In episode 13 of the Brewbound Podcast, Kopman discusses his experience launching and building Schlafly Beer in the early days of craft, the amount of change that’s occurred in the industry since the early 1990s – and the impact that’s had on the three-tier system — and he also shares lessons for other beer entrepreneurs.
Count Brooklyn Brewery among the growing number of beer companies that has its eyes on the health and wellness space. During last week’s Brewbound Live business conference, Brooklyn Brewery CEO Eric Ottaway said the company was on the verge of releasing a non-alcoholic beer in Sweden as the company looks to tap into increasing consumer demand for more alcohol-free brews.
Craft Brew Alliance CEO Andy Thomas set the tone for last week’s Brewbound Live business conference by asking the nearly 200 beer industry professionals who attended the two-day event a simple question: Who is really your competitor?
Craft beer maker Oskar Blues is expanding into the hard seltzer space. The Longmont, Colorado-headquartered beer company, which is part of the Canarchy Craft Brewery Collective, is planning a nationwide launch of a new hard seltzer brand in early 2019.
More than three years after selling San Diego craft brewery Saint Archer to MillerCoors, Josh Landan is back in the brewing business. Landan, who co-founded Saint Archer in 2013, has launched a new brewing company, Harland Brewing Co., in San Diego with former Saint Archer VP Jeff Hansson and ex-market manager Anthony Levas.
In this week’s edition of Last Call: The California ABC uncovers brewpub violations; more than 1,200 beer companies join Sierra Nevada wildfire relief effort; Wiseacre sells stake to family office; Duvel Moortgat invests in London kombucha company; and more industry news from the week.
In episode 12 of the Brewbound Podcast, editor Chris Furnari interviews Jake Maddux, the founder of The Brewer’s Table in Austin, Texas. During the conversation, Maddux discusses how The Brewer’s’ Table is redefining food and beer pairings. He also talks about his goals for the business and why he is hell-bent on winning a James Beard Award.
After a month of arguments in a Milwaukee courtroom, Pabst Brewing Company and MillerCoors have settled a lawsuit that Pabst claimed could have put the 174-year-old beer company out of business. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Massachusetts-based Willie’s Superbrew emerged as the winner of Brewbound’s 2018 Pitch Slam competition, beating out seven other emerging craft brands during the two-day Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica, California. The business pitch competition, sponsored by Craft Brew Alliance, featured eight contestants who delivered pitches during an initial judging round. Five companies advanced to the finals on Day Two of the Brewbound Live event.
The popularity of non-traditional drinking venues is on the rise with younger consumers, according to new data shared today by Nielsen and CGA at the Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica, California. Nielsen beverage alcohol practice manager Caitlyn Battaglia and Nielsen CGA client director Matthew Crompton shared that younger craft beer drinkers are seeking out third-space drinking occasions. They noted that within the last year, 23 percent of millennials said they visited a taproom or a brewpub, while 13 percent said they ate and drank at a “groceraunt” and 14 percent said they imbibed at an arcade bar.
Brewbound today announced the winners of its 2018 Brewbound Awards, which recognize the business efforts of beer companies across the United States. First launched in 2014, the Brewbound Awards acknowledge breweries for their execution of various business and philanthropic initiatives.
Massachusetts craft beer maker Trillium Brewing Company’s labor practices and brewing methods are under scrutiny after accusations were lodged last week by a self-described former employee in an online beer forum. According to the former employee, who used the name “Abagofit” in a Beer Advocate forum, Trillium required its retail employees to reapply for jobs that they already held prior to last month’s opening of the company’s new brewery, taproom and restaurant in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood.
At the National Beer Wholesalers Association meeting in September, Nielsen vice president Danny Brager delivered a simple message to attendees who stopped by his early morning breakout session: Cider is back. According to data from the firm, off-premise sales of hard cider were up 6 percent over the 52-week period ending on August 11. But if you look at the most recent 26-week period, also ending August 11, category-wide sales were up 13 percent.
In episode 11 of the Brewbound Podcast, editor Chris Furnari interviews Hugh Sisson, the founder and managing partner of Heavy Seas Beer in Baltimore, Maryland. During the interview, Hugh discusses how his company is evolving amid increasing competition within the craft beer segment, and he explains the headwinds facing regional breweries. He also talks about trends that he’s paying close attention to and shares his vision of how the beer category will continue to mature in the coming years.
