We’re less than 24 hours away from the 2016 Brewbound Session in San Diego, and it’s time to introduce our presenters and judges for Startup Brewery Challenge 7, our on-of-a-kind business pitch competition presented by Craft Brew Alliance. Six craft brewery entrepreneurs who have been on the market for two years or less will take the stage tomorrow to show off their business plans, sample one core product offering and receive immediate feedback from a panel of five expert judges.
Three months after departing Duvel USA, beer industry veteran Simon Thorpe has been tapped as the new CEO of Pabst Brewing Company. Thorpe — whose career also includes stints with InBev, Crayola, Kellogg’s, Tambrands and Unilever — will take over the CEO position from Eugene Kashper, who will continue to serve as a principal owner and the full-time chairman of the Pabst board.
If Wesley Snipes were an investor in BrewDog, he’d probably give anyone considering the Scottish craft beer maker’s latest stunt a word of advice: always bet on black. BrewDog co-founder James Watt announced “BrewDog’s Big Bet” on Wednesday — a double-or-nothing bet of Equity for Punks USA investors’ money at a roulette table once its crowdfunding campaign concludes in February 2017. The event will be streamed through BrewDog’s Facebook site.
Nearly one month after being sued by beer importer Shelton Brothers for alleged “unfair and illegal” practices, Massachusetts-based beer distributor Craft Brewers Guild filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Tuesday. The action stems from a November 4 lawsuit filed by Shelton Brothers, which claimed that Craft Brewers Guild’s illegal pay-to-play practices between 2013 and 2014 had cost the import company $1.7 million in potential sales.
Legalized marijuana is harshing the buzz of three longtime craft beer meccas, according to a new report from Cowen and Company. In Colorado, Oregon and Washington, where recreational cannabis use has been legalized, the beer business is underperforming, according to Vivien Azer, Cowen and Company’s managing director and senior research analyst specializing in the beverage, tobacco and cannabis sectors.
Brewbound Session San Diego will take place this Thursday and, in addition to featuring a thought-provoking discussions with a stellar lineup of industry executives and entrepreneurs, we’ve also carved out plenty of time for attendees to enjoy some great beers and intimate conversations with one another. To kickstart the networking, registered Brewbound Session attendees are invited to join the official welcome reception, sponsored by Blue Horseshoe, taking place at the “Paradise Terrace” at Paradise Point on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 6:00 PM.
In the latest attempt to raise $50 million to build out its first U.S. brewery in Ohio, Scottish craft beer maker BrewDog announced Monday that it would open a brewpub in any American city where at least 500 people invest in the company’s Equity for Punks USA crowdfunding campaign.
Dutch beer maker Bavaria N.V. has acquired Latis Imports, a Connecticut-based importer of Belgian speciality craft beers. Terms of the deal, announced Monday, were not disclosed, but Latis co-founder David Van Wees told Brewbound that he sold 100 percent of his stake to Bavaria.
2016 was a record year for United States hop growers. For the second consecutive year, the U.S. planted more hops (52,962 acres) than Germany (45,957 acres) as farmers expanded their operations to accommodate for increased hop production.
Coronado Brewing Company announced yesterday that it would expand distribution to Texas, signing with Brown Distributing. The San Diego-based company’s beers will be available in the Lone Star State this month, according to a press release.
Sierra Nevada yesterday named Joe Whitney as the company’s first chief commercial officer. Whitney, who began with the company in 2006, had been serving as the vice president of sales. The announcement comes after a six month-long effort to create a senior leadership team that, according to Whitney, will be tasked with doubling production over the next decade and transforming the company into the largest independently-owned craft brewery in the U.S.
Online sales of alcoholic beverages in the United States are on the rise, and the industry is expected to generate $614 million in revenue this year, according to market research firm IBISWorld. Sales are expected to continue growing over the next five years, the firm said, as consumers who are too busy to shop in brick-and-mortar stores rely more heavily on making purchases with their smartphones and tablets.
New Holland Brewing Co. — maker of the popular Dragon’s Milk bourbon barrel stout series and Mad Hatter IPA — will begin distributing in the Pacific Northwest next month.
