Bell’s Brewery yesterday announced plans to enter Texas in 2017. In a press release, the nation’s seventh-largest craft beer producer said it would launch its full portfolio in the state early next year, although the Michigan-based brewery has yet to formally ink any distribution agreements.
Anheuser-Busch InBev today announced it would acquire Virginia-based Devils Backbone Brewing Company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed and the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter. The move is part of an ongoing march into the craft brewing world by the world’s largest brewery, which has acquired eight craft beer companies since 2011.
It’s been 10 months since the U.S. Senate formally reviewed the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA), but the proposed federal excise tax reductions could still hitch a ride through congress thanks to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016. The Senate will continue its review of S.2658 — a “must-pass” bill that would reauthorize the FAA and specified FAA programs – this week. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the ranking Democratic member of the Finance Committee, first introduced the bipartisan CBMTRA last June. He has hinted that he is considering a beverage-friendly amendment as last-minute addition to the FAA bill.
Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers today announced it had signed distribution agreements with four New Hampshire wholesalers and would launch throughout the state for the first time later this month. The New Hampshire Craft Alliance — a wholesale cooperative including Bellevance Beverage, Clarke Distributors, New Hampshire Distributors, and White Mountain Distributors — has partnered with the Massachusetts-based brewer.
Pabst CEO Eugene Kashper calls it “gruit.” Forbidden Root founder Robert Finkel calls it “botanic beer.” Executives at Anheuser-Busch InBev, MillerCoors and a host of others simply call it “hard soda.” And then there’s at least three New England-based companies, including Boston Beer Company, going after an emerging “hard seltzer” segment. You probably know them all as flavored malt beverages.
Yesterday was National Beer Day and that’s as good an excuse as any to dive into a steinful of the latest U.S. beer statistics. After all, throughout the week, our inboxes overflowed with pitches from every corner of the industry. In the interest of identifying the most important takeaways, we’ve distilled everything into our own Friday 4-pack of stats.
A-B InBev Pushes Leadership to Earn $100 Billion in Revenue by 2020; Wandering Mikkeller Finds a Home in San Diego; Despite Slower Growth Trends, Heineken Bets on Cider in U.S.; Anchor Distilling to Open Facility to the Public; Kelsey Grammer to Open Brewery in Upstate New York
Oklahomans may soon have one more critical choice to consider when they cast their votes on Nov. 8. The Oklahoma House Rules Committee yesterday voted 6-3 in favor of Senate Joint Resolution 68, which would place several proposed changes to the state’s alcohol industry regulations in a single measure on the upcoming ballot.
Scottish craft beer maker Innis & Gunn today announced the $3.5 million purchase of the Perth, Scotland-based Inveralmond Brewery. Financed entirely with capital raised via the company’s crowd-funded “Innis & Gunn BeerBond” program last year, the acquisition of Inveralmond gives Innis & Gunn access to a brick & mortar brewing facility, which it lacked, as well as control of more than a dozen labels currently produced and marketed by Inveralmond.
Brewbound is excited to announce that there will be a special edition of the traveling Brew Talks meetup series on Wednesday, May 4 during the 2016 Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia. In partnership with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Brewbound will host two thought-provoking panel discussions with executives from the country’s top craft breweries and a pair of retail experts. A special one-on-one conversation with Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione will also be featured.
Three years after announcing it would build a third brewery and taproom in the Los Angeles area, Firestone Walker this week said it would open its new facility in Venice, Calif. with just one hitch — it isn’t permitted to brew on-site any beer quite yet. Located in two adjacent buildings on Washington Boulevard, the so-called “Propagator” campus will function as a research and development brewery for the country’s 13th largest craft brewery.
Brown Distributing, a Florida-based beer wholesaler that sells products from more than 60 U.S. craft breweries across the entire state, is in the process of selling the rights to a variety of craft brands in some of its central and northern markets. The company, which lists beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic products from more than 130 suppliers on its website, began informing craft brewery owners of its decision to transfer their brands on Monday night.
The Brewers Association (BA) today released its annual rankings of the top 50 U.S. breweries based on 2015 sales volumes, and once again Ballast Point Brewing emerged as the biggest mover amongst the industry’s largest craft producers. Climbing 20 places from 31 on the “Top Craft Brewing Companies” list, Ballast Point is now ranked as the 11th largest U.S. craft brewery, according to the BA. Although the organization’s official production figures will not be made available until next month, the San Diego-based brewery had projected 2015 volumes to be about 290,000 barrels.
Less than three months after choosing West Sacramento, California as the site of his next brewing venture, former Knee Deep Brewing co-owner Jeremy Warren has found a home for his new company, Revision Brewing. Warren plans to open Revision’s 20-barrel brewhouse at 1000 Riverside Parkway later this summer.
