Alaskan Brewing has announced plans to bring its beers further into the mainland U.S. with the addition of Michigan and South Dakota to its distribution footprint. The new distribution coincides with an ongoing facility expansion. The Juneau-based brewery, which produced approximately 145,000 barrels in 2013, has inked agreements with the M1 Network — a group of 11 wholesalers that cover the whole state of Michigan.
If you ask a group of beer industry professionals for their take on the Brewers Association (BA) definition of a “craft brewer,” take cover — it’s a polarizing topic. So, at last week’s Craft Brewers Conference in Denver, Brewbound asked a number of brewers for their thoughts on the revised craft brewer definition. The latest installment in our video series is published above for your viewing pleasure.
North American Breweries (NAB) is investing heavily into further educating its staff and wholesale partners on all things beer, from taste to malting science and everything else that might fall under the umbrella of suds, as it is now preparing several individuals to take the rigorous Master Cicerone test.
On May 1, New Belgium Brewing Co. will break ground on its $175 million production facility in Asheville, N.C., which, when completed, will be capable of producing 500,000 barrels annually and will support up to 140 jobs on the East Coast. At 133,000 sq. ft., construction on the brewery and tasting room is expected to… Read more »
Run your own race. That’s the advice Marty Ochs, the founder of E3 Craft Strategies and the former vice president of sales for Ninkasi Brewing, gives to craft brewers when they ask him how to measure success. Last week, Brewbound asked a number of CBC attendees how they defined success, beyond brewing a quality pint.
Brand names like Pliny The Elder, Heady Topper, and Zombie Dust all stand tall in the pantheon of craft beer. They’re among the crown jewel check-ins of any Untappd profile. Simply put, they are preceded by their reputations. Determining whether the hype surrounding these — or any other high profile craft brands — is warranted is subjective in nature. Descriptors like “best,” “greatest,” or “unsurpassed” stem from opinion.
Die-hard craft beer geeks are fickle customers. They’re promiscuous. They’re not loyal to any specific brewery and they’ll shop stores as much as they’ll shop brands, looking for places where the rarest, most obscure offerings are available. That’s why Brewbound asked the founder of Craft Beer Cellar to join the upcoming Boston edition of the Brewbound Session and share their insight into the buying habits of craft beer consumers.
Increasing sales in the craft beer industry requires honesty, goal-setting, an unwavering commitment to “the grind,” and feet on the street, according to three veteran sales executives who presented to brewers at last week’s Craft Brewers Conference. Panelists stressed the importance of building strong wholesaler relationships and provided attendees with strategies for creating successful marketing plans and managing a rapidly-growing business.
As seasons change, so too do the leaves of trees, providing shade as canopies of green in the summer before evolving into bouquets of yellow and orange in autumn, only to wither away entirely in the cold of winter. Then, they bloom again in spring. Craft brewers might find it more poetic to note the… Read more »
IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm, and GuestMetrics, an on-premise data provider, announced Tuesday that they have formed an alliance that will integrate the research of both entities. The alliance will provide IRI clients with in-depth information about on-premise consumer purchases via GuestMetrics that will be placed against the context of IRI’s off-premise data.
Empathy. It’s not something that you read much about in the beer industry, but it is a major reason why companies like Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head have ascended the to the top of the craft space, according to three veteran sales executives who presented to brewers at last week’s Craft Brewers Conference in Denver,… Read more »
Advising on the sale of a craft brewery requires more than just an understanding of financial statements. It takes an intimate knowledge of the beer landscape, the culture of craft beer and an appreciation for the brands and personalities behind craft companies. Brewbound is pleased to announce that Craig Farlie, the managing director of Farlie Turner & Co., will be speaking on the financing environment for craft brewers at the Brewbound Session on May 29.
In late January, New Belgium created an entirely new position at its headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado: Governmental Affairs Representative. Assuming the role, which began as a way to help the brewery navigate the legislative labyrinths that dictate how alcohol is regulated in its home state of Colorado, was Andrew Lemley, who said at the… Read more »
When you’re a maturing craft brewery with a growing reputation for producing quality beer, getting on tap at the local craft beer tavern is the easy part. But keeping that tap handle, while simultaneously building off-premise sales in supermarkets, convenience stores and chain accounts requires thoughtful planning and strategic execution with wholesaler partners.
