Beltway Brewing to Close After More Than a Decade
Sterling, Virginia-based Beltway Brewing Company has ceased production and placed its brewery up for sale after operating for more than a decade.
The decision to close was “less the result of missed opportunities,” but rather “macroeconomic factors facing the brewing industry” and the “commercial real estate market” in Loudoun County, Beltway founder Sten Sellier said in a post on social channels Wednesday.
“When you decide to start a brewery, you always know that one day you’ll brew your last batch, but you never expect it to be the one you just brewed,” Sellier said. “Unfortunately for Beltway Brewing, that time has come.”
Founded in 2011, Beltway has operated out of its facility on Davis Drive since 2013. The brewery’s 10-year lease at the location expired this year, and the building was taken over by a new owner, DC Beer reported. While Beltway had begun negotiations for a short-term lease, the “recent hurdles” changed plans.
Beltway’s taproom will remain open through “at least January” so the brewery can go through its remaining inventory. The brewery has been listed for sale with New MIll Capital, according to DC Beer.
2 Los Angeles Breweries Close
Mumford Brewing in downtown Los Angeles and King Harbor Brewing in Redondo Beach both closed over the last couple of weeks, according to LA Eater.
Mumford closed last weekend, with the brewery announcing its final days in an Instagram post.
“The last few years have been tough on the business and hard on the industry in general,” the company wrote. “At this point, we have made the hard choice to shut our doors. It has been a wild 7 1/2 years since we opened and we truly appreciate the people that have supported us along the way, our customers, our staff, the breweries we have collaborated with and everyone who helped along the way. We want to thank our friends and family for their support and acknowledge that it was truly a team effort. We started this journey over 10 years ago and have made many incredible memories along the way.”
Even as the company has closed, Mumford said its brewer might sporadically open the doors as it winds down operations over the next month since the company has “fresh beer in the tank.” Additionally, the company said its space will be available for pop-ups and private events.
Mumford produced 1,295 barrels of beer in 2021, according to the Brewers Association (BA).
Meanwhile, King Harbor announced the day after Christmas that the final days for the brewery’s three locations would be December 31.
“Thank you for supporting us for the last 8 years,” the company wrote. “It has been a wild ride, but the time has come to close the doors for good. We will be open through the 31st (brewery opens Wednesday, Village and Waterfront today). We hope to see everyone this week and give a proper goodbye.”
In 2021, King Harbor produced 1,100 barrels of beer, the BA reported.
Fountain Square Brewing to Continue Under New Ownership
Fountain Square Brewing will continue to operate under new ownership – a familiar face to the Indianapolis-based brewery.
Fountain Square head brewer and general manager Beppe Cuello and his wife Dama, backed by two investors, have made an offer to buy the brewery, which has been accepted by owner Daryl Starr, IndyStar reported. The deal is expected to close January 15.
Fountain Square will close while the transaction is finalized, but is scheduled to reopen in mid-to-late January.
The fate of 11-year-old Fountain Square has been up in the air for several weeks, after Starr informed employees that he would be shifting focus to other business interests. An online auction for the brewery’s assets was scheduled for January 17, Indianapolis Business Journal reported.
Along with pursuing other interests, Starr credited closure of New Day Craft Mead & Cider as one the reasons Fountain Square would have to close. Fountain Square purchased New Day in 2019, but had to cease operations of the brand in August, unable to recover after COVID-19 “decimated sales.”
Cuello has several plans for the brewery, including upgrading equipment, increasing staff pay and holding more taproom events, according to IndyStar. Additionally, there are plans to make the brewery employee-owned in the future.
Fountain Square was founded in 2011 by Jeff Gibson, Justin Brown and Bill Webster. Starr took over ownership in 2018. The brewery produced 2,225 barrels of beer in 2021, up from 2,050 barrels in 2020, according to the BA.
Lisa Wicker Named First CEO of Lyons Brewing and Distilling; Urban South Hires New Director of Brewing Ops
Lisa Wicker has been named CEO of Lyons Brewing and Distilling Co., the new global beverage businesses that encompasses Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co., Dueling Barrels Brewery & Distillery, Pearse Lyons Distillery and Pearse Lyons Brewery.
Wicker has worked for more than two decades in various bev-alc positions, most recently serving as president and master distiller at Widow Jane Distillery, according to a press release. She started in the new position in November, but the move was announced in mid-December.
Lyons’ businesses are headquartered in Kentucky and Ireland. Wicker will operate out of Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. in Kentucky.
In mid-December, Urban South Brewing hired Chris Rakow as director of brewing operations to oversee its locations in New Orleans and Houston, as well as sister brand Perfect Plain in Florida. Rakow will be tasked with guiding “R&D and recipe formulation” and leading the brewing staff. He brings 14 years of industry experience to Urban South, having worked at Harpoon Brewery, Riverhorse Brewery and Abita Brewing.
Mexican Imports -11.7% in November 2022
Shipments of Mexican beer imports, which account for nearly 80% of all imported shipments, declined -11.7% in November 2022, according to U.S. Department of Commerce and Census Bureau data shared by the Beer Institute (BI).
The decline in Mexican imports led to a -10.4% decline in overall imported shipments in November, a 340,000-barrel decline compared to November 2021. Overall imported shipments totaled more than 2.9 million barrels in November 2022.
“What complicates these trends is that November 2021 was an equally soft month, with trends down -6.1% for total imports,” wrote Danelle Kosmal, BI VP of research. “However, at this time last year, Mexican imports were still in the black, up 2.1% compared to November 2020.
“Despite this downward trend and slowing of growth in recent months, year-to-date shipments remain positive, up 2.7% for the months of January through November of 2022 compared to the same months last year,” she added.
Constellation Brands, which boasts the two largest Mexican import brands, Modelo and Corona, reported a slowdown in Modelo depletions to +4%, compared to its recent trend of double-digit growth, during the company’s Q3 earnings report. Constellation execs attributed the deceleration to fall price increases.
Milwaukee County Parks’ Beer Gardens Generate nearly $2.8 Million in Sales
Beer gardens in Milwaukee County Parks posted a record sales year, generating $2,762,732 in 2022, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.
Milwaukee County Parks’ beer garden program started in 2012, with revenue growing every year except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, sales topped $2.6 million.
Although the beer gardens operate independently, suppliers pay a commission to the parks system. At the Estabrook Beer Garden in Milwaukee, the parks system receives 20% of the gross revenue on alcohol and 10% of the gross revenue on food and non-alcoholic beverages.
Among the biggest revenue generators for the parks system is the South Shore Beer Garden, with an estimated $1,373,905 in revenue in 2022, a slight decline year-over-year (YoY). The South Shore Beer Garden operates throughout the winter.
The parks system also hosts pop-up beer gardens and a pair of traveling beer gardens as part of a 5-year contract with Sprecher Brewing Co. The pop-ups generated $13,102 in revenues in 2022, while the traveling beer gardens generated $484,469 for the parks systems. Sprecher also donated $32,000 to the parks, according to the Business Journal.