Greg Koch Muses on Life After Stone in Farewell Post

Greg Koch Muses on Life After Stone in Farewell Post

In a nearly 2,500-word missive that opened with quotes from Metallica and Roman poet Heraclitus, Stone Brewing co-founder Greg Koch – one of the craft beer industry’s staunchest advocates for independence – reflected on what the sale of his company to Japanese brewing giant Sapporo means for his future… without ever typing the word “Sapporo.”

Industry Veterans InvestBev Look for Spirits for the Masses

Industry Veterans InvestBev Look for Spirits for the Masses

Brian Rosen doesn’t want to invest in your vodka flavored with sriracha or lemon peel and cumin. The lifelong beverage entrepreneur and advisor is channeling his experience into growing spirit brands that instead have wide appeal, and he’s adding strategic capital through InvestBev, an investment firm focused on adult-beverage brands, raw distillate, beverage technology and cannabis.

Modern Times: Court Records Replay Heated Auction, Illustrate Brewery’s Expenses

Modern Times: Court Records Replay Heated Auction, Illustrate Brewery’s Expenses

Court records filed in the wake of last Friday’s auction for San Diego craft brewery Modern Times give a closer look at bidding play-by-play, and the tension between qualified bidders MTD Asset Acquisition and BX MT BAMF LLC. Earlier this week, MTD (the group referred to during the auction as North Carolina brewery Tru Colors), whose $20.1 million bid was not accepted as the winning bid, filed an objection to the sale of Modern Times to BX MT (an affiliate of Brewery X in Anaheim), and submitted a new bid of $21 million. MTD claims priority was given to Brewery X’s bid due to its inclusion of a shorter closing period, despite what it believes was a previous guarantee that such conditions would not be weighted in choosing a winning bid. Those efforts caused a federal judge to table a hearing Monday set to confirm the sale of the brewery.

Out of the Box: How Grisa Soba Built Flaviar Into A Digital Spirits Hub

Out of the Box: How Grisa Soba Built Flaviar Into A Digital Spirits Hub

In his own words, Grisa Soba has “always been a contrarian and tried to do things differently.” That approach has taken Flaviar, the spirits enthusiast membership club Soba launched in 2012 from a simple tasting box format to one of the largest clubs of its kind serving the U.S. and EU. Before moving into digital… Read more »

Bang Announces Split from PepsiCo

Bang Announces Split from PepsiCo

After a year-and-a-half of high tension and muted sales, Bang Energy says it has officially ended its distribution partnership with PepsiCo. The Florida-based brand, a subsidiary of VPX Pharmaceuticals, announced in a brief press release today that “all disputes with PepsiCo have been fully settled and resolved” effective immediately and that the brand will return to DSD distribution through a number of new partnerships.

Brewbound Podcast: A Plot Twist in the Modern Times Auction

Brewbound Podcast: A Plot Twist in the Modern Times Auction

Modern Times finally hit the auction block, but the winning bid of $20 million from an affiliate of Anaheim, California-based Brewery X has been disputed by MTD Asset Acquisition. The Brewbound team also discusses developments in the trademark infringement lawsuit between Stone and Molson Coors and Mass. Bay Brewing’s acquisition of Long Trail Brewing.

Drizly: Light Lager Seeing Resurgence on E-Commerce Platform

Drizly: Light Lager Seeing Resurgence on E-Commerce Platform

Light lager continues to increase share on Drizly, clawing back share losses to hard seltzer over the past two years, according to the e-commerce alcohol delivery platform in its latest BevAlc Insights report.

Teamsters Members Strike in Pennsylvania

Teamsters Members Strike in Pennsylvania

Members of Teamsters Local 830 have been on strike at three Philadelphia-area beer wholesalers since Sunday. The union – which represents drivers, warehouse and production workers and sales and marketing professionals – established picket lines at Muller Inc. and Origlio Beverage in Philadelphia and Hatfield-based Penn Beer Sales & Service after members voted unanimously to strike following the rejection of a contract proposal from Delaware Valley Importers Distribution Association, which represents the wholesalers.