Dogfish Head today announced that it would expand distribution into five new states next year, noting that additional market expansions could also be on tap in 2017. The Delaware-based craft brewery said it would add New Mexico, Minnesota, Missouri, Alabama and West Virginia to its distribution footprint next year.
In this week’s Last Call roundup: Anheuser-Busch InBev sells its stake in Distell Group, evaluates ad-buying strategy and brings Camden Town beers to the U.S. Also, Heineken acquires Punch Taverns and MillerCoors CeO Gavin Hattersley talks to the Chicago Tribune.
Boulevard Brewing Company has hired former Zevia Zero Calorie Soda executive Natalie Gershon as the Kansas City brewery’s new vice president of marketing.
Craft Brew Alliance today announced it has signed a letter of intent to purchase a 24.5 percent stake in Miami upstart Wynwood Brewing Company. The deal, which is valued at less than $30 million, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017.
Pabst Brewing Company has inked its first official U.S. craft partnership, announcing plans today to invest in the marketing, sales and distribution of products from New Holland Brewing. Specific financial terms of deal, which was signed this morning and is slated to begin during the first quarter of next year, were not disclosed.
Ska Brewing yesterday announced that Jason Armstrong, the former national sales director for Stone Brewing, would join the Colorado-headquartered craft brewery as a sales representative in Texas.
Schlafly Beer co-founder Dan Kopman will depart the company after 25 years. In an email to Brewbound, Kopman said the decision to leave the brewery was part of previously agreed upon timeline with Sage Capital, the St. Louis-based private equity firm that acquired a majority stake in the company in 2012.
Chicago-based Finch Beer Co. will reportedly close its original brewery on Elston Avenue, leave the brewpub it launched in June and begin partner brewing with a yet-to-be-named Windy City brewery, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Beer taps hold the secret to what’s trending, according to BeerBoard, the company behind the digital beer menu displays at places like Buffalo Wild Wings and BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. In a press release issued Tuesday, the Syracuse, New York-based company announced the launch of BeerBoard 1000, a monthly index that ranks top-selling beers across the country.
Asahi Group to Purchase Pilsner Urquell and Other Beer Brands for $7.8 Billion
In an effort to establish itself as the country’s top beer curator, Craft Beer Cellar, a popular Massachusetts-based retail franchise, plans to alter how it purchases beer in 2017 by implementing a list of required and banned products from its stores. In a December 1 memo sent to franchisees and obtained by Brewbound, Craft Beer Cellar founders Kate Baker and Suzanne Schalow outlined changes they say will enable store owners to be viewed as “industry leading” retail operators and not just resellers of beer.
The federal government has approved Anheuser-Busch InBev’s acquisition of Texas-based Karbach Brewing Company.
Goose Island is migrating to Europe. Anheuser-Busch InBev is planting a series of pubs branded with the Chicago craft brewery’s name, starting with a pilot launch in London before Dec. 25, followed by a second London location and a third in Belgium, according to the Telegraph. The opening of the Goose Island Vintage Ale House marks the first launch by A-B InBev’s “brand experience” division, which reportedly hopes to gain notoriety for its craft brands. The pubs will offer Goose Island’s barrel-aged beers and American smokehouse-style fare.
Three of the country’s top craft breweries unveiled their 2017 beer release schedules this week, sharing plans to introduce a host of new products and packages over the course of next year.
