The polar vortex might be to blame for slower retail foot traffic, weak winter job creation numbers and even delayed maple syrup production, but frigid temperatures haven’t cooled craft beer’s sizzling start to 2014. Year-to-date craft dollar sales are up a whopping 24.6 percent through February across IRI’s U.S. multi outlet and convenience stores universe… Read more »
As the saying goes, ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’ On Saturday, Reuters reported that veteran food industry investor, C. Dean Metropoulos, was in the early stages of finding a new owner for Pabst Brewing Co., the country’s fifth largest beer vendor.
Welcome to the club, D.G. Yuengling & Son. Glad you made it, Narragansett. Sorry about the trouble, August Schell Brewing. Forget the controversy, feel free to use rice and corn, just stick with tradition, ok? The Brewers Association (BA) — a not-for-profit trade group representing the interests of small and independent American craft brewers —… Read more »
The country’s largest craft brewery, Boston Beer Company, last week reported fourth quarter depletions growth of 20 percent and net revenue of $205.4 million, an increase of $52.4 million over the same period last year. The company’s full-year depletions grew 23 percent while production volumes increased 25 percent, to about 3.4 million barrels.
Oskar Blues Brewery is making good on a promise to aggressively expand its distribution footprint in 2014. The Longmont, Colo.-based craft brewery has signed a wholesale agreement with Wirtz Beverage Group and will enter Nevada on Monday, Feb. 24.
San Francisco’s 21st Amendment, which began producing beer under contract at Minnesota’s Cold Spring Brewing Company in 2008, is coming home. On Tuesday, 21st Amendment — a brewpub originally founded in 2000 by Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan — announced plans to build its own, $21 million brewing facility this year.
Brewbound’s sister site, BevNET FBU (Food and Beverage University), is expanding its coverage into craft beer. FBU is an on-demand, video-based learning tool designed for entrepreneurs and newcomers to the food and beverage industry.
Greg Koch began the first day of his four-month sabbatical like any typical businessman would, by launching yet another business in Hawaii. While we’re pretty sure the new joint venture with Maui Brewing Company will afford time for Koch to work on his tan, Maui — Stone Craft Beverages (as its being called) will initially distribute about 12 craft beer brands on the island of Maui.
Vermont Hard Cider Company today announced that Bret Williams, the company’s president and CEO, will resign on March 1. The news of Williams’ exit comes about 16 months after Vermont Hard Cider — maker of Woodchuck Hard Cider — was acquired by the C&C Group for $305 million.
Craft Brewers Guild of Boston spared no expense and literally rolled out the red carpet at Tuesday night’s Yuengling industry-only launch event for the state of Massachusetts. L. Knife & Son’s craft-focused wholesaler that services all of Massachusetts invited upwards of 4,000 restaurant owners, bar managers, off-premise retailers and media members to a lavish rollout party complete with 1920’s-style flappers, casino games, live music and ice sculptures.
As part of its strategy to improve gross margins, CBA is planning to grow by about 100,000 barrels annually via a contract brewing arrangement with City Brewing in Memphis, Tenn. The multi-year deal is technically an alternating proprietorship, meaning a CBA brewer will be permanently stationed in Memphis to oversee all aspects of the brewing operations.
Truth be told, Anchor Brewing actually introduced one of the very first American IPAs, Liberty Ale, in 1975 and has been selling it ever since. But with consumer recognition for products that more directly display IPA in their names at an all time high, Keith Greggor, Anchor’s CEO, decided that it was time to launch… Read more »
Not long after Ray Daniels launched the Cicerone Certification Program in January 2008, he began to wonder if interest in the beer education platform would ever meet his expectations. “I remember looking at the calendar in August of 2009,” he said. “And I literally said to myself, ‘I wonder who I’m going to work for… Read more »
As reported earlier today, Anheuser-Busch InBev, the country’s largest brewer, has agreed to purchase New York-based Blue Point Brewing Company, a move that reflects the beer giant’s growing interest in the craft segment — and its consumers’ thirst for variety. Exact terms of the Blue Point deal, announced this morning, were not disclosed, but sources… Read more »
