An apple a day couldn’t keep Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) away from the cider business. CBA – which already markets the Kona Brewing, Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing and Omission beer brands – today announced the launch of Square Mile Cider Company.

After nearly going bankrupt in 2001, Founders has, in the last five years, become one of the fastest growing craft beer companies in the U.S. In 2008, Founders made less than 12,000 barrels of beer. In 2013, the company expects that number to grow to 135,000.

There is still time to take advantage of early registration pricing for the Spring Brewbound Session – a one-day conference on the business of craft beer – taking place on May 2 in Boston. A discounted rate of $599 has been extended through Friday, April 5.

“Before you get married to somebody, I think you want to meet their in-laws,” said Joe Cekola, president of Imperial Beverage, a craft beer distributor based in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Shifting rather neatly, the craft beer industry continues to grow as colossal brands lose market share. Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association, explained this shift at Wednesday’s opening reception for the Craft Brewers Conference in Washington D.C. Gatza said he wasn’t surprised by the growth, which has been a year-to-year truth at this conference, however he also said that he’s encouraged by the 0.9 percent volume growth of the overall U.S. beer industry

Jordan’s tone, while hopeful, was still cautionary. Her keynote speech addressed a variety of industry concerns including product quality, sustainable business practices, finite resources and even brewery expansion projects.

“We need to be absolutely vigilant about how our beers look, smell and taste,” she said.

Butcher and Bryant insisted that authenticity can carry a brand to strong sales and a point of differentiation. This authenticity derives from more than just a friendly smile; it’s rooted in well-crafted beer, a genuine connection with consumers and a drive to maintain your brand.

Tonight, Brewbound will host its third ‘Brew Talks’ event at Smith Commons, a restaurant and bar located in Washington D.C.’s Atlas Arts District. FREE livestream of the event. Launched in January, Brew Talks are FREE gatherings designed to provide craft brewers, distributors, and retailers the opportunity to enjoy in-depth discussions on the craft beer business.

Atwater, which recently completed a $1 million upgrade to its facility, is searching for a 70,000 square-foot site in its home city, Detroit. The site would expand Atwater’s production capabilities, increasing production to approximately 100,000 barrels per year.

The founder of the country’s largest craft brewery, the Boston Beer Company (BBC), announced yesterday plans to allow other craft brewers the opportunity to use a patent-pending can package that Koch spent two years and $1 million designing. “We’ve decided to make the patent-pending design available, without any royalty or license fee, to all craft… Read more »

After 16 years of championing the contract brewing business model, Shmaltz Brewing founder Jeremy Cowan has opted for a more traditional approach. A Jewish-themed craft beer company with offices in both San Francisco and Brooklyn, Shmaltz will be able to call Clifton Park, New York home when it opens its first brick and mortar facility… Read more »

On paper, the Brew Hub concept has many industry experts intrigued. For fast-growing craft breweries wrestling with capacity and capital constraints, the idea of expanding production without the added investment risk in a second brewery is enticing.

Brewbound is pleased to announce the addition of a pair of retail experts to its speaker lineup for the May 2 Brewbound Session in Boston. The all-day business conference geared towards the strategic development of craft beer businesses will be held at the Revere Hotel in downtown Boston.