Anheuser-Busch InBev is in “active discussions” to sell its non-controlling interest in its joint venture in Russia, Efes, to its partner, Turkish brewer Anadolu Efes, the company announced today. Meanwhile, A-B InBev has appointed Ricardo Tadeu to the newly created role of chief growth officer as part of a restructure of the company’s commercial leadership team.

A new non-profit organization is attempting to promote draft beer as the industry’s “most-ownable, differentiated weapon” in the on-premise channel, as well as the most sustainable choice in bars and restaurants.

Boston Beer Company’s big first quarter in 2021 as it built hard seltzer inventories is coming to roost a year later. The company reported declines in depletions and shipments of -7% and -25.1%, respectively in the first quarter of 2022.

A federal judge on Wednesday granted a nationwide injunction to Charlotte’s Sycamore Brewing Company in its trademark infringement case against Stone Brewing Company. The preliminary injunction will go into effect upon Sycamore posting a $50,000 cash bond.

The Stone-Molson Coors trademark infringement legal saga continues to play out in a series of post-trial motions. This week, each side has filed motions, with Stone seeking additional damages on top of its $56 million jury award, and Molson Coors attempting to block Stone’s request for a preliminary injunction earlier this month.

Michigan’s Founders Brewing Company has cut eight jobs as it restructured its business to focus on the on-premise channel, a spokesperson confirmed to Brewbound.

The Bell’s Brewery portfolio is moving to the Reyes Beer Division in the majority of the wholesaler’s Indiana territory. Reyes, the largest beer distributor in the U.S., announced today that its Monarch Distributing subsidiary has closed on agreements for the Michigan craft brewery’s brand rights in its Indiana footprint, adding about 175,000 cases to Monarch’s operation.

Stone Brewing Company has filed a motion to recoup attorneys’ fees after winning a $56 million judgment against Molson Coors for trademark infringement, according to court documents filed earlier this week.

After a state court largely rejected its claims earlier this year, Seismic Brewing Company has now filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against DBI Beverage, Reyes Holdings and Reyes subsidiary Harbor Distributing, alleging the beer distributor attempted to maintain a monopoly of California’s beer distribution market.

Off-premise sales of craft beer are off to a rough start in 2022. Year-to-date through April 2 of 2022, craft dollar sales declines have accelerated to nearly -10% ( $1.24 billion in overall sales) compared to the -6% decline in calendar year 2021, according to Bump Williams Consulting, which shared the latest NielsenIQ (total U.S. — XAOC + Liquor plus Convenience) scan data.

Beer Institute president and CEO Jim McGreevy is departing the trade association in early May after eight years to take on a yet-to-be revealed role outside of the beverage-alcohol industry.

A week after the 2022 edition of WWE’s WrestleMania, El Segundo Brewing Company is still feeling the aftershocks of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin crushing Broken Skull American Lagers throughout his first wrestling match in 19 years with a streaming audience in the millions watching.

Molson Coors’ craft beer division leader, Paul Verdu, has exited the company, president of emerging growth Pete Marino announced in a company email yesterday. Verdu’s last day at Molson Coors was Monday.

The Reyes Beer Division is adding to its California map with the planned acquisition of Columbia Distributing’s business in Northern California, the companies announced this evening.