Legislative, Government Affairs & Legal Updates

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.

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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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Anheuser-Busch Accuses MillerCoors of Stealing Confidential Beer Recipes

Anheuser-Busch Accuses MillerCoors of Stealing Confidential Beer Recipes

The legal battle between the two largest beer makers in the U.S. escalated today, as Anheuser-Busch today accused MillerCoors of breaking state and federal laws by stealing trade secrets regarding beer recipes for its two top-selling brands, Bud Light and Michelob Ultra. In the heavily redacted 66-page amended complaint and counterclaim filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, A-B alleges that two of its former employees who now work for MillerCoors and its parent company Molson Coors either shared confidential trade secrets with their current employers or sought information from current employees about the making of A-B products.

Nielsen: Active Lifestyle Beers Offer Big Opportunity for Craft, IPAs Remain Dominant Style and Value Tops Volume

Nielsen: Active Lifestyle Beers Offer Big Opportunity for Craft, IPAs Remain Dominant Style and Value Tops Volume

Consumers are considering health and wellness more and drinking less but willing to spend more on alcoholic beverages when they do drink, members of market research firm Nielsen’s beverage alcohol team shared during last week’s Brewers Association Power Hour webinar. Here are three takeaways from Nielsen’s latest update on craft’s mid-year performance. Consumers More Mindful… Read more »

Hop Forward Career Fair Seeks to Diversify Massachusetts’ Brewing Industry

Hop Forward Career Fair Seeks to Diversify Massachusetts’ Brewing Industry

About 150 job seekers turned out Tuesday evening for the first-ever Hop Forward Career Fair, a networking event held at Mass Bay Brewing’s Harpoon Brewery in Boston’s Seaport District, with the goal of attracting candidates from under-represented communities into the craft beer industry.

Wrapping up the 2019 Great American Beer Festival

Wrapping up the 2019 Great American Beer Festival

About 60,000 people attended last week’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver, but the 2019 edition of national trade group the Brewers Association’s (BA) largest consumer-facing event may mark the last in which beer is the only featured alcoholic beverage.

Texas Brewers Report Boost from Beer-To-Go Sales Legalization

Texas Brewers Report Boost from Beer-To-Go Sales Legalization

Eighteen days after Texas’ new beer-to-go law went into effect, manufacturing brewers are reporting high levels of consumer enthusiasm for the opportunity to buy and take home packaged beers from taprooms.

Beer Growth initiative’s ‘Beers to That’ Campaign Launches in Austin

Beer Growth initiative’s ‘Beers to That’ Campaign Launches in Austin

After about four years of discussion, the stalled effort to launch a brand agnostic, pro-beer marketing campaign to improve category health officially kicked off today in Austin, Texas. The so-called Beer Growth Initiative, a coalition of the industry’s three trade groups — the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), Brewers Association (BA) and Beer Institute (BI) — as well as large and small beer companies also revealed its first slogan: “Beers to That.”

Nielsen: Total Beer Dollar Sales Grow 4.4% During Labor Day Week

Nielsen: Total Beer Dollar Sales Grow 4.4% During Labor Day Week

The key summer selling season ended on a high note for the beer category, as dollar sales of beer, cider and FMBs increased 4.4% in off-premise retailers during the Labor Day holiday week (ending August 31) compared to the same time last year, market research firm Nielsen reported.