The lifestyle shifts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 will endure in 2021, IRI’s Boris Oglesby shared during the latest edition of Brewbound Data Club.

Matagrano, Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. alleging the Chico-headquartered craft brewery breached the companies’ contract when it terminated its relationship with the South San Francisco-based wholesaler on April 2. In a lawsuit filed in Superior Court of the state of California on April 23, 20 years to the day after Sierra Nevada signed on with Matagrano for distribution, the wholesaler alleged that “as a result of defendant’s breach of the distributorship agreement, Matagrano has been damaged in an amount not yet ascertained, but which exceeds $8 million.”

White Claw Hard Seltzer and Mike’s Hard Lemonade maker Mark Anthony Brands has filed a lawsuit against Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bang Energy LLC alleging copyright infringement in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York. In the lawsuit filed April 26, Mark Anthony argues that the defendants’ MIXX flavored malt beverages infringe on its MXD Cocktail Company flavored malt beverages and may cause consumer confusion.

The National Beer Wholesaler Association’s (NBWA) annual legislative conference reconvened, albeit virtually, a year after the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event.

With vaccines now available to all adults, governors are beginning to roll back the restrictions placed on bars and restaurants aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Construction is moving forward at Tree House Brewing Company’s future taproom, beer garden and retail outlet in Sandwich, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, despite opposition from a group of neighbors. “Progress is brisk and we are looking forward to opening as soon as possible and welcoming neighbors and the public into our brewery in Sandwich,” Tree House co-founder and head brewer Nathan Lanier told Brewbound.

Two Robbers Hard Seltzer has raised $6 million in a Series A funding round led by New York-based Brand Foundry Ventures. The company has plans to add six new markets to its footprint: Maryland, Virginia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington, D.C.

California craft brewers had a rougher 2020 than the overall industry, as in-state volume production declined 11% compared to 9% nationwide, Brewers Association (BA) chief economist Bart Watson reported last week during his presentation at the California Craft Brewers Association’s spring summit.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has forged a master distributor agreement with Canteen Spirits, while its growth and innovation arm ZX Ventures has made an investment in the 2-year-old ready-to-drink canned cocktail brand.

After initial projections that the hard seltzer segment would grow at a rate of 70-100%, Boston Beer CEO Dave Burwick said the expectation is now in the 60-90% range, with Truly outpacing the segment.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s global investment and innovation group ZX Ventures has announced a research-and-development partnership with animal-free protein maker Clara Foods.

Boston Beer Company’s torrid run driven by Truly Hard Seltzer and Twisted Tea continued into the first quarter of 2021. Through the first 13 weeks of 2021, Boston Beer — whose brands include Samuel Adams, Truly Hard Seltzer, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Twisted Tea and Angry Orchard — reported a 48% increase in depletions and a 60.1% increase in shipments.

The first panel of the day, starting at 3 p.m. ET, will reconvene several panelists from the April 2020 Brew Talks to reflect on the pandemic, one year later and the path forward.

Allagash Brewing has launched a pair of recycling programs as part of the Portland, Maine-headquartered craft brewery’s commitment to sustainability.