New Belgium Brewing Company

The buyer of Cincinnati Beverage Co. (CinBev) and its portfolio of craft beer brands has finally come forward.

Large regional breweries that fall outside of the BA’s definition of a craft brewer collectively produced more than 8.64 million barrels of beer in 2021, a +2% increase on a comparable basis, according to data provided by the trade organization. The BA excludes companies that are at least 25% owned by a larger brewing company from its craft brewery data set and sets a production ceiling for BA-defined craft brewers at 6 million barrels.

The alignment of New Belgium and Bell’s Brewery’s distribution networks following the comapnies’ late 2021 merger is picking up steam as the rights to about 500,000 case equivalents of the Comstock, Michigan-headquartered brewery’s beer are about to change hands.

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.

About 30 employees have been let go following the integration of the Bell’s Brewery organization into New Belgium after the latter’s parent company, Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages, acquired the former last fall. The layoffs amounted to less than 3% of New Belgium and Bell’s combined workforce.

Hard Seltzer Roundup: New Belgium Releases High ABV Fruit Smash Super Hard Seltzer; White Claw Launches ‘Surf;’ Two Robbers Debuts Fruit Punch

New Belgium Brewing Company is making its biggest investment yet behind a Voodoo Ranger brand with the launch of Juice Force, a year-round hazy imperial IPA. Dave Knospe, Voodoo Ranger brand manager, told Brewbound that New Belgium is investing more than $1 million in media for Juice Force (9.5% ABV), which is rolling out now.

New Belgium Brewing Company began notifying Bell’s Brewery wholesalers on Monday of plans to consolidate the portfolio with the Reyes Beer Division in several markets outside of Michigan.

New Belgium Brewing and Imperfect Foods today announced the release of Citrus Rescue IPA – a fruited IPA brewed using oranges that may not be ‘perfect’ by society’s narrow beauty standards due to little scars and blemishes but are just as adorable, healthy, and delicious.

As the planet continues to warm and the first snowfall comes later and later, the future of the Winter Games is at risk.

Atlanta-based SweetWater Brewing has filed a lawsuit against an artist who claims he is owed $31 million for the use of the brewery’s rainbow trout logos, Law360 reported.

New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer and Bell’s Brewery EVP Carrie Yunker wrapped up Day One of Brewbound Live 2021 in Santa Monica, California, to discuss what comes next, following the sale of Bell’s to New Belgium’s parent company, Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages.

Following the acquisition of Bell’s Brewery earlier this week, Lion Little World Beverages said managing director Matt Tapper will exit the company next year after a 25-year career, and New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer will lead the company’s U.S. craft brewery platform.

Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages has struck a deal to acquire Bell’s Brewery, the second largest craft brewery in Michigan and the seventh largest Brewers Association-defined craft brewery by volume in 2020.