Hopunion and Yakima Chief, two of the country’s largest hop suppliers, have announced a merger that will combine both worldwide operations under a single parent company. According to an Aug. 1 press statement, the new entity, Yakima Chief-Hopunion LLC (YCH), has acquired the equity and assets of both companies and related entities.
Having just celebrated its first anniversary in May, Saint Archer Brewing Co. is proving there’s still room to grow in a crowded San Diego craft beer market. The company today announced it’s in the midst of an expansion that will increase production by 45 percent monthly.
Research and consulting firm Technomic today released a new study detailing a few on-premise insights for craft brewers and cider makers. The research project tracked growth for craft beer in restaurants and bars and aimed to clarify several misconceptions about consumers’ purchasing behavior.
Last Friday, the craft brewer invited several members of the media on a hard tour of its new “Funkatorium,” a 9,000 sq. ft. facility dedicated to sour beer production. The new location, which is scheduled to open to the public in September, will allow the company to quadruple the size of its sour beer program.
Around this time last year, New Belgium co-founder Kim Jordan was laying out her company’s expansion timeline. The plan, Jordan said, was to sell beer in all 50 U.S. states by 2018. Fast-forward 12 months and the company is already announcing plans to expand into its 38th state, Kentucky.
It seems no corner of America can go for too long without a new craft brewery finding it a suitable place to do business. Mississippi’s Golden Triangle (That’s Columbus, Starkville, and West Point, if’n you’re not a native) is no different. The Dispatch touts SweetGum Brewing Co.’s Standby Red Ale as the Triangle’s “first homegrown beer.”
With $4 million in bank loans secured for the first phase of construction, the 18,000 sq. ft. expansion will primarily enable Allagash to increase its packaging capacity, grow its lab program, implement a new tour route, and create additional office space. The brewery also plans install four fermentation tanks, said Naomi Neville, the brewery’s national sales director.
One of the country’s oldest breweries is dipping its toe into a sea of craft beer SKUs. The 153-year old Pittsburgh Brewing Company, which currently produces six different premium lager and light lager brands, is rolling out its first craft offering under a new label: Block House Brewing.
In its second quarter earnings report, the Boston Beer Company today announced net revenue growth of 28 percent, an increase of $50.3 million over the same period last year. Second quarter core shipment volume of approximately 1.1 million barrels represents growth of 25 percent over the same period last year.
The idea of a mega merger between Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller Plc. may soon skunk like a bottle of Bud left out in the sun for too long. Given the announcement that Molson Coors CEO Peter Swinburn will retire at the end of 2014, an analyst for Edward Jones told Bloomberg Businessweek that if such a merger were, in fact, “imminent,” a change in the top chair would be unlikely, hinting the company is thus not readying itself for consolidation.
We learned a valuable lesson during our recent Brew Talks event in San Diego: if you give three bar owners enough beer and ask them about the local beer scene, duck and cover. The hour-long conversation featured plenty of diatribes about competing with brewery tasting rooms, increasingly difficult buying decisions, escalating beer prices and the importance of strengthening relationships with craft suppliers.
Despite South Carolina’s passage of the “Stone Bill,” the Palmetto State is no longer being considered as a location for Stone Brewing Co.’s planned East Coast facility. First reported by GSA Business, Stone, the country’s 10th largest craft brewery’s decision to look elsewhere was due to “logistical and geographic” reasons.
The Brewers Association (BA) today reported mid-year growth for the country’s small and independent craft brewers. According to the latest data, craft beer production is up 18 percent through the first six months of 2014. Through June, BA-defined craft brewers have sold about 10.6 million barrels of beer, up from 9 million barrels in 2013, the BA said.
To close out the Brew Talks West Coast Tour last week, a panel of publicans in the San Diego area discussed the myriad challenges of building relationships with both brewing partners and customers. Sitting on the panel held at Stone Brewing Co.’s Liberty Station restaurant was Scott Slater, founder of Slater’s 50/50, Scot Blair, founder of Hamilton’s Tavern, and Tom Nickel, owner of O’Brien’s Pub.
