For decades, professional sports sponsorships were the domain of the biggest beer companies, and in 2020, that’s mostly still the case. However, craft brewers have been making inroads.

In this week’s Last Call: Schlafly acquires Trailhead Brewing; German keg company Blefa invests in American Keg; and Heineken and Bud Light launch non-alc and hard seltzer ad campaigns.

Silver Eagle Distributors Houston, LLC is now distributing Anheuser-Busch’s newest innovation to the Bud Light family – Bud Light Seltzer.

Long-time brewmaster Andy Schwartz has landed the top brewing job at Milford, Connecticut-based Dockside Brewery. Milford, Delaware-based Mispillion River Brewing has hired Claus Hagelman as its new director of sales. Non-alcoholic craft brewery Athletic Brewing has hired Rosalie Kennedy as its first marketing manager.

You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of taste, but also of sight and sound. Witness if you will, a drink that tastes of raspberry, currant, guava and passion fruit. Your taste buds will be put to a test, a trial of experience. That’s the signpost up ahead – your next stop, Contact Haze.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: A New York bill would double the state’s excise tax; the Indiana cold beer sales effort will resume; U.S. cider trade group changes name; Silver Eagle distributes 1 million cases of Karbach beer in Houston; C Squared moves; and Backlash exits taproom.

Alabama’s Straight to Ale and Druid City Brewing merge. Truly Hard Seltzer will be offered on American Airlines flights. Kombucha brewer Local Roots acquires Latitude 33’s production facility. Anheuser-Busch InBev returns as official beer sponsor of the NHL and launches larger partnership with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

Following on the heels of the recent discovery of a rare, purebred Dingo in Australia, Sydney-based brewery 4 Pines Brewing in partnership with Los Angeles-based Golden Road Brewing have announced the launch of their first trans-Pacific collaboration brew, Dingo Pup, paying tribute to the real dingo that has captured the world’s imagination.

Samantha Roth left her post as director of corporate communications for Anheuser-Busch InBev in November to become the vice president of communications for the National Football League. North Coast Brewing has hired longtime wine executive Jeffrey Ottoboni as its next CEO.

The tidal wave of hard seltzers shows no signs of slowing down, market research firm Nielsen’s beverage alcohol practice team shared Thursday during the Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica.

Coca-Cola files complaint to block Mark Anthony Brands’ trademark application for “White Claw Hard Seltzer Surge,” claiming it’s too similar to its own Surge brand citrus soda. U.S. brewery shipments decline 4.3%. COOP Ale Works announces new hard seltzer line.

Former Boston Beer CMO joins Courvoisier. Jester King head brewer departs to start new brewing project in Chicago. Lawson’s Finest Liquids hires first marketing director.

White Claw maker Mark Anthony Brands plans to spend $385 million — $135 million more than the previously projected $250 million — to build production facilities in New Jersey and at a still-undisclosed location in the western United States, founder and CEO Anthony von Mandl shared during the Beer Insights Seminar conference in New York on Monday.