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.

Almost 30 years ago, Boulevard founder John McDonald began sharing kegs of beer with the local arts community at Friday gallery openings, drawing people into the urban core in the spirit of exploration. These celebrations of creativity sprouted spontaneously throughout the country to become First Fridays, a convergence of arts, culture and activism that continues to excite and inspire.

Boulevard Brewing Company, the Midwest’s largest craft brewery, has announced details of the first endorsement of a craft beer by a Major League Baseball player. Kansas City Royals’ second baseman and outfielder Whit Merrifield will star in Unfiltered Whit, a campaign for Boulevard’s classic Unfiltered Wheat Beer. The campaign includes advertising, merchandise, a sweepstakes and player appearances.

Boulevard Brewing Company today announced one of the first craft beer endorsements by an active Major League Baseball player. The Kansas City-based craft brewery has inked a deal with Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield to promote its flagship Unfiltered Wheat brand. Additionally, Boulevard announced a sponsorship agreement with 20th Century Fox to make its Space Camper Cosmic IPA the exclusive craft beer of Dark Phoenix, the next film in the X-Men saga.

Boulevard Brewing Company today announced the launch of a line of ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails called Fling. Speaking to Brewbound, Jeff Krum, president of Duvel Moortgat USA, which owns the Kansas City craft brewery, described the company’s foray into RTD cocktails as more of a “side hustle.”

Boulevard Brewing Company today announced the launch of its newest year-round beer, Space Camper Cosmic IPA. The powerfully juicy India Pale Ale offers an exhilarating initiation into an alternate universe of IPAs, with minimal upfront bitterness and maximum tropical fruit flavors.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Asahi announces plans to acquire London Pride maker; U.S. beer shipments decline in 2018; Charlie Papazian exits the Brewers Association; Clare Rose lays off 14 employees; and more industry news.

In the latest edition of Press Clips: Beer rationing begins in Europe; trademark infringement fights continue; Beavertown feels the fallout from selling a minority stake to Heineken; and more.

When John McDonald founded Boulevard Brewing Company in 1989, he never envisioned that the company would grow to 178,000 barrels and sell beer in 40 states. You can listen to McDonald discuss these topics, and more, on episode 111 of Taste Radio.

With more than 6,300 breweries competing for consumer mindshare in today’s crowded beer environment, standing out is a “constant battle.” That’s how Neal Stewart, vice president of marketing for Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, described the difficulty of differentiating a craft brand in 2018 during last week’s Brew Talks meetup, held during the annual Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

Boulevard Brewing and Strange Music today announced that fans will soon have the opportunity to celebrate a collaboration between two Kansas City originals – Boulevard and Tech N9ne.

In an effort to further establish itself in the high end craft beer category, Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Co. will launch a new line of premium-priced beers in the third quarter of this year, Duvel USA executives told Brewbound.

Boulevard Brewing of Kansas City, MO and Zipline Brewing of Lincoln, NE today announced the approaching debut of a unique collaboration.