COVID-19

Santa Rosa, California-based Russian River Brewing Company’s annual in-person Pliny the Younger release has been postponed, following a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Consumers looking for indoor dining in Boston will have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination beginning in 2022, according to a temporary public health order by Mayor Michelle Wu Monday.

Craft brewers should expect 2022 to be another year of disruptions due to a tumultuous supply chain and a wobbly return for draft beer sales, among other reasons, Brewers Association (BA) chief economist Bart Watson said during a Thursday webinar. While elevated at-the-brewery sales remain a bright spot for the craft beer industry, distribution sales… Read more »

Thanksgiving week gave dining and drinking establishments a boost on both the night before the holiday and the holiday itself, according to on-premise research firm CGA.

The Brewers Association (BA) will require attendees of its 2022 events to provide proof of vaccination for COVID-19 and will not accept negative test results as a substitute. “All events and competitions will have this requirement,” BA marketing and communications director Ann Obenchain told Brewbound. “There will be no negative test option.”

Bar and restaurant sales velocity in all key markets tracked by on-premise market research firm CGA declined week-over-week for the week ending October 30. “Average outlet [dollar] sales (velocity) trends have been slightly negative in recent weeks, following growth in September and the early part of October,” CGA wrote. “These recent trends continue to mirror 2019, suggesting that the country is experiencing normal seasonal trends.”

Draft beer sales volume declined -6.6% nationwide during the weekend of October 21-24, compared to the weekend of October 7-10, according to BeerBoard, which tracks draft sales at on-premise retailers across the country. Of the 10 key markets BeerBoard highlights in its reports, South Carolina (-11.1%) saw the steepest decline in volume, followed by Texas (-10.5%), Florida (-8.3%), Illinois (-7.7%), Minnesota (-7.3%), Nevada (-6.7%), and Georgia (-4.2%).

Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers must continue to sell its products to Atlantic Importing and Distributing of Rhode Island as the lawsuit between the two moves to trial, a Rhode Island Superior Court judge ruled Thursday.

Updates to the EIDL program include an increase of the loan cap from $500,000 to $2 million, the addition of a two-year repayment deferral period, an expansion of eligible uses for funds, and the creation of a 30-day exclusivity window to approve and disburse loans smaller than $500,000 to focus on the smallest businesses, according to a Brewers Association (BA) blog post.

Concerns about the delta variant are causing some consumers to avoid bars and restaurants, and the pandemic’s continuing effects have shifted days and times for consumers’ visits, on-premise market research firm CGA reported during a webinar last week.

Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) announced its solution to the “better-for-you” trend Thursday: Bud Light Next, a zero-carb beer slated for release in early 2022, according to CNN Business.

Los Angeles County will require proof of vaccination to be shown before patrons can enter breweries, wineries, indoor bars, nightclubs and lounges, according to FOX11. LA County public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer told the LA County Board of Supervisors Wednesday that the order will require patrons to have at least one dose of a vaccine for COVID-19 by October 7. Both doses will be required by November 4.

As part of President Joe Biden’s “COVID-19 action plan” announced last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing an “Emergency Temporary Standard” that will require employers of 100 or more employees to be fully vaccinated or require unvaccinated workers to undergo weekly testing before going to work.

The rise in COVID-19 cases driven by the highly contagious Delta variant has only deterred 15% of consumers from visiting on-premise establishments less frequently, market research firm CGA found.