Here’s some refreshing news: Brewers aren’t the only ones grappling with the definition of “craft.” A group of small winemakers, distillers and brewers joined yesterday’s opening panel discussion at the Craft Beverage Expo in San Jose, Calif., to discuss their humble beginnings, their business aspirations and the craft beverage “ecosystem.”
The controversy surrounding the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) effort to invent new rules dictating how brewers dispose of spent grains has subsided of late. To summarize the ordeal briefly, it went something like this: The FDA added language to the Food Safety Modernization Act that brewers construed as detrimental to the centuries old practice… Read more »
Maybe taxes are too high. Maybe the quality of water is too low. Maybe the rules and regulations that govern the alcohol industry are too stringent. Whatever it is, it’s in the way of the welcome mat. And at a time when communities are wooing out-of-state craft brewers looking to build new facilities, that means… Read more »
Left Hand has tapped Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale Co. for coverage in the Steel City and surrounding markets. Left Hand’s new push in Pennsylvania comes after years of solidifying its presence in Philadelphia and Eastern parts of the state. The brewery entered Pennsylvania in 1996, but limited production capabilities prevented it from going deeper into the Pittsburgh market.
Today’s craft beer drinker is a promiscuous one, eschewing the loyalty their daddy’s daddy showed to his favorite brew so many years ago in favor of exploration. But heck, Gramps didn’t have a fraction of the options enjoyed by the contemporary consumer.
A little more than 100 days have passed in 2014 and the craft beer category is showing no signs of slowing down. Craft sustained its 20-plus percent growth pace, with year-to-date craft dollar sales up 24.6 percent, through April 20, across IRI’s multi-outlet and convenience store universe (MULC), which includes grocery, drug, Wal-Mart, Club, Dollar,… Read more »
After the Boston Beer Company posted record-breaking fourth quarter revenue gains in 2013, it’s hard to believe that the country’s leading craft brewer could sustain momentum and continue increasing volume and growing sales through the first three months of 2014. But that’s exactly what the makers of Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea and Angry Orchard Cider did in the first quarter of the year, growing revenues 35 percent and core shipment volumes 32 percent.
The spotlight might be focused on Florida’s ongoing legislative battles between brewers, wholesalers and lawmakers, but the Sunshine State is hardly the only locale struggling with redefining regulations for a fast-growing craft beer industry.
Florida craft brewers could face stricter retail regulations under a new bill passed by the Senate on Tuesday. This morning, the Florida Senate voted 30-10 in favor of SB 1714, an amended version of the controversial bill introduced by Republican Sen. Kelli Stargel that would limit the amount of beer brewers can sell directly to… Read more »
Picture this: It’s 10 A.M. and Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione, the veritable poster child for craft beer, is sipping from a translucent green Heineken bottle in front of 800 beer distributors. He plucked the bottle from a range of options, passing up his brewery’s own 60 Minute IPA in favor of the import lager.
Ninkasi Brewing will expand distribution throughout Nevada beginning next month, per new agreements with five distributorships in the state. The brewery, which is based in Eugene, Ore., has tapped Blach Distributing Co., Capital Beverages, Nevada Beverage Company, Morrey Distributing Co., and Valley Distributors to stock the state’s shelves and tap lines with its lineup of… Read more »
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking “necessary steps” to clarify its intent regarding a controversial proposal to further regulate how brewers discard their spent grains, according to Michael Taylor, the administration’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.
At the 2014 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC), held earlier this month in Denver, Colo., it seemed like most attendees were, at one point or another, immersed in a discussion about the relationship between craft brewers and distributors. Building upon those conversations, Brewbound asked attendees what the most important considerations are when making new distributor selections. Those responses are included in the latest installment of our video series.
This week saw brewers big and small grow in a number of different directions, as one well-known brand expanded distribution in an established market away from home, while a smaller brewery took its first steps outside of its state’s borders. Firestone Walker Brewing Co., the nation’s 16th largest craft brewery, according to the Brewers Association,… Read more »
