The U.S. beer industry’s economic output has increased by $4 billion since 2018, which is equivalent to 1.6% of the U.S. gross domestic product, according to the “Beer Serves America” report — a biennial study commissioned by the Beer Institute (BI) and the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA).
As women from across the beer industry share stories on social media of their experiences with sexual harassment, assault and abuse in the beer and hospitality industries, it has become clear that the misogyny is widespread and being felt at all levels, from the taproom to the boardroom. Rachel Anderson, a co-founder of Indeed Brewing, said she experienced toxicity even as a co-owner. She shared her experience of being forced out of the Minneapolis-headquartered craft brewery that she helped build in an essay titled “I am a Craft Beer Casualty.”
In a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic robbed alcoholic beverage producers of on-premise occasions for the majority of 2020, and forced consumer purchasing to shift to off-premise retailers and e-commerce, 36 of the top 50 Brewers Association-defined craft brewing companies recorded volume declines, according to data published in the May/June edition of the New Brewer magazine. Those numbers were not unexpected given last year’s challenges.
Back by popular demand after a three-year hiatus, Catch A Tiger IPA is on the prowl once again. A collaboration between Montavilla Brew Works and Coin Toss Brewing, this limited-run IPA is brewed with 30 pounds of frosted flakes cereal, an innovation inspired by a shared history between the two brewery owners.
CERIA Brewing Company, makers of Grainwave Belgian White and Indiewave IPA non-alcohol craft beers, reports its distribution network has doubled in the past 12 months.
Other Half Brewing welcomes the start of summer with Oh2 (5% ABV), a new line of gluten-free hard seltzers. Created at the new Domino Park location but available at all Other Half Brewery sites, Oh2 seltzers max out at 120 calories and 2 carbohydrates per 12 oz can.
On a special edition of the Brewbound Podcast, the Brewbound team recaps some of the news stories from the outpouring of accounts of sexual harassment, abuse, misogyny and toxicity within the beer industry.