California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law a bill that legalizes the sale of packaged beer at certified farmers’ markets, a right previously afforded only to winemakers in the state. The bill, AB 2004, enables craft brewers not only to exhibit and sell products at farmers markets, but also gives brewers the ability to sell beer and wine during private events on their own premises. The new law takes effect on January 1.
Dogfish Head today announced significant changes to its executive leadership team, including the departure of longtime vice president of sales, Adam Lambert, who will leave the company to pursue a new opportunity within craft beer. The Delaware-based craft brewery also announced it would promote current chief operating officer, Nick Benz, to the role of CEO.
Exactly how hard is it to medal at the Great American Beer Festival? According to Brewers Association economist Bart Watson, you’ve got a better shot at getting into any university in the country. While that statistical comparison certainly highlights the competitive nature of the craft landscape, it’s not the crux of the Watson’s latest analysis.
With a multiple expansion initiatives already underway, Bell’s Brewery said it plans to hire more than 100 people in an effort to fill both full- and part-time positions at its brewery and retail locations.
There’s now a steady stream of private equity money flowing into craft — but will the floodgates open fully? How will the influx of investment capital impact the competitive landscape? We traveled to the 2014 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo. to ask attendees for their thoughts.
A new report from Bart Watson, the BA’s staff economist, found that an influx of female drinkers, greater engagement in the Hispanic market, and geographic diversity of brewery locations have played pivotal roles in shaping a more well-rounded craft consumer base.
Rogue Ales & Spirits has hired Jim Schembre, the former Monarch Beverage and World Class Beer general manager, as its new vice president of sales. Schembre, who has served on Rogue’s Board of Directors for the last eight years, will immediately replace outgoing Rogue VP Steve Irwin.
Having finalized agreements with seven wholesalers in the state, Boulevard Brewing will expand its distribution throughout South Carolina by the end of the month, the company announced today. The brewery, which was acquired by Belgium-based Duvel Moortgat in 2013, has inked deals with Lee Distributing, Comer Distributing, Greenco Beverage Co., Beverage South, H&S Wholesalers, Better Brands, and Crown Beverages, per company statement.
Oskar Blues will continue its ‘aggressive’ expansion efforts next month when it launches new distribution in Missouri via a wholesale arrangement with Major Brands Inc. The Longmont, Colo.-based craft brewery — which also owns and operates a secondary production facility in Brevard, NC — yesterday announced it will broaden its footprint, launching draft and can packages on November 10 with a string of market blitz initiatives and kick-off events.
The most popular hop of tomorrow won’t go under trellis today. That is to say, to innovate in the hops market is to play long odds. The Simcoe hop, for instance, was nearly torn completely out of the ground and discarded as a failed experiment. Perrault Farms just couldn’t sell the aromatic hop during the early aughts.
Founders Brewing is about to make a $35 million bet on its projected growth over the next five years. The Michigan-based craft brewery announced Tuesday that it will expand its production facility in Grand Rapids, adding 57,000 sq. ft. of brewing, fermenting and office space in two phases.
File Under: Crazy. Remember back in December when a Vermont woman was charged with illegally selling five cases of Heady Topper, the highly touted Alchemist-brewed double IPA, on Craigslist, netting nearly $1,000? Remember?
To kick off the their second annual national distributor meeting, CBA-Con, held today in New Orleans in the wake of the NBWA gathering, the company blared the kind of musical mashup that would only make sense to a room full of Bud wholesalers who just happened to spend the previous evening drinking ice chests of Widmer Hefe and dancing to Daft Punk.
Though a partnership has been in the works for two years, Saint Archer Brewing is now finally set to expand distribution throughout the San Francisco Bay area with DBI Beverage Inc. Beginning October 6, the San Diego brewery’s four core offerings will be made available throughout San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Truckee, Chico, Ukiah, Stockton and Napa in the canned 6-pack format as well as in 22-ounce bottles.
