its first-quarter fiscal 2020 earnings, which were highlighted by a 5.4 percent increase in shipments (sales-to-wholesalers) and a 6.6 percent increase in depletions (sales-to-retailers) for the three-month period ending May 31.

Six months after hearing oral arguments in a constitutional challenge to Tennessee’s two-year residency requirement for obtaining a retail liquor license, the United States Supreme Court yesterday struck down a controversial stipulation that had prevented out of state retailers from setting up shop in the Volunteer State.

A federal judge yesterday agreed to allow the industry trade group the Beer Institute (BI) to join a lawsuit filed by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) against a pair of federal agencies regarding the collection of so-called “duty drawback claims.”

The beer industry’s pushback against tariffs received a boost on Tuesday, as the U.S. Senate filed a companion bill that would increase the federal government’s regulatory authority of groups overseeing aluminum premium benchmarking, including the controversial “Midwest Premium.”

Financially troubled Celis Brewery is scheduled to be auctioned off during two separate public auctions slated for July 2. According to public sale notice in the Austin American Statesman last Friday, the building housing the Austin craft brewery at 10001 Metric Boulevard will be auctioned off during a public foreclosure sale at the Travis County Courthouse on the morning of July 2.

In the latest Legislative Update: Maine lawmakers vote to reform self-distribution and franchise laws; Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signs a law increasing the amount of beer craft breweries can sell directly to consumers; North Carolina passes legislation to sell beer and wine at college sporting events; and Pennsylvania legislators consider a lower sales tax on at-the-brewery sales.

In this week’s Last Call: The House Ways and Means Committee passed a one-year extension of the federal excise tax relief for alcohol producers and importers. Also, U.S. beer shipments declined in May, Deschutes begins selling canned drinking water, Bell’s Two Hearted tops the AHA’s best list, and more news briefs.