SweetWater Brewing is the latest craft brewery to expand into Pennsylvania, announcing plans to extend its footprint into Pittsburgh in the first week of June with Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale.

Deschutes Brewery is reportedly scouting Asheville, N.C. as a potential location to build out its east coast brewing facility and distribution center. According to the Citizen Times, representatives from Deschutes had visited Asheville in December and company president Michael LaLonde told the website they have a second trip planned for late May.

After years of debate over what constitutes a “craft brewer,” MillerCoors – which produces and markets the Blue Moon line of craft-style beers – has been hit with a class action lawsuit over the use of the word “craft” on both its website as well as various marketing and point-of-sale materials. The suit, filed last week in the California superior court of San Diego County, alleges that MillerCoors deceptively brews, markets and distributes Blue Moon Brewing products in an effort to intentionally mislead customers into purchasing a “craft beer.”

Pelican Brewing has announced plans to open a new brewpub in Cannon Beach, Ore., which, when complete, will be the third facility the company operates in the state. Construction on the brewpub, which will include a small brewhouse and restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating, is scheduled to begin this fall. The company anticipates a public opening next spring.

Victory Brewing has announced plans to expand distribution of its beers to Arkansas next month, with statewide retail availability expected by mid-June. Per a partnership with Arkansas Craft Distributors, Victory’s seasonal Summer Love Ale will be available on draft in the state beginning May 11.

To the purists, the idea of debasing a perfectly good beer with fruit juice seemed blasphemous. It was only after the doubters tasted the product, an unfiltered wheat beer made with grapefruit juice, that Harpoon Brewery was able to quell the skepticism within the company. That done, it had in its possession what would go… Read more »

Laurelwood Brewing, a certified organic brewery out of Portland, Ore., will begin exporting its beers in Canada next month.

Brooklyn Brewery today announced plans to open a second joint brewery venture with Carlsberg, teaming up to help rebuild the EC Dahls Brewery in Trondheim, Norway. Specific financial terms of the latest project were not disclosed, though last November Carlsberg announced it would invest more than $14 million to build a new brewery, pub and restaurant in EC Dahls’ existing Trondheim production facility.

After three years of fighting to repeal Florida’s long held ban on the half-gallon jugs, craft brewers will soon be able to sell 64 oz. refillable growlers. State lawmakers passed a bill to legalize the container on Friday. Senate Bill 186 passed out of the House unanimously and awaits Gov. Rick Scott’s signature. It legalizes 64-oz. growlers filled at the point of sale. The bill also clarifies a controversial “tourism exemption” that had enabled craft brewers to operate in a legal gray areas as both retailers and producers.

Well it’s April 24, there are 100 beer industry professionals already registered to attend next Tuesday’s Brew Talks meetup and we still haven’t said a peep about the program. That changes today. Brewbound is excited to announce the first half of next Tuesday’s Brew Talks program, featuring a stellar lineup of sales & marketing experts.

Befitting the reputation it has built for using diverse and exotic ingredients in the brewing process, Dogfish Head has shown over the years that, as a company, it has eclectic taste in music as well. Spearheaded by founder and self-proclaimed music geek Sam Calagione, the company has made its fandom known through collaborations with the likes of Pearl Jam, the Grateful Dead, Miles Davis’ estate and, most recently, a Dogfish-sponsored live performance by hip-hop icon Tone Loc during this year’s Craft Brewers Conference.

Boston Beer Company, which produces and markets the Angry Orchard line of hard ciders, today officially announced it acquired a 60-acre orchard located in upstate Montgomery, New York. The company also plans to build a new innovation cidery and taproom, a space that will be used primarily for experimentation and consumer education.

A Minnesota bar located near the Wisconsin border is under investigation for illegally selling beers from New Glarus Brewing without a license, per a report from the Green Bay Press Gazette. According to a search warrant filed in Hennepin County, an employee of Maple Tavern had allegedly been making trips across state lines to buy kegs of Spotted Cow, a popular beer from the company, to be brought back and re-sold in Minnesota.

Craft Brew Alliance is doubling down on brewery expansions. The company today announced it would spend $15 million to build a new 100,000-barrel brewery in Hawaii. A list of potential locations is being reviewed and CBA said it expects the facility to be fully operational by 2017.