After a decade in business, Kansas’ largest independent craft brewery has found itself squeezed between national brands and taproom-room focused microbreweries — both of which are chipping away at the company’s local market share at a time when the industry has grown hypercompetitive (more than 5,600 U.S. brewing companies are now in operation across the U.S.).

Less than a year after it was acquired by Dutch beer maker Bavaria N.V., Latis Imports has announced plans to mutually end a sales agency agreement with Radeberger Gruppe USA (RGUSA) that began in January 2014. In a press release, Latis Imports, which was founded in 2007 and imports products from Palm Belgian Craft Brewers and Rodenbach, said the partnership with RGUSA would conclude on September 30, 2017.

Rich Pascucci, who most recently served as the chief growth officer for Pabst Brewing Company, has been tapped to help lead Evolution Spirits, makers of Monkey Rum. Pascucci joined Evolution Spirits earlier this month and will serve as its chief growth officer and head of sales. The company was co-founded by television personality Zane Lamprey and is backed by Vita Coco co-founder Mike Kirban, former Vitaminwater CMO Rohan Oza and other notable beverage industry insiders.

After discontinuing its experimental line of “Side Trip” ciders, New Belgium Brewing Company has signed an agreement with Seattle Cider Company to distribute the company’s products throughout the greater Fort Collins, Colorado, market.

Brian “BK” Krueger will join the Boulder, Colorado-headquartered company as director of sales and marketing. Krueger, who has plenty of experience in the Colorado market after a 16-year career as sales executive with New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, will fill the role being left by Dustin LeMoine, who the company is promoting to Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.

A group consisting of four former New England beer wholesalers now own the vast majority of Massachusetts’ Wormtown Brewery. The beer company, which opened in Worcester, Mass. in 2010, today announced that co-founder Tom Oliveri has sold his remaining interest in the brewery to three former beer distribution executives – Richard Clarke, Jay Clarke and Kary Shumway.

It’s been less than two months since the Brewers Association (BA) – a not for profit trade organization representing the interests of small and independent U.S. craft beer companies – unveiled the “independent craft brewer seal,” a special badge aimed at helping member breweries distinguish their beers from those owned by multinational corporations. As of press time, 1,789 breweries had embraced the seal, agreeing to display it across packaging and marketing materials, on websites, and in taproom windows, among other places.

Dick Cantwell has spent the past few days making beer at his new brewing venture — San Francisco’s 20-year-old Magnolia Brewing Company.

Colorado-headquartered New Belgium Brewing Company is said to be opening a taproom at Mohegan Sun next month, according to a press release issued by the Connecticut casino and resort. Meanwhile, Southern California’s The Bruery today announced that it would open a brick-and-mortar store in Washington, D.C., in November.

Green Flash Brewing Co. announced plans today to open a third brewery — this time in the Midwest. The San Diego-headquartered company has acquired a 10,000 sq. ft., 10,000-barrel production facility with a tasting room and restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska.

New data from market research firm Nielsen confirms what many beer executives have long feared: The beer category is continuing to cede sales to wine and spirits. On-premise volume sales of beer over the 52-week period ending June 17 were down more than 2 percent, according to a new Nielsen report outlining the latest beverage alcohol trends.

In the latest Press Clips: Magnolia founder discusses brewery sale; Stone’s Berlin business profiled; Modern Times inches closer to Encinitas taproom; Guinness hires head brewer for Maryland facility; and more.

A handful of notable craft brewery expansions aimed at expanding the availability of small-batch offerings from companies based in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Wisconsin are moving forward.

Nearly a year after launching its “Equity for Punks” USA crowdfunding scheme, Scottish craft beer company BrewDog PLC has announced that it raised $7 million, falling considerably short of a stated $50 million target.