The Brewers Association announced today that it will postpone its annual Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) and Brew Expo America until September and move the event to Denver from San Diego, where it had been planned for late March. The 2021 edition of CBC is now slated to be held September 9-12, pending health and safety protocols.

Brewbound readers in 2020 sought out news about the pandemic, mergers and acquisitions, brewery closures and job changes. 2020 marked a year of shifts for brewers, as well as Brewbound, which shifted its business model to a subscription model. With that in mind, we’ve pulled the five most-read stories before the paywall was introduced and the five most-read stories after.

Federal excise tax cuts for brewers and importers have finally been made permanent. After nearly a week of uncertainty, President Donald Trump on Sunday signed into law the $900 billion economic relief package and $1.4 trillion government funding bill Congress passed last week.

Permanent excise tax cuts for brewers and importers was just a signature away. However, getting pen to paper on the $900 billion economic relief package and a $1.4 trillion government funding bill passed by Congress is now in question after President Donald Trump unexpectedly pushed back against the measures.

A permanent reduction in the federal excise tax for alcohol producers and importers is a signature away. The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have both signed off on the $900 billion economic relief package, which includes language from the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA), as well as additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding for small businesses, among other measures.

The temporary federal excise tax cuts enjoyed by brewers and importers over the last three years are on the verge of being made permanent. Congress has included language from the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) in the $900 billion COVID-19 relief package that is expected to pass in the coming days.

Consumers are continuing to trade up in their alcoholic beverage purchases, even as the COVID-19 pandemic-induced economic downturn continues, Brewers Association (BA) chief economist Bart Watson said during a webinar last week. “People still see beer as an affordable luxury, while beer has taken on a lot of price relative to wine and spirits,” he said.

On-premise retail sales will not rebound to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, Brewers Association (BA) chief economist Bart Watson shared yesterday in a webinar for members of the trade group. “The on-premise is not fully going to recover next year,” he said.

The BA, which represents the nation’s small and independent brewers, is advocating for several measures at the federal level that would support craft breweries, whose businesses have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.

National not-for-profit trade ground the Brewers Association (BA) today announced the organization’s priorities and initiatives for 2021. The BA, which promotes the interests of small and independent craft brewing companies, shared in an email to members that its board of directors held its final meeting of 2020 in which the organization’s 2021 budget was approved and the trade group’s agenda and priorities for the new year were set.

Dr. J Jackson-Beckham has joined the Brewers Association (BA) as equity and inclusion partner, a new full-time role created to “help promote greater diversity, equity and inclusion in the craft brewing industry,” according to a press release. Following the retirement of long-time executive director Tom McCormick, the California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) has hired Lori Ajax as its next executive director, effective January 4, 2021.

As craft breweries continue to struggle under on-premise restrictions and closures during the fall surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s largest trade association representing craft breweries is encouraging consumers to include visits to local breweries as they kickstart their holiday shopping.

The Brewers Association has postponed registration for next year’s Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America until early 2021, according to an update on the conference website. “We are working hard, having ongoing conversations with the host city of San Diego and paying close attention to information regarding the evolving nature of this pandemic, and how it affects live events such as ours,” the BA wrote.

The Brewers Association announced last week the winners of five available seats on its board of directors. Orders of sparkling wine and champagne spiked on Saturday when news networks called the presidential election for former vice president Joe Biden, according to on-demand alcohol delivery marketplace Drizly.