San Marcos, Texas-based AquaBrew and Austin, Texas-based ShotGun Spiked Seltzer announced a merger agreement Tuesday.

Pro Football Hall of Famer and color commentator Troy Aikman has joined a new team, this time in the beer industry. Aikman and a crew of industry veterans are launching Eight, a lager brewed with organic grains that checks in at 4% ABV, 90 calories and 2.6 grams of carbs.

Of the 25 best-selling new brands last year, 20 are hard seltzers, according to NielsenIQ data shared by BWC. The top five include Mark Anthony Brands’ White Claw variety pack No. 3, Boston Beer Company’sTruly Punch variety pack, Truly Iced Tea variety pack, Molson Coors Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and Mark Anthony’s Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer variety pack.

Molson Coors has launched a new flavor for its Topo Chico Hard Seltzer brand: Ranch Water.

As the broader beer industry continues to grapple with the fallout from an outpouring of stories of sexual harassment and misogyny, one of the largest beer makers in the U.S. has entered 2022 with a series of sexually suggestive tweets as part of an anti-Dry January campaign.

While the COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated growth for ready-to-drink canned cocktails (RTDs) over the last two years, alcohol delivery platform Drizly said the segment is more than “a pandemic-driven fad” and has the potential to drive retail sales.

The National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA) monthly survey of distributors’ beer purchasing behaviors recorded its highest December reading ever last month. However, the downward trend in hard seltzer and FMB purchasing continued as 2021 came to an end.

Nashville, Tennessee-based Bearded Iris Brewing Co. has joined the Independent Brewers Union (IndieBrew), the craft tie-up pioneered by Atlanta-headquartered Scofflaw Brewing.

Mary Guiver, Whole Foods global senior category merchant for beer and spirits, and Jason Murphy, Buffalo Wild Wings beverage product and program innovation manager, joined together on stage for the first time at Brewbound Live in Santa Monica, California, earlier this month to discuss what they’re looking for from suppliers in 2022.

On the final Brewbound podcast of 2021, managing editor Jess Infante and reporter Zoe Licata discuss the top 10 most-read Brewbound stories of the year, including several stories on the incidents of misconduct, sexual harrassment and discrimination reported throughout the year, and related fallout and resignations.

Foxtrot co-founder and CEO Mike LaVitola discussed the disruptive convenience and delivery chain’s beverage alcohol business and strategy during the Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica, California, earlier this month.

As 2021 comes to a close, AleSmith Brewing Company is investing $1.75 million in brewery and equipment upgrades to continue production growth and new innovation launches in 2022.

Brewbound readers in 2021 sought out news about fallout from the revelation of widespread gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment, the ups and downs of the hard seltzer segment, mergers and acquisitions and the crunched supply chain.

New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer and Bell’s Brewery EVP Carrie Yunker wrapped up Day One of Brewbound Live 2021 in Santa Monica, California, to discuss what comes next, following the sale of Bell’s to New Belgium’s parent company, Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages.