The California beer industry is still in a period of recovery, as total beer volume in the state declined in 2021 for the fourth consecutive year (-1.6%), Chris Shepard, senior editor of Craft Brew News at Beer Marketers’ Insights (BMI), said in his keynote speech last week, kicking off the California Craft Brewers Association’s (CCBA’s) members conference in San Diego.
Hammond Beverage Group (HBG) has struck a deal to acquire North East, Maryland-headquartered Northeast Beverage Corporation. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close June 24, were not disclosed.
A week after the 2022 edition of WWE’s WrestleMania, El Segundo Brewing Company is still feeling the aftershocks of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin crushing Broken Skull American Lagers throughout his first wrestling match in 19 years with a streaming audience in the millions watching.
Another independent canned cocktail maker boarded the “mother ship” last week when Constellation Brands announced the full acquisition of Austin Cocktails. It’s a move that’s in-step with the other global beverage companies picking up fast-growing RTD producers — but observers in the industry caution that the deal may not be the harbinger future RTD acquisitions.
The open rate of bars and restaurants has hit its highest point since on-premise research firm BeerBoard began tracking the pandemic’s effect on the hospitality industry two years ago. “After two consecutive periods at 94%, the open rate (locations open and pouring beer) ticked up to 95% on the weekend,” the company reported.
Boston-headquartered fruited hard seltzer maker Willie’s Superbrew has laid off most of its staff and is considering a sale of the brand, according to Good Beer Hunting.
Molson Coors’ craft beer division leader, Paul Verdu, has exited the company, president of emerging growth Pete Marino announced in a company email yesterday. Verdu’s last day at Molson Coors was Monday.
The Reyes Beer Division is adding to its California map with the planned acquisition of Columbia Distributing’s business in Northern California, the companies announced this evening.
Waterbird Spirits, the Charlottesville, Virginia-headquartered spirits maker, which specializes in canned ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails, is the first beverage-alcohol brand in the country to use resealable lids on 24 oz. single-serve cans, effectively opening up the convenience store channel more widely to spirits-based RTDs.
Constellation Brands executive vice president and beer division chair Paul Hetterich died yesterday at age 59 following “a series of health issues in recent years,” the company announced to wholesalers today.
The Brewers Association (BA) will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter the 2022 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) & BrewExpo America in Minneapolis, the trade association announced Friday.
Two of America’s largest wine and spirits distributors are facing a lawsuit that beverage attorneys say could cause them a painful lesson, and possibly create room for more competition in the wholesale alcohol industry.
Two weeks after a jury sided with Stone Brewing in its trial against Molson Coors, the Escondido, California-headquartered craft brewer is tangled in another trademark infringement lawsuit – this time as the defendant. The founders of Laurelwood Brewing have bought back the distribution and brand rights of the Portland, Oregon-based company from Eugene, Oregon-based Ninkasi Brewing, The Oregonian reported Wednesday.
Wings & Arrow, the brand house of Ashland Hard Seltzer and Villager Spirits canned cocktails, has closed a $10 million funding round, which will help support production of its existing and upcoming beyond beer offerings.
