In this week’s Last Call, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild petitions against taproom bill; Sierra Nevada looks to breakaway from Nevada wholesaler; CBA responds to Kona lawsuit; and much more.
Stone Brewing Company got off to a self-proclaimed “epic” start in the first quarter of 2017, reporting growth of 18 percent through the first three months of the year.
CBA finds success with Kona; MillerCoors expands the footprint of its Tenth and Blake brands; and A-B InBev’s craft portfolio helps elevate its revenue per hectoliter.
Less than two years after purchasing a 50 percent stake in California and Chicago-based craft beer maker Lagunitas, Heineken International today announced it was coming back for the other half of the fast-growing U.S. craft brewery. Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, however the remaining 50 percent stake could be worth about $500 million, based on a previous valuation of the Lagunitas business.
Just days before U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) enforcement of new menu-labeling regulations was set to begin, the government agency has once again postponed imposition of the rules — this time until 2018. The new rules — which would require restaurants and foodservice establishments with more than 20 locations to disclose the caloric value and supplementary health criteria of beer, as well as other food and drinks, sold on-premise — were supposed to take effect on May 5, 2017.
Nearly 18 months after inking a deal to produce beer on behalf of Pabst Brewing, Craft Brew Alliance today announced that the two companies had terminated their agreement.
Anheuser-Busch InBev significantly bolstered its High End division’s craft and import portfolio today when it announced plans to purchase one of the most acclaimed producers of sour, barrel-aged and hoppy beers in the U.S. — North Carolina’s Wicked Weed Brewing. In the five years since it launched from a small brewpub in downtown Asheville, Wicked Weed has claimed numerous World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival medals, scaled production to roughly 20,000 barrels, built three additional brewing facilities spanning a cumulative 150,000 sq. ft., grown to 210 employees and expanded distribution into 10 states and Washington D.C.
Anheuser-Busch InBev is making its first U.S. craft brewery purchase of 2017, today announcing the acquisition of North Carolina’s Wicked Weed Brewing. Specific financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed and the deal is subject to regulatory approval.
Georgia’s Scofflaw Brewing is on its way to having one of the most successful launches in craft beer history. After selling more than 8,500 barrels of beer in just nine months, the Atlanta-based craft brewery said it would install three 90-barrel fermentation tanks and a 90-barrel brite tank, boosting its maximum capacity to about 14,000 barrels annually.
When it came to winning a James Beard award, seven was indeed the lucky number for Dogfish Head Craft Brewery founder Sam Calagione. Every year since 2011, Calagione has been nominated for the Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional in the prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards and, yesterday, he finally claimed a victory.
The continued proliferation of brewery-owned retail outposts was the topic of discussion during the annual National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) legislative conference, held Monday in Washington, D.C. Weighing in on the growing impact that taprooms are having across all three tiers of the beer industry were Craig Purser, the CEO of the NBWA; Bob Pease, the CEO of the Brewers Association; and John Bodnovich, the executive director of American Beverage Licensees.
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is welcoming back two familiar faces. The Delaware-headquartered beer company last week announced that former brewmaster Bryan Selders and former projects engineer Brian Hollinger would return to Dogfish after stints at other U.S. breweries.
Two key Pabst Brewing Company executives were laid off this week as part of an organizational shuffle led by newly appointed CEO Simon Thorpe, who joined the company last December. Rich Pascucci, who had served as Pabst’s chief growth officer since January 2016, and Bruce Muenter, who had served as chief sales officer since January 2015, were informed Wednesday that their positions had been eliminated
In this week’s Last Call, the FDA moves to delay menu-labeling regulations; a look at the aftermath of Maryland brewers’ reform efforts; North Carolina’s self-distribution fight continues; and more.
