Goose Island Exec Tapped as New Blue Point President

Goose Island Exec Tapped as New Blue Point President

Blue Point Brewing has announced that former Goose Island Brewing and Deschutes Brewery executive Mark Hegedus will take over as president, effective immediately. The news comes less than three months after Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B InBev) acquired New York-based Blue Point for an estimated $24 million, and three years after the beer giant purchased Chicago-based Goose… Read more »

Brewers: Florida Senate Bill Could Cripple Craft

Brewers: Florida Senate Bill Could Cripple Craft

Florida’s Senate Rules Committee voted 9-4 yesterday in favor of a bill that would tighten regulations within the state’s three-tier alcohol distribution system. Under Senate Bill 1714, brewers that produce more than 2,000 kegs (approximately 1,000 barrels) annually and operate on-premise retail fronts would be required to first sell their beer to distributors before buying… Read more »

Inside Look: The Craft Beer Revolution By Steve Hindy

Inside Look: The Craft Beer Revolution By Steve Hindy

There are few authors better suited to write about the growth of craft beer than Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Steve Hindy. In “The Craft Beer Revolution: How a Band of Microbrewers is Transforming the World’s Favorite Drink,” Hindy chronicles decades of growth for American craft breweries, which have doubled their collective volume to 15.6 million barrels — representing approximately 7.8 percent of all beer sold in the U.S. — in the last six years alone.

CBC 2014: Both in Business and Beer, Egos Need Checking

CBC 2014: Both in Business and Beer, Egos Need Checking

During a Q&A panel at the Craft Brewers Conference in Denver, Colo., Dick Cantwell, co-founder of Elysian Brewery, offered insight on how startup operations can best navigate the industry as it continues to grow and evolve. Cantwell, who also penned the second edition of The Brewers Association’s Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery divulged how… Read more »

Alaskan Brewing Expands Both on Land and in Cans

Alaskan Brewing Expands Both on Land and in Cans

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.

Video: Brewers Share Mixed Feelings About Revised ‘Craft Brewer’ Definition at CBC 2014

Video: Brewers Share Mixed Feelings About Revised ‘Craft Brewer’ Definition at CBC 2014

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.

NAB Looks to Master the Cicerone Program

NAB Looks to Master the Cicerone Program

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.

New Belgium to Break Ground on Asheville Facility May 1

New Belgium to Break Ground on Asheville Facility May 1

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 »

CBC 2014 Video: How Do Craft Brewers Define Success?

CBC 2014 Video: How Do Craft Brewers Define Success?

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.

Press Clips: The Value of Reputation & More Legislative Battles

Press Clips: The Value of Reputation & More Legislative Battles

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.

Brewbound Session: Understanding the Buying Habits of Beer Geeks

Brewbound Session: Understanding the Buying Habits of Beer Geeks

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.

CBC 2014: Budgeting, Sales Reps are Keys to Increased Sales

CBC 2014: Budgeting, Sales Reps are Keys to Increased Sales

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.

CBC 2014: Managing a Seasonal Portfolio

CBC 2014: Managing a Seasonal Portfolio

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 and GuestMetrics Form Alliance

IRI and GuestMetrics Form Alliance

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.