Regulators in Massachusetts are investigating whether brewers and distributors in the state are offering up cash and other incentives to retailers in exchange for guaranteed product placement, an illegal practice known in the beer industry as ‘pay-to-play.’ As reported this morning by The Boston Globe, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) has issued subpoenas to a number of businesses in the state.
It was Halloween, and Bear Republic CEO Richard Norgrove was flying to Boston to deliver grim news to Atlantic Imports, the company’s distributor in the Massachusetts market: he was going to stop shipping beer to the Bay State, its fifth largest market, beginning Jan. 1, 2015. It was no trick, though: the California drought is taking its toll on the top-50 craft brewer, forcing it to pull distribution.
Ninkasi Brewing has announced plans to expand its Canadian presence next week by launching new distribution throughout the western province of Alberta. Beginning Wednesday, per an agreement with Canadian wholesaler Copper & Theory Artisan Beer Supply Co., Ninkasi products — including Total Domination IPA, Believer Double Red, and Oatis Oatmeal Stout — will be made available in the province on draft and in bottles.
Brooklyn Magazine took the media spotlight off brewers and bartenders last week and placed it squarely on the tie that binds them: beer reps. More specifically, reporter Meredith Heil wrote about what it’s like to live — as the headline indicates — “a day in the life” of Krista Kilberg, a former banker turned beer rep for Union Beer Distributors in New York City.
Boulevard Brewing held a ceremonial groundbreaking this morning for its $12 million expansion project. As Brewbound first reported in April, the project, dubbed “Cellar Five,” will ultimately boost the company’s fermentation capacity by 40 percent to more than 300,000 barrels. Cellar Five will enable the company to stay ahead of growing demand and increased sales, according to a news release.
Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) today announced that it will begin shipping offerings from its Kona Brewing line to Canada. CBA has signed a wholesale agreement with Beerthirst for distribution throughout the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Kona will make its debut in British Columbia later this month and roll out in Alberta on December 1, the company said in a press statement.
Green Flash Brewing announced Monday it would acquire Alpine Beer Company, a small San Diego-area craft brewery known for its highly coveted hop-forward offerings. Although specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, Green Flash co-founder Mike Hinkley told Brewbound that the Alpine’s founders, Pat and Val McIlhenney, received cash and equity in Green Flash Brewing as part of the transaction.
When Stone Brewing turned to crowdfunding by launching an Indiegogo campaign to help finance its German expansion this past summer, the company also triggered a maelstrom of anger, with people appalled that a profitable brewery would turn to its fans to ask for a handout. The squall of vitriol, though, was a mere sunshower when compared with the cash that rained down on the brewery.
In a follow-up earnings call on Thursday, Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) executives expounded on third quarter results and discussed the increasingly competitive craft beer landscape.Total CBA depletion volumes grew 6 percent compared to the third quarter in 2013. Year-to-date depletion totals are now up 8 percent.
Southern Tier Brewing is strengthening its executive roster. The company yesterday announced it hired Brendan Smith as its new vice president of sales and marketing. The move comes nearly two months after a recent capital infusion from private equity firm Ulysses Management LLC. Smith most recently held the role of senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Smithfield Foods, a global food processor with $13 billion in annual sales.
When the National Beer Wholesalers Association tapped Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill to speak at its annual conference this past summer, the network of distributors knew they were getting someone highly qualified to dole out wisdom on the topics of “leadership, decision-making, operating in uncertain environments and how to become the ‘best of the best.’” That’s how the network pitched his appearance in a July press release, anyway.
10 Barrel co-founder Jeremy Cox said the decision to sell was driven largely by his company’s rapid growth and the need for a more mature infrastructure. “We had some challenges growing the business,” he said “About three months ago, we realized we needed to find a strategic partner to help us with that.”
He was the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. president. Now, 188 years after his death, Thomas Jefferson can add to his resume. According to a Times Dispatch report, economic developers in Virginia dug up (read: hired an actor to play) Thomas Jefferson to help sell Stone Brewing on the state when the company was still in search of a place to build a facility on the east coast.
10 Barrel Brewing, a craft beer company based in Bend, Ore., today announced it has agreed to be acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest beer manufacturer. Official terms of the deal were not disclosed. It’s Anheuser-Busch’s second craft acquisition this year — it purchased New York’s Blue Point Brewing in February — and reflects the beer giant’s growing interest in the craft segment.
