Yonder Cider and The Source Merge
Washington-based sister cider companies Yonder and The Source have merged into a single entity, founder Caitlin Braam announced.
Braam started both in 2020, with Yonder as a consumer-facing brand and The Source as a business-to-business purveyor of fruit, pressed juice and fermented cider.
“United, we can do so much more,” Braam said in a press release. “When we started, Yonder was a case study for The Source. Proof that you could start a brand with very little startup capital, prove your concept and pursue smart growth. But as both companies have expanded, we’ve realized that with our resources combined, we can support more orchards and farmers, work with more cideries and further support the cider market – all while growing Yonder as a brand.”
Last year, The Source pressed more than 3 million pounds of apples and produced 242,000 gallons of cider, according to the release. About half of that volume was for Yonder, which operates a taproom in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, which it shares with Yakima-headquartered Bale Breaker Brewing.
Yonder’s output increased +240% in 2022 compared to 2021, and Braam expects the cidery to produce 175,000 gallons in 2023.
In addition to Yonder, Wenatchee-based The Source works with 50 cideries, breweries and wineries from coast to coast, “offering everything from single varietals and custom blends to juice and co-packing,” according to the release.
Constellation Brands Positions Itself to Enter Entertainment Business
Constellation Brands and Tastemade Studios have partnered to form a content production studio to create videos for streaming platforms and social media networks, according to a press release.
The “multi-year, multi-million dollar partnership” will focus on Constellation’s wine and spirits portfolio, which includes brands such as Robert Mondavi, the Prisoner, High West Whiskey, Kim Crawford and Ruffino Estates.
The deal is expected to produce:
- “Originals for streamers – the development and sale of original series to streamers;
- Originals for the Tastemade streaming channel: the development and distribution of longform shows, including Street Somm, on Tastemade’s streaming channel;
- Talent, community, content management, and innovation: the development of a tailored approach to curating key brand storytellers and building an engaged community through content and experiences; the architecture of experiential activations, creator and talent partnerships, and platform innovation;
- Native social video content: branded original social video content to drive awareness and increase sales.”
Last week, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced DraftLine, its in-house marketing agency, will launch DraftLine Entertainment in collaboration with production company Sugar23 to create video and audio content for streaming platforms.
Constellation Board Member Jerry Fowden to Retire
Jerry Fowden will retire from Constellation Brands’ board of directors at the end of the term, according to a Form 8-K filed Sunday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commision (SEC).
Fowden notified Constellation of his intent to retire and not seek re-election on March 26, according to the filing. He has been a member of the board since 2010, now serving as chair of the board’s human resources committee and a member of the corporate governance and responsibility committee.
The decision to retire was “not due to any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to its operations, policies, practices or procedures,” according to the filing.
Fowden is the former CEO of Primo Water Corporation (formerly Cott Corporation), a “pure-play water solutions provider,” according to his profile on Constellation’s website. In 2018, after more than nine years as CEO, Fowden transitioned to executive chairman of the board at Primo, a title he held for two years, before becoming chairman of the board in April 2020 – a position he still holds.
Prior to Primo, Fowden held leadership positions at several beverage brands, including Global COO at Anheuser-Busch InBev, COO at UK-based Bass Brewers and sales and marketing director at PepsiCo.
Michael Lynton to Depart Boston Beer Board of Directors in May
Boston Beer Company board director Michael Lynton has notified the company he will not seek reelection at the end of his term, according to a Form 8-K filed Monday with the SEC.
Lynton was appointed to Boston Beer’s board of directors in October 2020, at the same time as Dogfish Head co-founder Sam Calagione. His term will conclude after the company’s 2023 annual stockholder meeting on May 17. The decision was “not due to any disagreements with the company or the board on any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies, or practices,” according to the filing.
No one has yet been nominated to fill the soon-to-be vacant director position, according to the filing.
Lynton has more than 30 years of “senior-level management experience, including extensive experience in consumer marketing, traditional and digital media, and the adoption of new technologies,” according to his profile on the Boston Beer investor relations page. His work history includes leadership positions at Snap, a social media and camera technology company, Sony Entertainment and Time Warner.
Samuel Adams Accepting Applications for 2023 Brewing the American Dream ‘Experienceship’
Samuel Adams’ entrepreneurism-centric philanthropy Brewing the American Dream is accepting applications for its 2023 business and brewing experienceship, an extensive mentoring program for newer craft brewers that culminates in a collaboration beer.
To cap off their 2022 experienceship, Baltimore, Maryland-based Checkerspot Brewing co-founders Judy and Rob Neff brewed a rye IPA with the brewers of the Samuel Adams Boston Taproom. The beer will be available at Samuel Adams’ and Checkerspot’s taprooms.
“Winning Brewing the American Dream’s Experienceship has been better than we could have ever imagined,” Judy Neff said in a press release. “The mentorship from experts across Samuel Adams and The Boston Beer Company is so valuable to a smaller brewery like Checkerspot, at a critical time in our brewery’s growth.”
Applications for the 2023 program are accepted through April 10. Finalists will be invited to the Crafting Dreams Beer Bash, where they will share their stories with the media, slated for this summer in New York City.