Founders Brewing Company

In this week’s edition of Last Call: In-state sales are on the rise in Michigan; Baderbrau is set for an August auction; another round of brewery closures hit in Colorado, California and Georgia; and more beer industry news.

Founders Brewing signs a five-year agreement with British pub chain Marston’s, and more distribution news.

U.S. beer dollar sales increased 4.1 percent as volume sales grew 2.1 percent through the four weeks ending May 20, according to retail data provider IRI Worldwide.

Founders Brewing Co. announced today that they will release Barrel Runner as the fourth installment in the 2018 Barrel-Aged Series. Barrel Runner, a mosaic-hopped ale aged in rum barrels is preceded by Dankwood, Backwoods Bastard and KBS in the series. This is the first time the brewery has released a rum barrel-aged beer in package.

Founders Brewing Co. announced today that they will release Backwoods Bastard and Dankwood as the second and third installments of the Barrel-Aged Series. The first release of the series, Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS), is available now through April.

Founders Brewing Co. has been making headlines with the release of Solid Gold, a highly affordable premium lager launched earlier this year and sold exclusively in cans. Solid Gold will also be the first Founders release available in a convenient 24-pack size.

Following a year of flat sales at off-premise retail in 2017, U.S. beer dollar sales increased 3 percent through the first four weeks of 2018, according to retail data provider IRI Worldwide. IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm that tracks category-wide sales trends at off-premise retailers, reported total U.S. dollar sales of about $2.2 billion through January 28 in its multi-outlet and convenience (MULC) universe of stores (grocery, drug, club, dollar, mass-merchandiser and military).

Founders Brewing Co. has announced the release of Solid Gold, a new premium lager that will be available across the Founders national distribution network as of March 1, 2018. The starting point for this beer was a taproom classic, also called Solid Gold, that has been completely revamped by Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Constellation Brands-owned Ballast Point announces plans to consolidate its operations in Miramar; Epic Brewing recalls a batch of beer; A-B releases its Bud Light “Dilly Dilly” ad; and more.

U.S. beer volume sales were roughly flat in 2017, according to retail data provider IRI Worldwide. The market research firm, which tracks category-wide sales trends at off-premise retailers, reported that total U.S. beer dollar sales topped $34 billion in the firm’s multi-outlet and convenience (MULC) universe of stores (grocery, drug, club, dollar, mass-merchandiser and military).

Propelled by the continued growth of flagship session offering All Day IPA, Founders Brewing reported this week that it would produce approximately 468,000 barrels of beer in 2017, up from about 348,000 last year. The Michigan-based craft brewery, which sold a 30 percent stake to Spain’s Mahou San Miguel Brewery in late 2014, and now ranks as the ninth largest brewery in the U.S., was “pleasantly surprised” to exceed its initial projections, co-founder and CEO Mike Stevens told Brewbound.

As the end of 2017 draws near, U.S. beer volume sales remain roughly flat, according to recent data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI Worldwide. IRI, which tracks beer sales at off-premise retailers, reported that total beer sales through the first 11 months of 2017 exceeded $31.8 billion in the firm’s multi-outlet and convenience. Through December 3, U.S. beer volume sales declined 0.5 percent while total beer dollar sales increased 1.1 percent.

Founders has unveiled their 2018 availability calendar, which includes a full list of beers that are set to release in the new year. The list includes year-round beer announcements, seasonal and limited series returns and the return of Founders Barrel-Aged Series. Founders will keep select beers confidential until their release, including four new releases in the Barrel-Aged Series.

Founders Brewing Co. will release Canadian Breakfast Stout, an imperial coffee chocolate stout aged in maple bourbon barrels, the final release in 2017.