Explore the world of craft beer, from performance reports and innovation tactics to the state of the industry and breaking news.
Anyone looking for an answer to when craft’s current era of compounding hurdles and declines will come to an end received a reality check Wednesday during Brewers Association (BA) president and CEO Bart Watson’s state of the industry address, held at the start of Day 2 of the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Indianapolis.
Around 10,000 industry members are expected to make the trip to Indianapolis for the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America (April 28 to May 1). The gathering takes place against a backdrop of growing headwinds for craft breweries and an overhaul of CBC’s host organization, the Brewers Association.
Craft’s rolling four-week losses improved to start 2025, according to the most recent report from market research firm Circana. The segment’s off-premise dollar sales declined -3.1% and volume, measured in case sales, declined -4.6% in the four-week period ending January 26 (L4W) at multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience stores (MULO+C). That marked an improvement over the prior four-week period (through December 29, 2024), when craft dollars declined -5.1% and volume declined -6.5%.
Monster-owned Oskar Blues is taking it easy for its 2025 innovation slate. The brewery’s two newest offerings are Dale’s Easy IPA (4.9% ABV) and Designated Dale’s NA Pils, the brand’s first-ever non-alcoholic (NA) beer. Both are rolling out this month, and mark a continuation of Oskar Blues’ transformation of Dale’s into a brand family. “After… Read more »
Craft declines continue to soften in off-premise scans, according to market research firm Circana. Craft dollar sales in Circana-tracked off-premise channels (multi-outlet + convenience) declined -3.6% and volume -5.4% year-over-year (YoY) in the four-week period ending October 6.
Georgetown Brewing has acquired Timber City Ginger, a fellow Seattle-based ginger beer maker, the brewery announced today. Ten-year-old Timber City’s portfolio includes both non-alcoholic (NA) and hard ginger beer, both of which Georgetown plans to continue producing.
Boston-based Dorchester Brewing is wrapping up its contract brewing business, the company announced last week. The brewery opened in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood in 2016 with a dual business model of contract production and brewing under its own brand for distribution and taproom service.
Gulf Stream Brewing Company is in the midst of its biggest year yet. Co-founder Sharee Eriks discusses how getting a major grocery chain placement has affected business, what the brewery is doing to keep up with demand and what it’s doing to build awareness in Brewbound’s A Round With Q&A.
Boulevard Brewing is looking to the final frontier for its 2025 brand plan. The Duvel USA-owned, Kansas City, Missouri-based craft brewery has elevated its Space Camper brand family to its No. 1 priority, executives shared during a live-streamed presentation of its annual business plan for wholesalers last week.
The “diversification” of craft brewery portfolios with beyond beer products “is a good thing,” according to American Homebrewers Association (AHA) executive director Julia Herz, who kicked off Boston Beer Company’s annual media brunch in Denver last week during the Great American Beer Festival (GABF).
More than 270 breweries and cideries won medals at the Brewers Association’s (BA) Great American Beer Festival (GABF) on Saturday in Denver. The BA awarded 326 medals to 273 competitors in the 38th year of the competition and 42nd year of the festival.
As the 2024-2025 season of the National Basketball Association begins, the league’s Sacramento Kings will have a new partner: Blue Lake, California-based Paskenta Mad River Brewery, which is tribally owned. In the latest A Round With – an exclusive Q&A series for Brewbound Insiders – Paskenta Mad River general manager Linda Cooley discusses the brewery’s identity, its connection to the Native community and how the Kings partnership shaped up.
The formal union of Jack’s Abby and Night Shift Brewing had an air of inevitability. Night Shift co-founder Rob Burns and HFB co-owner Sam Hendler discussed the whys of the deal, how scale will change HFB’s business relationships and what’s next.
Craft breweries made an average of $1,511.35 in total revenue per barrel of beer sold in 2023, according to the Brewers Association’s (BA) financial benchmarking survey.
Jack’s Abby and Hendler Family Brewing Company (HFB) are adding another Massachusetts brewery to their portfolio. HFB has agreed to purchase Everett, Massachusetts-based Night Shift Brewing. Financial details were not disclosed.
Allagash Brewing is opening up its playbook in 2025 to hit key growth areas within craft. The Portland, Maine-based craft brewery’s lineup for next year includes the addition of Allagash Lager and Hazy IPA to the company’s year-round lineup, as well as a year-round variety pack that will be available across the company’s Northeast footprint.
Crowns & Hops has stepped away from the Circle of Crowns Beverage Group (CCBG), the strategic alliance that was formed earlier this year with fellow California-based and Black-owned beverage brand Full Circle Brewing, as well as the latter’s sibling brands Speakeasy Ales and Lagers and Sonoma Cider.
