The pay-to-play debate has erupted again, this time on twitter. Dan Paquette, the co-founder of Boston’s Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project took to the social media platform at 12:53 A.M. to complain about what he — and many other brewers — call the dirty habit of pay-to-play — under-the-table transactions, where brewers or wholesalers offer cash and incentives to retailers and bar owners in exchange for guaranteed placement.
The city of Richmond, VA is throwing in more than $30 million in grants and bonds to help Stone Brewing build out an east coast facility that could be operational as early as late next year. As reported by Richmond Bizsense, the Richmond mayor’s office will issue $23 million in bonds to fund development of the project and kick in another $8 million in bonds for the brewery’s restaurant and beer garden.
San Diego’s Green Flash Brewing today announced it will begin construction on its second location, a 58,000 sq. ft. brewing facility in Virginia Beach that will eventually be capable of producing 100,000 barrels of beer per year. Officially scheduled to open in 2016, the $20 million brewery will be built on a 9-acre lot in the area’s Corporate Landing Business Park.
Last week, Brewbound traveled to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo. to ask brewers how difficult it has become to launch a new beer in today’s crowded landscape. Those responses are featured in our final video segment from the 2014 GABF, included above.
As Brewbound looks for creative ways to discuss business issues at our live events, it is with distinct pleasure that we introduce a triple-threat food/beverage/spirits startup expert, Clayton Christopher, to our Oct. 21 Brew Talks meetup in Austin, Texas. Christopher, who has helped launch food and beverage companies like Sweet Leaf Tea, Deep Eddy Vodka and Rhythm Superfoods, will discuss lessons from his entrepreneurial journey.
After months of waiting, Stone Brewing finally broke its silenced yesterday, announcing that it would build a second U.S. brewing facility in Richmond, Va. While the announcement was a big win for the city, it was a loss for another in the state. Norfolk, just two hours north of Richmond, was among the three remaining cities with a shot at landing the country’s tenth largest craft brewery.
Last week, we traveled to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo. to ask attendees how market segmentation was impacting the retail landscape. Many noted that growing interest in small local brands is making it tougher to compete while others were more optimistic about the potential growth of shelf space. Hear those responses in our latest video segment.
we’re excited to announce that the penultimate Brew Talks event of 2014 will be held outside of the brewhouse, and inside the headquarters of one of the country’s most trafficked websites. On October 21, Brewbound will travel to Austin, Texas to host Brew Talks at the offices of popular entertainment website, theCHIVE.com.
The suspense is over. After months of speculation, Stone Brewing Co. has formally announced its intent to build a new brewery in Richmond, Va. Pending local approvals, the country’s tenth largest craft brewer said it will build an east coast brewing facility in Richmond’s Greater Fulton Community. The San Diego brewery has signed a formal letter of intent with the city and plans to invest $74 million to construct a production brewery, packaging hall, restaurant and retail store.
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.
