The latest snapshot of beer category health is out. Market research firm IRI Worldwide, which tracks category-wide sales trends at off-premise retailers, reported yesterday that dollar sales of beer at multi-outlet and convenience stores were up 1.5 percent through March 25.
Less than two weeks after Chicago’s Revolution Brewing announced a deal for a branded taproom at Guaranteed Rate Field, Anheuser-Busch-owned Goose Island, also based in the Windy City, has inked a multi-year deal to become the “official craft beer” of the Chicago White Sox.
Boston-area craft beer maker Castle Island Brewing is doubling down on its home market, today announcing a multi-year agreement for a seasonal beer garden located just three miles from the brewery’s namesake landmark at a recently developed site known as Underground at Ink Block.
In an effort to capture a growing contingent of consumers who are drinking both beer and spirits during a night out, Anheuser-Busch and Beam Suntory have inked a multi-faceted cross-merchandising program and collaborative brewing project. As part of the partnership, the two companies, via their flagship Budweiser and Jim Beam Brands, will “begin appearing together at bars and retail venues across the country,” according to a press release.
For the second consecutive year, U.S. craft beer exports grew in the low-single digits. However, growth of international shipments has slowed considerably as the export market has matured and competition from brewers in those foreign markets has increased. The Brewers Association (BA) announced Tuesday that U.S. craft beer exports grew 3.6 percent, to 482,309 barrels, in 2017.
Brewbound today announced its speaker lineup for the upcoming Brew Talks meetup, taking place May 1, in Nashville, Tennessee, during the 35th edition of the Craft Brewers Conference. The industry-only event, presented by Dogfish Head, will feature two thought-provoking panel discussions on the state of beer marketing and retailing.
Following weeks of uncertainty about the future of Green Flash Brewing, the San Diego-based craft beer company today announced that it has finalized a sale to a new investor group. In a note sent to Green Flash Brewing shareholders, posted by various outlets, founder and CEO Mike Hinkley said the brewery’s primary lender, Comerica Bank, had “foreclosed on its loans” and sold the company’s assets to WC IPA LLC via a foreclosure sale.
After raising more than $6 million from investors over the last five years, Sonoma Cider has ceased operations at its production facility and taproom in Northern California, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported. In a statement issued to the Press Democrat, Sonoma Cider co-founder and CEO David Cordtz said the Healdsburg-based maker of hard cider products “suddenly and without warning” lost its investor funding and closed as of March 28.
The maker of Samuel Adams is wading deeper into the taproom business. The Boston Beer Company — which makes and markets a variety of beer, cider and FMB products — today announced plans to open a 9,000 sq. ft. taproom just steps away from its current Cincinnati production facility.
Anheuser-Busch InBev today announced a voluntary recall in the U.S. and Canada of a “limited” number of Stella Artois bottles that may contain glass particles due to a packaging defect.
Another chapter in the story of Green Flash Brewing’s distressed financial situation was written today as the San Diego-based company announced plans to close its Cellar 3 barrel-aging facility and taproom in Poway, California.
Dogfish Head is set to introduce a functional new variety pack, co-developed with packaging supplier WestRock, that will instantly transform into a leak-proof cooler with just a few scoops of ice. Called the “Off-Center Your Summer Pack,” the new SKU, which will retail for as much as $22 in some markets, will feature four varieties of beer – 60 Minute IPA, SeaQuench Ale, Lupu-Luau IPA and Namaste White – and include a custom Dogfish Head koozie.
Over the last two years, brewery-owned taprooms and satellite retail outposts have emerged as both lucrative profit centers for emerging craft beer makers and an opportunities to deliver unique experiences to thirsty consumers. But as the number of taprooms has grown, so too have concerns about their impact on the three-tier system.
Constellation Brands reported its fiscal-year 2018 earnings on Thursday, which were highlighted by a 3 percent increase in total net sales, to more than $7.6 billion. Net sales of Constellation Brands’ beer brands — including Mexican import labels Corona, Modelo and Pacifico as well as craft breweries Ballast Point and Funky Buddha — increased 10.1 percent, to about $4.7 billion.
