After investing more than $5 million on brewery infrastructure over the last five years, Wachusett Brewing is turning more attention to the contract portion of its business. But in order for the company to fully capitalize on all of the opportunities coming its way, it says, it needs a little help from Massachusetts state regulators.
This week, a North Carolina Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association (NCBWWA) executive confirmed to Brewbound that a consultant working on behalf of the organization was behind an anonymous online petition that helped to kill two craft-friendly bills in the state. North Carolina craft brewers had been making headway on House Bill 625 and House Bill 278 — legislation that would have cleared the way for contract brewing and raised the self-distribution cap from 25,000 barrels to 100,000 barrels — when the website ncbeerjobs.com made waves last month.
As Brewbound reported yesterday, Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) suffered through a difficult first quarter, which ended on March 31, 2015. Net sales and total beer shipments decreased 5 percent and 8 percent respectively. CBA CEO Andy Thomas summarized the quarter during an earnings call with investors and analysts on Thursday.
Chris Thorne, the Beer Institute’s vice president of communications, has announced his resignation from the organization effective May 29. Thorne plans to open his own “media and issue advocacy” group in Washington D.C. and continue working with the Beer Institute as an independent consultant. He will represent the lobbying group as its communications counselor until the organization fills his vacant position, BI president Jim McGreevy told Brewbound.
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers has revealed plans to increase its production volume by 500 percent as part of an ambitious expansion project the San Francisco-based brewery has announced.
San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewery today announced it has inked a deal with Stone Distributing, the growing wholesale arm of Stone Brewing, to bring its beers to southern California later this month.
By now, you’ve no doubt heard the rallying cry for craft brands to capture 20 percent of the overall beer market by 2020, an impressive — yet seemingly attainable — goal for what could still, in many ways, be considered a fledgling industry. One MillerCoors-aligned beer wholesaler in North Carolina hopes that on its way to 20 percent market share, craft products will account for at least 30 percent of the company’s overall revenue.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has signed into law a bill that triples the production cap on beer that breweries are allowed to sell within the state while preserving other retail and self-distribution privileges.
Massachusetts state regulators have accused Craft Beer Guild LLC, one of the state’s most prominent craft wholesalers, of unfair trade practices and illegal pay-to-play activities. The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) said Wednesday that Craft Beer Guild — a subsidiary of the Sheehan Family Companies, which owns multiple alcoholic beverage distributorships across more than a dozen states – violated state laws that prohibit wholesalers from offering inducements and unfair discounts.
Bell’s Brewery has announced plans to expand its presence on the east coast, detailing this afternoon imminent launches in both Delaware and Maryland. Bell’s, the nation’s 7th largest craft brewery, according to the Brewers Association, has signed on with N.K.S. Distributors for coverage in Delaware.
SweetWater Brewing is the latest craft brewery to expand into Pennsylvania, announcing plans to extend its footprint into Pittsburgh in the first week of June with Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale.
Deschutes Brewery is reportedly scouting Asheville, N.C. as a potential location to build out its east coast brewing facility and distribution center. According to the Citizen Times, representatives from Deschutes had visited Asheville in December and company president Michael LaLonde told the website they have a second trip planned for late May.
After years of debate over what constitutes a “craft brewer,” MillerCoors – which produces and markets the Blue Moon line of craft-style beers – has been hit with a class action lawsuit over the use of the word “craft” on both its website as well as various marketing and point-of-sale materials. The suit, filed last week in the California superior court of San Diego County, alleges that MillerCoors deceptively brews, markets and distributes Blue Moon Brewing products in an effort to intentionally mislead customers into purchasing a “craft beer.”
Pelican Brewing has announced plans to open a new brewpub in Cannon Beach, Ore., which, when complete, will be the third facility the company operates in the state. Construction on the brewpub, which will include a small brewhouse and restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating, is scheduled to begin this fall. The company anticipates a public opening next spring.
