Steve Crandall, the co-founder of Devils Backbone Brewing Company, has died at the age of 64, nearly three years after being diagnosed with cancer.

The Yuengling Company LLC, the joint venture formed last year between D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. (DGY) and Molson Coors Beverage Company, announced it will enter the Texas market this fall through Molson Coors-aligned wholesalers.

Dogfish Head Miami will open May 21, occupying the Wynwood taproom previously housing Boston Beer subsidiary Concrete Beach Brewery, which closed in September 2020.

New hard seltzer offerings continue to play a “vital role” in driving growth of the booming segment, while several core SKUs keep “churning out growth,” Bump Williams Consulting found in the firm’s latest analysis of the $4.1 billion and climbing hard seltzer segment.

The average price for a case of beer sold in off-premise retail chains has increased $1.32, to $26.47 year-to-date through April 18, compared to the same period last year, according to data shared by market research firm IRI. Segments with the biggest price bumps in 2021 include cider (+$1.76 per case, to $43.27), flavored malt beverages (+$1.28 per case, to $35.55) and imports (+$1 per case, to $33.36).

Cannabis firms Tilray, Inc. and Aphria, Inc. announced today the completion of their previously agreed upon merger, creating what they say will be “the world’s largest global cannabis company.”

Legal drinking age New Jerseyans who get their first dose of one of the available vaccines can show their vaccination card at one of 13 participating breweries across the state for a complimentary beer. The Brewers Guild of New Jersey collaborated with the state on the “Shot and a Beer” program, part of the larger “Operation Jersey Summer,” which aims to vaccinate 4.7 million New Jerseyans by June 30.

With projections predicting continued segment growth for RTDs, anyone looking to enter the space will face a competitive landscape. But by studying brands who have either launched during the pandemic or have weathered the storm without faltering, there are plenty of opportunities for new premixed canned cocktails to thrive.

Registration for the Brewers Association’s (BA) annual Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) and BrewExpo America opens Tuesday, May 4, and the trade group has provided an overview of safety measures for the trade show.

Minnesota brewers’ efforts to remove a ban on growler and beer to-go sales for larger craft breweries have fallen short; meanwhile, legislation that would allow Texas restaurants to continue to sell beer, wine and mixed drinks with takeout orders is now in the hands of Gov. Greg Abbott; and more news from the states.

The Michael James Jackson Foundation (MJF) has awarded five scholarships to beer industry professionals from across the country in what it anticipates will be the first round of many grants to help Black, Indigenous, and people of color advance their education and break into the brewing and distilling industries.

Molson Coors Beverage Company CEO Gavin Hattersley admitted that the first quarter of 2021 “was not the quarter we expected to have,” during a conference call for investors and analysts Thursday. The combined effects of a cyber security attack taking down many of its internal systems, a winter storm suspending operations at its Texas brewery and prolonged on-premise shutdowns in Europe added up to a 9.7% decline in Q1 net sales, to $1.89 billion.

The first Brew Talks virtual event of 2021 will explore the growth of so-called fourth-category offerings, which includes hard seltzers, ready-to-drink canned cocktails, hard tea and more in the beer space.

Suzie’s Brewery, maker of Suzie’s Organic Hard Seltzer, and Anheuser-Busch InBev agreed earlier this week to settle the Oregon company’s lawsuit against the world’s largest beer manufacturer for allegedly engaging in deceptive advertising practices for its Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer brand.