Anheuser-Busch InBev

In this week’s distribution roundup: Cigar City expands to Colorado, SpikedSeltzer goes national and Seattle Cider hits South Carolina.

Hundreds of U.S. craft brewers that had been experimenting with a selection of South African-grown hops will no longer have access to the proprietary supply after Anheuser-Busch InBev, which owns the farm, said it would reserve 100 percent of the latest yield for its own brands.

New allegations of illegal pay-to-play activities within the beer industry have resurfaced in Boston. A 14-month investigation by the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) into a wholly owned Anheuser-Busch wholesaler has resulted in charges that the beer distribution company illegally provided nearly $1 million in free equipment to retailers, according to the Boston Globe, who first reported the story.

The fallout from Wicked Weed’s sale to Anheuser-Busch InBev is still being felt days after the transaction was announced. In the wake of the deal — which will require approval from the U.S. Department of Justice — at least 44 breweries announced they would no longer participate in Wicked Weed’s annual Funkatorium Invitational in Asheville on July 8.

CBA finds success with Kona; MillerCoors expands the footprint of its Tenth and Blake brands; and A-B InBev’s craft portfolio helps elevate its revenue per hectoliter.

Anheuser-Busch InBev significantly bolstered its High End division’s craft and import portfolio today when it announced plans to purchase one of the most acclaimed producers of sour, barrel-aged and hoppy beers in the U.S. — North Carolina’s Wicked Weed Brewing. In the five years since it launched from a small brewpub in downtown Asheville, Wicked Weed has claimed numerous World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival medals, scaled production to roughly 20,000 barrels, built three additional brewing facilities spanning a cumulative 150,000 sq. ft., grown to 210 employees and expanded distribution into 10 states and Washington D.C.

Anheuser-Busch InBev is making its first U.S. craft brewery purchase of 2017, today announcing the acquisition of North Carolina’s Wicked Weed Brewing. Specific financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed and the deal is subject to regulatory approval.

In this week’s Press Clips, Jim Koch defends his New York Times opinion piece; a deceptive advertising lawsuit against MillerCoors is dismissed; the SEC stands pat on no alcohol sales at football games; and much more.

More than 100 union delivery drivers and warehouse workers for Clare Rose Inc., a New York beer distributor, went on strike Sunday afternoon after months of unsuccessful wage negotiations.

In this week’s, Legislative Update: Texas lawmakers consider bill that could force big breweries to close taprooms; North Carolina fails to increase cap for self-distribution; and much more.

The PGA TOUR and Anheuser-Busch today announced an extension of their longstanding marketing relationship that continues Michelob ULTRA’s designation as the “Official Beer Sponsor of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions” through 2020.

Anheuser-Busch InBev is adding another brand to its craft and import focused “High End” portfolio, but this time it won’t come via acquisition. In a letter to wholesalers, the company said it would launch Veza Sur Brewing Co. in Miami this summer.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Maryland Brewers and Diageo join forces to amend HB 1283; North Carolina moves toward modernizing the state’s alcohol laws; more breweries close; Yards Brewing Co. reveals plans for its new brewery; A-B divests itself of the former SABMiller’s Central and Eastern European assets; and more.

Nearly two-and-a-half years after 10 Barrel Brewing Co. was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Bend, Oregon-headquartered brewery is finally nestled snugly into the global beer giant’s craft and import focused High End division. With the transition complete and several multi-million dollar expansion projects concluding this spring, 10 Barrel’s founders say they’re finally fully focused on the business of making and selling beer and expanding their reach.