Editor’s Note: The below news items were initially reported in the Insider version of the Brewbound Newsletter between August 20-22. Become an Insider today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry.
Stateside Pens Major Naming Deal at Philly Sports Hub
Stateside Brands (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) – the parent company of Surfside, a leading brand in the spirits-based hard tea and lemonade segment – has penned a deal to rebrand Philadelphia’s entertainment hub from Xfinity Live! to Stateside Live!
The venue, located in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, is within a short distance to Lincoln Financial Field (home of the NFL’s Eagles), Citizens Bank Park (home of the MLB’s Phillies) and Xfinity Mobile Arena (home of the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Flyers).
Stateside’s naming rights partnership is expected to go into effect this fall. Other expansions and improvements at the complex are anticipated to be completed in 2026, in time for the FIFA World Cup (June 11-July 19) and MLB All-Star Game (July 14).
Stateside Brands president Matt Quigley said in a press release: “If you really look at the epicenter of our growth, it is rooted in Philadelphia, but particularly Philly sports. We built our following one sporting event at a time, over a decade of tailgates and supporting our teams. This naming rights partnership is a full-circle crowning moment, and we look forward to many more years of building upon the excitement and privilege it is to be a fan in Philadelphia.”
Live! Hospitality & Entertainment VP of operations Tony Monaco added: “Stateside is a quality brand with a deep connection to Philadelphia and a strong understanding of the market. As we look to the future of Stateside Live! and completing our expansion, we couldn’t be more excited to bring this unique and homegrown naming rights partnership to the city and continue delivering a world-class hospitality and entertainment experience for our millions of guests each year.”
People Moves: Marcus Baskerville Joins Windmills Craftworks
Black is Beautiful creator Marcus Baskerville is joining Windmills Craftworks Dallas as brewmaster, he announced Wednesday on LinkedIn.
Last year, Baskerville exited Weathered Souls Brewing, the San Antonio brewery he helped found and where he launched the Black is Beautiful initiative, and launched Fresh Consulting. Weathered Souls shut down last September after failing to bring on new equity partners.
Windmills is a brewery, restaurant and live music venue located in Dallas suburb The Colony.
Highland Brewing Donates $13,580 to Support Hospitality Workers
Highland Brewing (Asheville, NC) has donated $13,580 to the NC Restaurant & Lodging Association Foundation’s Hospitality Workers Relief Fund, designating funds for the support of hospitality workers in Western North Carolina facing financial hardship.
The donation comes nearly a year after North Carolina and surrounding states were devastated by Hurricane Helene, which resulted in numerous fatalities and the destruction of several businesses.
The funds were raised through Highland’s Thirst for Good campaign, launched earlier this summer. In its inaugural round, the campaign collected proceeds from Highland Haze, a 7.4% ABV hazy IPA initially available exclusively on draft.
Highland president and CEO Leah Wong Ashburn wrote: “We’ve never released a beer solely on draft but we did it because it best connected the fundraising to the people it can benefit, Our sales team loved bringing this beer and this cause to our market, and the beer is undeniably delicious.”
Highland expanded Highland Haze into package this month, available in 19.2 oz. single-serve cans, 6-packs and in an IPA-dedicated variety pack.
Learn more about Highland Haze at the 4:45-minute mark in this interview with CEO Leah Wong Ashburn, who was named Person of the Year in the 2024 Brewbound Awards for her leadership in the aftermath of Helene.
Tilray Brands Requests Extension to Meet Listing Requirements
Tilray Brands has requested an extension on its deadline to regain Nasdaq compliance, the company announced last week.
As reported in March, Tilray’s stock is at risk of being delisted as it failed to maintain a minimum bid price of $1 per share for more than 30 consecutive days. The company was initially given a September 21 deadline to become compliant and record a closing stock price of $1 for at least 10 consecutive days.
It remains to be seen if Tilray will need the extension, as its stock has been steadily rising over the past 2 weeks, and has remained above $1 since August 13.
Tilray CEO Irwin Simon said in a press release on August 14: “We are pleased to see investors more accurately recognizing the intrinsic value of our differentiated business portfolio. Tilray has multiple options to meet Nasdaq’s requirements, and with this extension request, we are giving the market additional time to demonstrate its confidence in our long-term strategy.”
Stony Creek Waterfront Facility Price Revealed
New England Brewing Co. (NEBCO) paid $6.1 million for Stony Creek Brewery’s waterfront facility, Harford Business reported, citing land records.
The deal closed on July 18. NEBCO will move its headquarters to the facility, which will increase its brewing capacity by 50%. Read Brewbound’s previous coverage of the deal here.
Kansas Bureau of Investigation Claims Hemp-Derived THC Beverages Break State Law
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issued a notice earlier this week stating that THC-infused beverages are prohibited by state law.
The agency wrote: “THC-infused beverages are hemp products intended for human consumption, and retailers, distributors, and manufacturers of THC-infused beverages bear the risk of ensuring their products meet any narrow exceptions to the prohibition and sale of these products.”
The notice follows the KBI and Kansas attorney general’s office warning they will crack down on THC-infused beverages.
KSNT quoted KBI Director Tony Mattivi in late July, starting: “These drinks are illegal, and the reason they’re illegal is because of the amount of THC that’s in them. The amount of THC that is in these drinks is well over the 0.3% that’s allowed by Kansas Law. So, whether they’re hemp-derived or not, and the packaging that I’ve seen doesn’t have anything on it that indicates that the product is hemp-derived, but that’s really irrelevant because the concentration is so high.”
It’s Pumpkin Season, Whether You Like It Or Not
Ready or not, fall beer season has arrived. At least, it has at this Blanchards in West Roxbury, MA, which has already put out a spooky display to promote Shipyard Pumpkinhead – beating out the annual return of Starbucks’ pumpkin spice lattes (don’t worry Justin, that’s next week).
As you can see in the above screenshot, not everyone is enthusiastic about the return of pumpkin beers before the official end of summer. That day doesn’t come until September 22, and you can bet I will be holding onto these last 31 days with everything I have.
However, historic trends suggest now may actually be late into fall beer season, according to comments made last year by NBWA chief economist and VP of analytics Lester Jones. In 2024, fall beer depletions peaked during Week 30 (beginning July 22), Jones shared, citing wholesaler invoice data from Fintech.
By “actual” fall, seasonals were the largest “style” contributor to craft beer dollar sales declines, making up 27% of the segment’s total losses in NIQ-tracked of-premise channels (L13W through November 2), 3 Tier Beverages noted in our November 2024 3 Up 3 Down report.
Of course, summer seasonals have their own pressures. The overall craft seasonal segment – the second largest craft beer style – has recorded double-digit declines in both dollar sales (-10%) and volume (-11.2%) year-to-date in NIQ-tracked channels through July 12.