Just in time for “Dry January,” Brooklyn Brewery will launch the next offering within its fast-growing non-alcoholic beer line Special Effects. The New York craft brewery today officially announced the addition of an IPA to the Special Effects portfolio to go along with Hoppy Amber.
The nation’s supply of carbon dioxide is expected to be able to meet brewers’ needs, even as the dry ice industry’s demand increases for the shipment and storage of COVID-19 vaccines. “There is enough capacity in the system to meet the 5% we’re anticipating that the dry ice needs will increase by,” CGA president and CEO Rich Gottwald told Brewbound.
San Diego-based Societe Brewing is moving wholesaler networks in California. Effective January 4, Societe’s offerings will be distributed by Stone Distributing throughout Southern California, Brewbound has learned.
On-premise retail sales will not rebound to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, Brewers Association (BA) chief economist Bart Watson shared yesterday in a webinar for members of the trade group. “The on-premise is not fully going to recover next year,” he said.
An up-and-coming hard seltzer brand focused on Asian fruit flavors has won the 2020 edition of Brewbound’s Pitch Slam Competition, presented by Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Brewers Collective craft division. Lunar Hard Seltzer, a New York-based hard seltzer brand, won the 12th edition of the Pitch Slam competition, which invites entrepreneurs in the alcoholic beverage industry to compete before a panel of industry experts.
The Cincinnati Beverage Company (CinBev) will shift production of its four beer brands — including Christian Moerlein Brewing Company — to an unnamed contract brewing partner. “Right now, this is really about returning to quality, consistency and reliability for us,” chief marketing officer Jodi Woffington told Brewbound.
The BA, which represents the nation’s small and independent brewers, is advocating for several measures at the federal level that would support craft breweries, whose businesses have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the wake of several terminations by a handful of larger beer suppliers over the last two years, a group of California beer wholesalers have launched a new association, the California Family Beer Distributors (CFBD).
Bell’s Brewery has filled out its new distribution map in southern Indiana. The Comstock, Michigan-headquartered craft brewery announced 15 new wholesaler partners, all within Anheuser-Busch’s network of wholesalers in the state.
Middle-tier consolidation continues to chug along, this time in Alabama. Gulf Distributing Holdings in Mobile, the state’s largest beer wholesaler, completed the acquisition of Supreme Beverage Co. in Huntsville on December 4.
Despite claims by Vital Pharmaceuticals/VPX Sports boss Jack Owoc that “terminated means terminated,” PepsiCo can continue to distribute Bang energy drinks until the completion of ongoing dispute between the two parties, according to an emergency arbitration ruling issued on Monday.
Molson Coors Beverage Company is further solidifying its relationship with L.A. Libations by investing in Arriba, a brand of michelada mixers operated by the California-based incubator.
Advancing to the final round of the competition on Thursday, December 10, which will be streamed for free on Brewbound.com and Brewbound’s social media platforms starting at 4 p.m. ET, are five finalists selected by the judging panel.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge nationwide and additional federal financial relief remains in question, brewery and taproom closings — both permanent and temporary — are beginning to build.
