News

Craft beer industry news.

HiJinx Brewing Company Releases First Canned Beers, Plans to Expand Distribution in 2016

Beginning on January 16th, the first two craft beer offerings by HiJinx Brewing Company will be available in cans through distributors, taverns and grocery stores throughout the Lehigh Valley, as well as at the brewery in south Allentown. HiJinx Brewing Company will be canning its “Wicked White” and “Hop Havoc” throughout the next year to increase availability of the beers to both long-time HiJinx fans, as well as newcomers to the brewery’s finely crafted beers.

Craft Brew Alliance and Pabst Brewing Company Announce Brewing Agreement

Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. (“CBA”) (Nasdaq: BREW), a leading craft brewing company, and Pabst Brewing Company (“PBC”), the largest American-owned brewer, announced today that they have entered into a brewing agreement that supports strategic growth objectives for both companies . PBC subsidiary Rainier Brewing Company (“Rainier”) will begin brewing Rainier Pale Mountain Ale, as well as other Rainier brands, at CBA’s brewery in Woodinville, Washington in the spring of 2016. As part of the agreement, PBC has been granted an option to purchase the Woodinville facility at any time during the next three years.

Jester King Installs New Coolship

We have a new coolship at Jester King, as we begin our fourth season of spontaneous fermentation! Our coolship is used to capture airborne yeast and bacteria as the wort cools overnight. The wort then ferments “spontaneously”, meaning that we do not pitch our mixed culture of yeast and bacteria. For us, spontaneous fermentation is the ultimate partnership with nature when it comes to making beer inextricably tied to a particular time and place.

Craft Brew Alliance to Produce for Pabst

Craft Brew Alliance to Produce for Pabst

Two beer companies quickly becoming known for their growing interest in partnerships today announced a tie-up of their own, one that will support the “strategic growth objectives for both companies.” In a joint statement, Craft Brew Alliance and Pabst Brewing, Rainier Brewing Company’s parent, today announced a brewing arrangement that will bring production of a new Rainier product back to the Pacific Northwest for the first time in 13 years. The arrangement is slated to commence in the second quarter of this year.

Portland Brewing Debuts Raise the Roost

For Portland Brewing, a new year means a new beer, and if Raise the Roost is any indication, 2016 is sure to excite. Brewed with a special strain of Belgian yeast, this Belgian-style Red Ale is a unique take on the traditionally popular springtime beer. You don’t have to wait until spring to enjoy the new brew — Raise the Roost debuts mid-January.

First Beverage Group Acts as Financial Advisor to Breckenridge Brewery

First Beverage Financial, the investment banking arm of First Beverage Group, announced that it acted as the financial advisor to Colorado’s Breckenridge Brewery in its agreement to sell to The High End, the craft business unit of Anheuser-Busch. Terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of the year, were not disclosed.

Hangar 24 to Release New IPA

Hangar 24 is releasing a new IPA that will serve as a core brand, with a lower ABV for the days one relaxes with friends and family. The brewery is also pleased to announce and new name for its popular honey DIPA, Iconic Double IPA, which maintains the same recipe. Iconic will also be available in 6 packs.

Idle Hands Craft Ales Expands Massachusetts Distribution with Craft Collective

From the time we started our little nanobrewery in Everett up through now, we’ve always handled the distribution of our beers. It was partly because we enjoyed having the personal relationships with our retail customers and partly out of necessity, brewing the small quantity of beer that we did. Lately, we’ve been hearing that you wish our beer was a little bit easier to find, particularly since our brewery tasting room is currently defunct.

U.S. Dietary Guidelines Includes Favorable Language For Beer Industry Stakeholders

U.S. Dietary Guidelines Includes Favorable Language For Beer Industry Stakeholders

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture yesterday released the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines, issued every five years, are “designed to help Americans eat a healthier diet,” and could help shape future federal nutrition policies.

Expansion Announcements Abound in Early 2016

Expansion Announcements Abound in Early 2016

Only eight days into 2016 and already there’s an onslaught of brewery expansions to report. On the heels of a year in which craft volume sales grew more than 18 percent, according to research firm IRI Worldwide, at least eight notable U.S. breweries have announced plans to scale their operations, in some cases making large multi-million dollar bets on the rising consumer demand for craft beer.

MadTree Brewing Embarks on $18 Million Expansion

MadTree Brewing announced this week that it is beginning work on a new $18M production brewery, taproom, and event center in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Oakley, about one mile away from its current location. They will renovate the former RockTenn building, an obsolete brownfield manufacturing facility, located at 3301 Madison Avenue allowing them to more than quadruple their production. The new brewery and taproom will serve as an anchor for the Oakley business district.

Jester King to Begin Farming

We are very excited to announce that Jester King has purchased fifty-eight acres of beautiful Hill Country land surrounding the brewery! Our plan is to conserve the natural beauty of the land, so as to prevent it from ever becoming yet another residential subdivision, while at the same time working with our new natural surroundings to make Jester King one of the world’s leading destinations for artisan foods, beverages, goods, and all things fermentation.

Asheville’s Burial Beer Expands with Second Location

In conjunction with the Buncombe County Commission, Asheville City Council, and the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County (EDC), Burial Beer Co. announced today it will create 17 new jobs and invest $1.8 million for its second brewing facility and tasting room in Asheville.