The years-long legal battle between members of the Sheehan family over their eponymous multi-state distributor officially ended today in Massachusetts Superior Court when all parties agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice.
The Texas Supreme Court today declined to hear a constitutional challenge brought by three craft breweries to a 2013 state law that stripped beer companies of the ability to sell their distribution rights to wholesalers. The Institute for Justice, a law firm representing the three craft breweries, called the Supreme Court’s refusal to review the case today “a blow to the economic liberty of all Texans.”
In this week’s edition of Last Call: Nearly two weeks after lifting aluminum and steel tariffs imposed against Mexico and Canada, President Donald Trump has reversed course and announced plans to levy a 5 percent duty on all goods from Mexico over immigration — bringing the issue back into the taproom. Plus, North Coast co-founder Mark Ruedrich announces his retirement.
Following a federal judge’s ruling Friday evening, Anheuser-Busch InBev will be required to pull some Bud Light advertisements that suggest MillerCoors’ flagship light lagers, Miller Lite and Coors Light, contain corn syrup. Western District of Wisconsin Judge William Conley granted MillerCoors a “narrow in scope” preliminary injunction, blocking A-B from displaying billboards that say Bud Light contains “100% less corn syrup” than its rival’s lagers, as well as broadcasting a pair of television ads that he deemed “misleading.” The judge also denied A-B’s motion to dismiss the case.
In this week’s edition of Last Call: Brewers Association CEO Bob Pease weighs in on the Boston Beer-Dogfish Head deal; Rob Tod wins a James Beard award; Bell’s and Loveland head to arbitration; the Texas Senate strips to-go-sales amendment from a bill; and more industry news.
In the latest edition of Press Clips: The Boston Globe outlines the turmoil within the Craft Beer Cellar franchise; Texas beer-to-go sales amendment passes the House; Arcadia founder transfers brewery property ownership to its bank; and Anheuser-Busch responds to MillerCoors’ corn syrup lawsuit.
In this week’s Last Call: Patagonia sues Anheuser-Busch for trademark infringement; Stanford researchers find consumers more negatively view beer made by women; Maryland lawmakers pass franchise law reform and modernization bill; and more industry news.
Stone Brewing’s initial attempt to prevent MillerCoors from selling rebranded Keystone Light products has come up short. On Tuesday, a federal judge denied Stone’s motion for a preliminary injunction as well as the San Diego-based craft brewery’s attempt to dismiss MillerCoors’ counterclaims.
Big beer’s “corntroversy” is moving from television screens to the courtroom. MillerCoors today filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin that claims Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light Super Bowl ads and its subsequent “transparency” ads are part of a “false and misleading advertising campaign” aimed at deceiving health-conscious consumers.
In this week’s edition of Last Call: Actual Brewing files for bankruptcy; beer sales grow in January; Northern Eagle Beverage acquires New Jersey A-B wholesaler; class-action lawsuit filed against Molson Coors; and more industry news.
A century after the ratification of Prohibition, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could have wide-ranging effects on the three-tier system. On Wednesday, the court heard arguments in Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association vs. Blair. At issue in the case is the constitutionality of the state of Tennessee’s two-year residency requirement for obtaining a liquor license. Additionally, the state requires a decade of residency for the renewal of liquor licenses, which expire after one year.
In this week’s edition of Last Call: Schlafly apologizes to 4 Hands for executive’s hit piece; Costco discontinues Kirkland Light; the equipment of Olde Saratoga is sold piecemeal at auction for about $1 million; and more beer industry news.
After a month of arguments in a Milwaukee courtroom, Pabst Brewing Company and MillerCoors have settled a lawsuit that Pabst claimed could have put the 174-year-old beer company out of business. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
A month after an unauthorized press release cost Scofflaw Brewing an exporting opportunity with BrewDog in the United Kingdom, the Atlanta-based craft brewery is taking steps to repair its reputation abroad. Scofflaw recently hired Scotland-based Media House International, a PR firm that specializes in crisis management and public affairs to help rehab its image abroad. Speaking to Brewbound from the U.K. on Tuesday, Scofflaw co-founder Matt Shirah said he was meeting with various “beer people” in an attempt to secure a new export deal.
In this week’s Last Call: Canada lifts its tariff on U.S. aluminum cans; farmers and brewers downplay climate change’s effect on beer production and pricing; the Brewers Association lands Iron Maiden’s singer as CBC keynote speaker; and more news from the week.
