Craft beer industry news.
In this week’s last call: A-B promotes Patchogue in a new Blue Point Brewing campaign; Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas to open Nevada’s first Goose Island pub; Buffalo Wild Wings tests the waters on to go beer sales; Melvin Brewing Company plans a brewery expansion in Washington and Gov. Kasich signs House Bill 37
Two beverage industry titans are teaming up to enter the $1 billion ready-to-drink premium bottled tea segment. On Thursday, Starbucks and Anheuser-Busch InBev announced a partnership to manufacture and distribute a ready-to-drink bottled tea under the Starbucks-owned Teavana brand, which Starbucks acquired in 2012 for $620 million. The product is slated to launch in the first half of 2017.
With the U.S. Department of Justice on the verge of green-lighting Anheuser-Busch InBev’s proposed $106 billion takeover of SABMiller, according to Bloomberg, Brewers Association CEO Bob Pease has penned a New York Times opinion piece about the potential repercussions of the “MegaBrew” merger. In his op-ed, Pease expressed concerns about A-B InBev’s ability to “stifle consumer choice” and “choke off America’s beer renaissance,” by restricting access to market.
Maui Brewing Company announces its bold new look that ties their family of beers together through inspiration in new packaging and branding. The new identity incorporates vibrant tones with a contemporary island vibe. The refreshed logo, new icons, and a new web presence were introduced to the company’s 96 employees in a private event at the Kihei brewery prior to announcing it to their partners and the media.
Bear Republic Brewing Company of Cloverdale, California has signed with Clear River Beverage to distribute their products in Minnesota. Bear Republic has won 22 medals at the Great American Beer Festival and was named the GABF Small Brewing Company and Brewmaster of the Year in 2006.
Braxton Brewing Company will be expanding its distribution footprint within the state of Kentucky. Beginning on June 6th, the Covington, Kentucky-based company will launch can and draft beer distribution to Louisville in partnership with River City Distributing. In line with their origin, the company will host an Official Launch Party at Garage Bar on Market St. in NuLu on June 9th.
Mims Distributing Company, a wholesale beverage distributor in North Carolina, has announced its partnership with DraftLine SmartSystem as the first MillerCoors wholesaler to modernize its draft line cleaning administration. The application, designed to track the time required to service each individual draft account, utilizes GPS to ensure that every draft line is serviced within a two-week period.
Owly Oop Sports Pub will open soon at the new 108,000 sq ft UW Health Sports Factory in the growing Madison Street corridor of downtown Rockford. UW Health Sports Factory is managed by the Rockford Park District. Owly Oop will operate in just not one, but two locations inside building
The Brew Hut, Colorado’s largest homebrew supply shop, is finally old enough to drink! This monumental birthday comes in time for the completion of The Brew Hut’s expansion and new classroom.
The best way to celebrate a birthday is by gathering up your friends. New Belgium’s Fat Tire & Friends Collabeeration mixed pack is starting to hit store shelves. The pack features five of the nation’s best craft breweries, with each taking a turn at reimagining Fat Tire, New Belgium’s flagship beer.
California’s Napa Smith Brewery has announced a two-pronged expansion plan that will include the construction of a new multi-million dollar production facility in Vallejo, Calif. as well as the addition of shared brewing capacity at Turtle Anarchy Brewing in Nashville, Tenn. In a press release, the company, which expects to produce just 6,000 barrels of beer in 2016, called itself the “smallest independent bicoastal operation in North America.
Hi-Wire Brewing will release the third and fourth batches of their limited Single Barrel Series, Saturday, June 11 at 12:00 p.m. at the South Slope Specialty Brewery | 197 Hilliard Ave. Almost one year ago, HiWire Brewing transitioned their downtown Asheville brewery into a sour and wild ale facility, with a small portion of production dedicated to producing a different line of limited specialty beers which they are calling the Single Barrel Series. All Single Barrel Series releases are small batches fermented 100% in oak barrels with mixed yeast cultures, bottle conditioned with brettanomyces, and sold in cork and caged 750ml bottles.
Constantia Flexibles is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephan Kühne (52) as Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Management Board. He will join the flexible packaging and labels group on August 22, 2016, and succeeds former CFO Peter Frauenknecht.
Two Asheville originals, Asheville Brewing Co and Asheville native Caleb Johnson, have created a beer to celebrate the American Idol winner’s newest song release, “Hanging with the Band.”
