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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.
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (SGWS) has consistently charged independent retailers as much as 12% to 67% more than national and regional chains for the same products, according to newly unsealed redactions in the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) price discrimination case against the distributor.
Virginia state lawmakers are considering a pair of bills that would require retailers to keep alcoholic versions of non-alcoholic beverages, such as Hard MTN Dew, Fresca Mixed, Simply Spiked and Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, separate from their counterparts, according to Pluribus News.
Data and economy experts from 3 Tier Beverages, NielsenIQ’s CGA and the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) gave attendees insights into the state of the bev-alc industry and cider’s potential growth opportunities during the 13th annual CiderCon, held last week in Chicago.
California lawmakers have introduced a bill that would allow wine and beer retailers to sell spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages that are lower than 10% ABV and in containers no larger than 16 oz.
A year-long legal dispute between rapper and business tycoon Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Bacardi was finally resolved on Friday when the spirits giant announced it has agreed to acquire the majority of Cognac venture D’ussé, with Carter retaining a significant ownership stake through his company SCLiquor.
San Diego-headquartered Kings & Convicts Brewing, which acquired Ballast Point from Constellation Brands in late 2019, will vacate the Encinitas taproom and Miramar production facility it took over from Molson Coors in January 2022.
Last Call: Self-Distribution Inches Closer in Virginia; NA Beer +26% During Dry January on Drizly; Beast Unleashed Distribution Contract Critiqued
Single-serve cans and 12-pack cans gained the most share among package formats for beer from Brewers Association-defined independent craft breweries, chief economist Bart Watson wrote in his annual packaging trends report.
Consumers have filed a class action lawsuit against spirits giant Sazerac claiming the company’s malt-based Fireball Cinnamon has misled them because it lacks the whisky base of its parent brand, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.
Following the news of spirits giant Sazerac’s transition from wine and spirits wholesaler Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) to several beer wholesalers, the producer is suing its former distributor for nonpayment of $38.6 million.
The number of brewer’s notices issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) increased by 732 in 2022, the smallest increase since 2023, Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson noted.
The Brewers Association (BA) will increase the cost of membership for the first time in nearly two decades, the organization reminded members Wednesday. New prices – which are tiered according to brewery size – will go into effect February 1.
Even as A-B hopes for a rediscovery of Bud Light, the company is preparing for Michelob Ultra, its second best-selling brand, to overtake Bud Light as its best-selling brand within the next five years, Anheuser-Busch InBev U.S. CMO Benoit Garbe said.
The National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA) Beer Purchasers’ Index “recorded its lowest index reading” in December 2022, with a reading of 30, while the index for inventory “at-risk” of going out of code hit 51, which the trade group said “makes a very pessimistic outlook for January 2023.”
The Brewer Association (BA) has served its last SAVOR, the organization’s formerly annual food and beer pairing event, it announced today.
