Fran Caradonna’s first 15 months at Schlafly Beer maker the Saint Louis Brewery have been eventful, to say the least.

The seasonal beer segment hasn’t received the same double-digit bump that skyrocketing off-premise sales have delivered for the overall craft beer segment, according to market research firm Nielsen.

The National Beer Wholesalers Association’s monthly Beer Purchasers’ Index bounced back from a dismal 35 reading in April to an overall index of 66 in May. Long-time Vermont Cider Co. executive Terry Hopper is exiting the maker of Woodchuck Hard Cider, effective today. And more industry news bites.

A bill with changes to the restrictions on Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans has landed on President Donald Trump’s desk after passing the Senate on Thursday, June 4.

This week on Brewbound Frontlines, National Beer Wholesalers Association chief economist Lester Jones and Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson discuss beer sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, how the summer selling season is shaping up and their projections for the rest of 2020.

Allagash Brewing is planning to roll out several years of innovations over the next three months, founder Rob Tod announced Wednesday. Allagash’s plan is to launch two new core year-round products, including a line of low-calorie, low-alcohol “sparkling session ales” made with fruit called Little Grove and a new stout called North Sky.

Within 24 hours of announcing the Black is Beautiful collaboration beer on Monday, Weathered Souls Brewing co-founder and head brewer Marcus J. Baskerville heard from nearly 100 craft breweries who wanted to participate.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company is retrenching from three more New England states and laying off nine members of its sales team in those states, Brewbound has learned.

The two top beer industry economists will join Brewbound Frontlines Thursday, June 4, to discuss beer sales during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as how the summer selling season is shaping up and their projections for the rest of 2020.

Flying Dog Brewery will keep its brewery taproom shuttered until at least June 2021, when the company will “evaluate the possibility of reopening,” the company announced in a press release. The company cited a need to focus on producing its core offerings, as well as support for its retail accounts.

Athletic Brewing Company and Ceria Brewing Company, two up-and-coming non-alcoholic craft beer companies, are expanding their footprints into several new states.

Off-premise beer category dollar sales topped $1 billion heading into the Memorial Day holiday, according to the latest one-week data shared by market research firm Nielsen.

More than 80% of craft breweries said they have received funding through the Paycheck Protection Program, and those loans are making many of them more confident about the future, according to the Brewers Association’ (BA) latest survey of how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting those businesses.

Braxton Brewing Company finished 2019 as one of the fastest-rising craft breweries in the nation. The Covington, Kentucky-based craft brewery grew its volumes by 96%, to 23,500 barrels, elevating the company to regional brewery status — those producing between 15,000 and 6 million barrels — according to production data released by the Brewers Association. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has dampened the company’s 2020 outlook.