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.

Additional Content

FDA Menu-Labeling Requirements Finally Go into Effect

FDA Menu-Labeling Requirements Finally Go into Effect

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s new menu labeling rules took effect today, ushering in a new wave of requirements for chain retailers. Going forward, chain restaurants, grocery outlets, and convenience stores with more than 20 locations will be required to post caloric and nutritional information for beer as well as other food and drinks sold on-premise that are considered “standard menu items.”

New BA Diversity Ambassador Addresses CBC Crowd in Nashville

New BA Diversity Ambassador Addresses CBC Crowd in Nashville

One week after being named the Brewers Association’s new diversity ambassador, Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham presented to hundreds of Craft Brewers Conference attendees about the challenges of diversifying the brewing industry. “We all want to diversify craft beer,” she said, “but why is doing this so hard?”

Brewers Association to New Brewers: Set ‘Realistic’ Growth Expectations

Brewers Association to New Brewers: Set ‘Realistic’ Growth Expectations

In today’s craft beer environment, it pays to be a startup. According to Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson, breweries founded after 2014 are driving the majority of segment growth. Those breweries collectively added 916,000 barrels to the category in 2017, which represents growth of 52.6 percent versus 2016. Breweries founded before 2014, however, added 285,000 barrels to the craft segment and collectively grew just 1.3 percent.

CBC: Brewers Association Tackles Independence, ‘Big Beer’ on Day 1

CBC: Brewers Association Tackles Independence, ‘Big Beer’ on Day 1

The Brewers Association (BA) wants more beer companies to adopt the “independent craft brewer seal.” To help the effort, the non-for-profit trade group, which represents the interests of small and independent craft breweries, tripled down on its promotion of the indie badge during this year’s Craft Brewers Conference, taking place in Nashville.

11 Must-See CBC Seminars

11 Must-See CBC Seminars

Next week, more than 13,000 beer industry professionals are expected to travel to the 2018 Craft Brewers Conference, held in Nashville, Tennessee. The four-day event (April 30 to May 3), taking place at Music City Center (201 Fifth Ave South), officially kicks off Monday evening with a welcome reception at Fifth Avenue of the Arts (201 Fifth Avenue). Brewbound has selected 11 can’t-miss talks to keep you engaged during the week.

Brewers Association Names First Diversity Ambassador

Brewers Association Names First Diversity Ambassador

Building on its efforts to promote a more inclusive brewing industry, the Brewers Association (BA) today announced the appointment of Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham as its first diversity ambassador.

Beer Distributors Convene on Capitol Hill to Discuss Growth Strategies

Beer Distributors Convene on Capitol Hill to Discuss Growth Strategies

Leaders from the beer industry’s three largest trade associations are vowing once again to unite brewers and distributors in an effort to return the category to growth. Speaking to a group of nearly 700 U.S. beer distributors attending the annual National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) legislative conference on Monday in Washington, D.C., Beer Institute CEO Jim McGreevy called on industry members to work together to curb volume losses.

MillerCoors Responds, Calls Stone Brewing Trademark Suit ‘Meritless’

MillerCoors Responds, Calls Stone Brewing Trademark Suit ‘Meritless’

It took two months, but MillerCoors has finally responded to Stone Brewing’s trademark lawsuit. In February, the San Diego craft brewery filed a lawsuit against the multinational beer company alleging that its rebranded packaging and advertisements for the Keystone brand infringed upon Stone Brewing’s own “Stone” trademark. Early this morning, MillerCoors answered back with several counterclaims.

Brewers Association: Craft Export Growth Slows to Single-Digits in 2017

Brewers Association: Craft Export Growth Slows to Single-Digits in 2017

For the second consecutive year, U.S. craft beer exports grew in the low-single digits. However, growth of international shipments has slowed considerably as the export market has matured and competition from brewers in those foreign markets has increased. The Brewers Association (BA) announced Tuesday that U.S. craft beer exports grew 3.6 percent, to 482,309 barrels, in 2017.