Legislative, Government Affairs & Legal Updates

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Featured Legislative, Government Affairs & Legal Updates Content

Bart Watson: If You’re Trying to Ride Out This Wave, ‘You Should Probably Reconsider’

Bart Watson: If You’re Trying to Ride Out This Wave, ‘You Should Probably Reconsider’

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.

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NielsenIQ: Craft Beer Dollar Share Online Nearly Twice In-Store Share

NielsenIQ: Craft Beer Dollar Share Online Nearly Twice In-Store Share

Consumers spent $97 million on craft beer through e-commerce in 2020, which accounted for 24% of all beer category dollar sales online. In brick-and-mortar stores, however, craft beer makes up 12.6% of all dollar sales. In fact, craft has the second largest dollar share behind flavored malt beverages (32%), which include hard seltzers.

Restaurants Act Introduced in Congress; Breweries Would Be Eligible for Grants

Restaurants Act Introduced in Congress; Breweries Would Be Eligible for Grants

A new version of the Restaurants Act, which would provide $120 billion in grants to bars and restaurants, was introduced in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on February 4. The bill now includes “brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms, and licensed facilities or premises of a beverage alcohol producer where the public may taste, sample, or purchase products,” the Brewers Association said.

Brewers Association Asks Can Manufacturers Institute for More Transparency Amid Aluminum Can Shortage

Brewers Association Asks Can Manufacturers Institute for More Transparency Amid Aluminum Can Shortage

The Brewers Association (BA) is urging the Can Manufacturing Institute (CMI) to ensure that small and independent craft brewers have access to aluminum cans amid the years-long inventory crunch beverage producers are now facing. In a letter to the CMI, BA president and CEO Bob Pease painted a dire picture for the nation’s nearly 8,400 craft brewers. “These businesses will simply not survive that long without cans,” he wrote.

NielsenIQ: Off-Premise Beer Category Dollar Sales Up Through First Weeks of 2021

NielsenIQ: Off-Premise Beer Category Dollar Sales Up Through First Weeks of 2021

Off-premise beer category dollar sales increased 15.7% year-to-date through January 23, compared to the same period last year, market research firm NielsenIQ reported. For the four weeks ending January 23 (which includes December 28-31, 2020), off-premise dollars sales of the beer category — which includes core beer, flavored malt beverages, hard seltzers, ciders and malt liquor — increased 14.2%, indicating slight acceleration after January 1.

VPX-Owned Brand Quash Seltzer Sues PepsiCo

VPX-Owned Brand Quash Seltzer Sues PepsiCo

VPX Pharmaceuticals took its legal battle against PepsiCo to a second front this week as VPX-aligned company Quash Seltzer LLC filed a lawsuit alleging the conglomerate has threatened its prospective distribution partners out of doing business.

Nielsen CGA: Half of Legal Drinking Age Consumers Have Not Returned to On-Premise Channel

Nielsen CGA: Half of Legal Drinking Age Consumers Have Not Returned to On-Premise Channel

The number of legal drinking age adults who have visited on-premise establishments has remained stagnant at around 50% for several months, according to a report from Nielsen CGA, the on-premise arm of market research firm NielsenIQ. In the two weeks leading up to the January 8-10 survey period, 50% of respondents said they had gone out for a meal, which was the same number as those who had been out to a restaurant in the two weeks prior.

Drinking occasions remain less popular — 17% of respondents had gone out for a drink in the two weeks before the January 8-10 survey, an increase of 1% from the previous survey. Only 41% of respondents said they planned to visit a restaurant in the two weeks following the survey, but 18% said they would go out for a drink.

Brewers Association Postpones Craft Brewers Conference Until September 2021, Moves Event to Denver

Brewers Association Postpones Craft Brewers Conference Until September 2021, Moves Event to Denver

The Brewers Association announced today that it will postpone its annual Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) and Brew Expo America until September and move the event to Denver from San Diego, where it had been planned for late March. The 2021 edition of CBC is now slated to be held September 9-12, pending health and safety protocols.

Large Beer Manufacturers, Trade Groups Review Campaign Spending Following Attack on Congress

Large Beer Manufacturers, Trade Groups Review Campaign Spending Following Attack on Congress

Corporate America is reassessing its campaign spending in the wake of a rally-turned-riot at the U.S. Capitol last week by supporters of President Donald Trump that left five people — including a Capitol police officer — dead. Within the beer industry, the two largest beer manufacturers in the U.S. told Brewbound that they will review their spending.