Editor’s note: The below news items were initially reported in the Insider version of the Brewbound Newsletter between June 30-July1. Become an Insider today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry.
Urban Chestnut Acquires O’Fallon Brewery Brands
St. Louis-based Urban Chestnut Brewing Company has acquired the beer brands of O’Fallon Brewery, which ceased operations after 24 years at the end of last year.
The move comes on the heels of Urban Chestnut emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with Brian Travers as a key investor. The 15-year-old brewery was mired in lawsuits in recent years.
Urban Chestnut will produce and distribute O’Fallon beers, which will return to the market in August at Urban Chestnut’s Midtown Biergarten and Grove Bierhall, as well as bars, restaurants and off-premise retailers. Among the first beers back will be O’Fallon’s Pumpkin Beer with additional seasonal releases to follow.
“We’re excited to get O’Fallon Pumpkin Beer back on the shelf. It was one of the first seasonal pumpkin beers available in the region years ago, and we’re bringing back this fan favorite in time for fall,” Travers said in the announcement. “Expanding our brewing and distribution capabilities is part of our long-term plan to be a leader in the future of American breweries.”
The company has recently renovated its Midtown Brewery & Biergarten and its Grove Brewery & Bierhall. Additional upgrades are on the way, including production upgrades to offer new products and SKUs.
Athletic Brewing’s 2024 Impact Report
NA-dedicated Athletic Brewing released its first impact report last week, highlighting accomplishments through 2024.
Achievements from the B-Corp certified company’s year include donating $2.3 million to 210 nonprofits, increasing water consumption efficiency by 18.1% and offsetting 7.2 million pounds of CO2 through spent grain initiatives.
Check out the full report here.
Climbing Kites’ Educational Pack
Educating consumers, lawmakers and the general public remains among the biggest hurdles for intoxicating hemp beverage producers.
Iowa-headquartered Climbing Kites is putting in the work to do just that with the release of a consumer-focused handbook, The Beginners Guide to THC Beverages, to better help consumers understand intoxicating hemp beverages, with sections such as “Decoding Dosages, Breaking Down the Buzz and Know Before You Flow.”
Additionally, the company has released a Kitetails handbook and companion website stuffed with cocktail recipes using the sparkling waters.
Climbing Kites recently sent me a package with 4 samples, as well as the Kitetails handbook and a booklet laying out the company’s brand story. It’s a beautiful presentation and both books are high quality. The Kitetails handbook has step-by-step instructions for everything you need and how to do it, which is helpful for an intoxicating hemp beverage novice like me.
Peroni Gets Slushified
Molson Coors’ and its Italian beer brand Peroni Nastro Azzurro are trying to help consumers beat the heat this summer with Peroni Italian Beer Ice.
The (up to) 5% ABV frozen treat is inspired by Italian ice and was created in partnership with celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis and Tipsy Scoop.
The offering is available DTC for $49. Or, consumers can try making it at home with a DIY recipe that includes ice, lemon juice, lemon syrup, mint leaves and, of course, a Peroni.
Read more details in the press release.
Parting Shot
$9.97 Busch Light 24-Pack July 4 Deal … with Meat Purchase
24-packs of Busch Light are going for the low price of $9.97 with a $6.01 meat purchase at the Hyvee in Grimes, Iowa.
Advertised as the “lowest price in town,” the deal might be even hard to beat at $15.97 each (a $6.51 discount) without a stop in the meat department.
The Busch family, thanks to an assist from Bapple (Busch Light Apple), is among A-B’s top growth brands. YTD through June 16, the Busch family is up 4.2% in dollars, to more than $870.5 million, and growing volume 1.7% in off-premise retailers tracked by Circana.