Stay informed on the latest beer industry, legislative, government affairs and legal news, including updates on the Brewers Association and NBWA. Understand the evolving beverage alcohol regulatory and legal environment that can directly impact your distribution, retail efforts, intellectual property, packaging and ingredients.
Submit Legislative News
If you have insights into recent regulatory or legislative news related to the beer or beverage-alcohol industry, please submit your news to your team.
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.
The buyer of Cincinnati Beverage Co. (CinBev) and its portfolio of craft beer brands has finally come forward.
A judge has ruled in favor of Anheuser-Busch InBev and dismissed the deceptive advertising lawsuit Molson Coors (then-MillerCoors) filed against the world’s largest beer manufacturer over its 2019 Super Bowl campaign.
A confluence of factors – the reopening of the on-premise channel, distributed packaging sales, and monetary relief from the federal government – helped boost many of the country’s regional craft breweries to growth in 2021. Nearly four-fifths of the regional craft brewers beyond the top 50 increased production in 2021, according to data published in the May/June edition of the Brewers Association’s (BA) New Brewer magazine.
Following the Brewers Association’s (BA) annual Craft Brewers Conference, general counsel Marc Sorini and federal affairs director Katie Marisic join the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the trade group’s legislative agenda and what’s on the regulatory horizon for the craft beer industry.
As the on-premise began to reanimate after a year of pandemic-driven closures and restrictions, 28 of the top 50 Brewers Association-defined (BA) craft breweries posted volume increases in 2021, according to data published today in the May/June edition of the trade group’s New Brewer magazine. Last year, the BA reported craft beer’s volume declined -9% in 2020 – the first time the trade group that represents the nation’s small and independent breweries recorded a volume loss in the industry’s modern era – and a majority (36) of the top 50 saw their output decline compared to 2019.
Large regional breweries that fall outside of the BA’s definition of a craft brewer collectively produced more than 8.64 million barrels of beer in 2021, a +2% increase on a comparable basis, according to data provided by the trade organization. The BA excludes companies that are at least 25% owned by a larger brewing company from its craft brewery data set and sets a production ceiling for BA-defined craft brewers at 6 million barrels.
Minnesota’s largest craft brewers will finally be able to sell growlers of beer to-go, while smaller brewers will be able to sell 4- and 6-packs after Gov. Tim Walz signed into law a liquor reform bill on Sunday.
New Belgium has completed several upgrades at its LEED-certified production brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, including the addition of a large solar installation, the company announced today.
Charlotte’s Sycamore Brewing and San Diego’s Stone Brewing have agreed to end their trademark infringement lawsuit over the phrase “Keep It Juicy,” according to a May 13 court filing.
Vermont lawmakers have advanced a bill to lower taxes on and grant wider market access to spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails.
Athletic Achieves B-Corp Status Non-alcoholic beer maker Athletic Brewing Company has achieved Certified B Corporation status, which the organization says means a “business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.” “Being able to identify as a B… Read more »
The trademark battle between Stone Brewing and Charlotte-based Sycamore Brewing continues as the country’s ninth largest craft brewer filed a counterclaim alleging that Sycamore has “stolen” the “Keep It Juicy” trademark it claims Stone has no right to use.
Marc Sorini, general counsel for the Brewers Association (BA), and Katie Marisic, BA director of federal affairs, gave members a rundown on pending legislation and new regulations in 2022, during the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Minneapolis last week.
Winners of the World Beer Cup – an international beer competition organized by the Brewers Association (BA) – were announced Thursday for the first time since 2018, at the conclusion of Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Minneapolis.
