One Chicago retailer has opted not to sell SweetWater Brewing’s imperial stout known as “Happy Ending” over what its store manager called “sexist, borderline racist” label art, according to the Chicago Tribune. The label in question depicts a clear silhouette of a geisha and a box of tissues, an apparent allusion to the seedy practice of receiving sexual favors at massage parlors. According to the article, the Binny’s Beverage Depot in Lincoln Park sent back three cases of the beer, which is packaged in 22 oz. bottles. Lakeshore Beverage, SweetWater’s wholesaler in the area, told the Tribune that no other store declined to stock the beer.
Lagunitas Brewing will expand its distribution deeper into Pennsylvania this week after the nation’s sixth largest craft brewery signed with Ace Distributing. Beginning Thursday, Lagunitas beers will be available throughout York, Adams, Franklin, and Fulton counties, according to a press release from Ace. The brewery has existing relationships in the state with Frank Fuhrer Wholesale, BeerMart and Origlio Beverage, according to its website.
Building on its strategic partnership with North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountain Brewing (AMB), Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) today announced it has signed an agreement to become the company’s master distributor. The new agreement will give the smaller brewer access to CBA’s nationwide network of Anheuser-Busch wholesalers in exchange for an undisclosed per-case distribution fee.
The Brewers Association today released its annual ranking of the top 50 U.S. craft breweries, based on 2014 sales volumes. This year’s list, however, had two glaring differences from prior versions. Four previously-excluded companies, including the top brewer, Yuengling, made the list in 2014 after the BA altered its definition of what it means to be a “craft brewer” last March, dethroning longtime leader Boston Beer Company for the title of “largest U.S. craft brewery.”
Heineken this morning announced a number of major organizational changes, restructuring its regional strategy and leadership teams in an apparent effort to cut costs. In a press statement, Heineken USA also revealed a key shift in the executive roster of its U.S. operations, highlighted by the departure of CEO Dolf van den Brink, who will transfer to the company’s Mexico division.
Atlantic Importing, the Massachusetts-based beer, wine and spirits distributor of brands like Dogfish Head, Stone Brewing and Boston-area stalwart Jack’s Abby today announced plans to open an outpost in Rhode Island. Citing an opportunity to “expand regional visibility” as a triple threat wholesaler, Atlantic has invested in new, centrally located 12,000 sq. ft. distribution facility in Coventry, RI. The new site will serve as the company’s home base for statewide distribution of select beer, wine and spirits brands.
Southern California’s Golden Road Brewing has announced plans to expand distribution throughout Arizona next month, bringing its full line of beers to consumers outside its home state for the first time. The brewery has signed with Golden Eagles Distributors, which will sell the company’s core line and seasonal offerings to retailers for both on- and off-premise consumption. The rollout is scheduled for early May.
Oskar Blues has agreed to purchase Michigan’s Perrin Brewing Company, a smaller craft operation founded in 2011. The pickup may be the first in a series of investments for Oskar Blues, a top-25 craft brewery. The acquisition is backed by investments from Fireman Capital Partners and former West Side Distributing owner, Keith Klopcic, according to Oskar Blues’ founder, Dale Katechis. He said the transaction is expected to close within the next 60 days.
Traveler Beer, the three-year-old shandy/fruit beer line operated by Boston Beer’s Alchemy & Science subsidiary, debuted its first national ad this week, a 30-second spot dubbed “The Road to Refreshment.” Starring Traveler president Alan Newman (and his yellow spectacles), the ad coincides with the national launch of the brand, which Boston Beer president and CEO Martin Roper detailed earlier this year during a fourth quarter earnings call. “I’ve been fired by every company I’ve ever worked for,” says Newman at the start of the ad. “The only things I was ever good at were traveling and beer.”
Brewbound is excited to announce a special edition of its traveling Brew Talks meetup series, happening on Thursday, April 16 during the 2015 Craft Brewers Conference in Portland, Ore. In partnership with Anheuser-Busch InBev and 10 Barrel Brewing, Brewbound will host two exclusive conversations with the founders of every A-B-owned U.S. craft brewery and Andy… Read more »
The Brazilian billionaires behind the Anheuser-Busch InBev merger have negotiated another blockbuster deal, this time involving two huge U.S. food companies – Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz Co. The tieup, valued at $40 billion, is backed by global investment firm 3G Capital and Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
International interest in American craft beer is surging, according to new data from the Brewers Association. In a press statement, the BA – which represents the interests of small and independent U.S. craft brewers – said American craft beer exports grew 35.7 percent in 2014, to more than 383,000 barrels and a retail value of nearly $100 million.
Brewbound Chicago ’15 – a one-day conference focused on the business of craft beer – will be held on June 1th in Chicago, IL at Moonlight Studios. You can save up to $100 by signing up now with the early registration discount.
Oskar Blues is one state closer to becoming the next nationally distributed craft beer brand. The craft brewery – which operates production facilities in Lyons, Colo. and Brevard, N.C. – today announced plans to expand into Louisiana, the 42nd state where its products are now sold. Building on an existing partnership with the 28-million case Crescent Crown Distributing in Arizona, Oskar Blues signed an agreement with the wholesaler’s Louisiana outfit for coverage throughout the southern part of the state.
