A number of members of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s corporate affairs team have left the company since early 2019. Cider strategist Caitlin Braam parts ways with Angry Orchard. Beverage operations manager Jonny Stringer departs CraftWorks.

Over the last eight weeks, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) have been working together to finally complete a merger of the long linked together beer companies. The culmination of that work came Monday with the announcement that A-B, which owns 31.2% of CBA, would acquire the remaining stake in the publicly traded Portland, Oregon-headquartered craft brewing company.

Anheuser-Busch InBev and Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) announced today that the world’s largest beer company will acquire the remaining 68.8% of CBA that it did not own for $16.50 per share in cash.

Pabst Brewing Company today announced a long-term agreement to brew the majority of its production volume at City Brewing Company by December 2024. The Los Angeles-headquartered beer company’s agreement with City Brewing lasts until 2040. News of the new contract agreement comes one year after Pabst Brewing settled a lawsuit against MillerCoors over contract production of its brands.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Drake and Canopy Growth partner to launch More Life Growth Company; Walmart offers curbside pickup of alcohol in 29 states; JetBlue to offer Truly Hard Seltzer; and more news bites.

FIFCO USA is embracing its role as a “big-small company.” With just 1.3% of market share, FIFCO is nowhere near the size of the world’s largest brewery, Anheuser-Busch, but both companies have the same number of wholesalers. FIFCO USA is still able to pull in big-name celebrity sponsorships. Those celebrity relationships were on display during FIFCO USA’s national sales meeting last week in Philadelphia.

Founders Brewing Company and former employee Tracy Evans announced Thursday they have agreed to settle the racial discrimination lawsuit against the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based craft brewery. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and the lawsuit has been dismissed.

Molson Coors’ future direction became more clear today following the announcement that the company will restructure its operations and slash its workforce. Prior to late July’s second quarter earnings call, the company announced that CEO Mark Hunter would retire at the end of September, and Gavin Hattersley, the CEO of U.S. business division MillerCoors, would… Read more »

Molson Coors today announced a sweeping restructuring and revitalization plan aimed at reinvesting $150 million annually in its core products, above-premium offerings, new innovations in the beyond beer space and digital capabilities. In order to achieve the savings, Molson Coors is consolidating its business units and office footprint and slashing its workforce.

Boston Beer Company reported third quarter depletions (sales-to-retailers) and shipments (sales-to-wholesalers) of 30% and 19.1%, respectively, according to financial results issued after the end of trading today. Boston Beer’s third quarter earnings marked the first with combined results following the merger with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. The combined company — whose brands include Truly Hard Seltzer, Samuel Adams beer, Angry Orchard hard cider and Twisted Tea — reported net revenue growth of 23.3%, to $378.5 million, during Q3.

“I did not take this job to lose,” Heineken USA CEO Maggie Timoney said near the close of the company’s national sales meeting with wholesalers in New York City last week. “We’re going to win and win together.”

Lompoc Brewing, one of Portland’s oldest craft brewers, announced it will close next week after 23 years in business. “For me, it just felt like this is the right time, and time to back away from the craft brewing scene,” owner Jerry Fechter told Brewbound. Meanwhile, Heineken N.V.-owned Lagunitas Brewing has closed its Portland, Oregon-based… Read more »

In the latest edition of Last Call: California’s Yurok Tribe to acquire Mad River Brewing; Boston Beer discontinues Marathon Brewing’s 26.2 Brew; Night Shift to launch a hard seltzer line; and more news.

The legal battle between the two largest beer makers in the U.S. escalated today, as Anheuser-Busch today accused MillerCoors of breaking state and federal laws by stealing trade secrets regarding beer recipes for its two top-selling brands, Bud Light and Michelob Ultra. In the heavily redacted 66-page amended complaint and counterclaim filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, A-B alleges that two of its former employees who now work for MillerCoors and its parent company Molson Coors either shared confidential trade secrets with their current employers or sought information from current employees about the making of A-B products.