There are now 6,000 U.S. breweries in operation, and 98 percent of those beer companies are considered small and independent, according to a new report released by industry trade group the Brewers Association (BA).

Melvin Brewing plans to open at least four new brewpubs in 2018, including outposts in craft beer strongholds San Diego and Denver. Melvin sales director Ted Whitney told Brewbound that the Wyoming-headquartered cult beer maker has signed a letter of intent on a 5,500 sq. ft. space in downtown San Diego with the hope of… Read more »

The Boston Red Sox and Boston Beer Company have reached a multi-year agreement to make Samuel Adams “the official beer of the Boston Red Sox.” It’s an eight-year deal that will last through the 2025 season, according to the Boston Globe.

Two decades-old Baltimore breweries have begun consolidating operations. RavenBeer is in the process of relocating its operations to the Duclaw Brewing Company facility. In a press release, RavenBeer founder Stephen Demczuk cited increased competition from local and national breweries alike as one of the reasons for the move.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Several small craft brewers accuse Ohio-based SysTech of defrauding them; the Brewers Association elects five industry professionals to its board of directors; Anheuser-Busch sends a cease-and-desist letter over “Dilly Dilly” beer; and more.

Seaboard Craft Beer Holdings, the parent company of Tampa Bay’s Big Storm Brewing Co., has acquired the assets of Cape Coral Brewing Co., a Florida brewery that shuttered in October after two years in business.

Fat Head’s Brewery will close its Portland, Oregon, brewpub in early 2018 following the termination of a licensing agreement between the Ohio-based company and its local franchisee.

After selling 65,000 barrels of beer in 2016, Cigar City Brewing is on pace for a major bump in sales as the Florida craft brewery plans to cross the 100,000-barrel threshold by the end of the year. In an interview with Brewbound, Cigar City brand ambassador Neil Callaghan attributed the growth to expanded production of its flagship brand, Jai Alai IPA, at the start of the year.

After contract producing a line of beer for the last year, Ohio’s Rivals Brewing Company has reached an agreement to take over the current Fat Head’s Brewery space in Middleburg Heights. Last week, Nick Lowe, the owner of Rivals Sports Grille, a decade-old Middleburg Heights sports bar and restaurant, announced that he had signed a five-year lease on the 35,000 sq. ft. turnkey brewery where Fat Head’s has operated since 2012.

The United States Senate passed a sweeping tax reform bill early Saturday morning that includes a number of changes to the tax code and benefits alcohol producers. With a vote of 51-49 today, the Senate passed H.R. 1, the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” which is the largest tax overhaul in 31 years and includes the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA).

In this week’s edition of Last Call: A-B InBev acquires another Australian craft brewery; excise tax cuts inch closer to passage in the U.S. Senate; A-B defends pay-to-play allegations in Massachusetts; and much more.

The beer category’s high end segment could add about a 500 million more cases in the next decade, Constellation Brands chief marketing officer Jim Sabia said during Wednesday’s Brewbound Session.

Ninkasi Brewing Company leaders Nikos Ridge and Cheryl Collins shared their company’s evolving approach to innovation during Tuesday’s Brewbound Session in Santa Monica.

In this week’s edition of press clips: Arby’s has agreed to purchase Buy Buffalo Wild Wings in a deal valued at $2.9 billion; Heineken has acquired a minority stake in London’s Brixton Brewery and Texas’ Legacy Hall is set to open.