Massachusetts

Craft Collective and Homegrown Distribution Strike ‘Tentative’ Deal to Merge

Craft Collective and Homegrown Distribution Strike ‘Tentative’ Deal to Merge

Two New England craft-centric distributors are expected to merge operations. Craft Collective and Homegrown Distribution, which both have statewide coverage in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, “have reached a tentative agreement to combine operations, subject to regulatory approval,” leaders from both wrote in a letter to suppliers dated today obtained by Brewbound. “The purpose of our… Read more »

Judge Grants Gopuff’s Request for Preliminary Injunction in Massachusetts, Blocks Liquor License Revocation

Judge Grants Gopuff’s Request for Preliminary Injunction in Massachusetts, Blocks Liquor License Revocation

A Massachusetts Superior Court Judge on Friday granted Gopuff’s request for a preliminary injunction, blocking for now the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission’s (ABCC) attempt to revoke the e-commerce retailer’s liquor license for allegedly selling and delivering alcoholic beverages to underage consumers in the Bay State.

Mass. Bay Brewing and Massachusetts Brewers Guild Debut Diversity & Inclusion Resource for Local Breweries

Mass. Bay Brewing and Massachusetts Brewers Guild Debut Diversity & Inclusion Resource for Local Breweries

Mass. Bay Brewing Company and the Massachusetts Brewers Guild (MBG) have launched Hop Forward Equality, a website with resources and a job board with the goal of creating a more diverse and equitable industry and consumer base for Bay State breweries. “We have to ask ourselves why, and we have to do a better job truly encompassing and embracing our communities,” MBG executive director Katie Stinchon said in a press release.

Massachusetts Legislative Session Extended, Leaving Hope for Franchise Law Reform

Massachusetts Legislative Session Extended, Leaving Hope for Franchise Law Reform

The clock seemed to expire last week on Massachusetts craft brewers’ hopes of finally achieving franchise law reform. After finally reaching a compromise with wholesalers after a decade of contentious negotiations, the measure (S. 2841) unanimously passed the Senate but couldn’t get out of the House Ways and Means Committee before the expiration of the legislative session last Friday.

Massachusetts Franchise Law Reform Among New Guild President’s Priorities in 2020

Massachusetts Franchise Law Reform Among New Guild President’s Priorities in 2020

Newly named Massachusetts Brewers Guild’s president Sam Hendler wants to finally resolve the contentious franchise reform debate with the state’s wholesalers. Hendler, a co-founder and co-owner of Framingham, Massachusetts-based craft breweries Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers and the Springdale Beer Company, acknowledged that the franchise law reform effort has been dragging on long before he was of legal drinking age. “I was a high school senior when it started,” he told Brewbound.

Small Massachusetts Craft Breweries Face Closures, Bankruptcy

Small Massachusetts Craft Breweries Face Closures, Bankruptcy

The last few months have proven tumultuous for a handful of Massachusetts craft breweries. Although some beer companies in the Commonwealth have recently announced expansions and new locations, others have experienced financial difficulties. Earlier this week, Chelsea-based Mystic Brewing announced it will close on October 19. Meanwhile, Somerville Brewing filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in… Read more »

Lord Hobo Launches First 18-Pack, Eyes 50,000 Barrels in 2019

Lord Hobo Launches First 18-Pack, Eyes 50,000 Barrels in 2019

Lord Hobo Brewing Company is hoping the release of its first 18-pack and a vintage muscle car giveaway will help it accelerate beyond the 50,000-barrel threshold in 2019. The Massachusetts craft brewery launched 18-packs of Freebird, a new year-round golden ale that clocks in at 5.5 percent ABV, last Friday at its brewery and taproom in Woburn. Speaking to Brewbound, Lord Hobo director of new markets Rob Day said Freebird 18-packs — at a suggested retail price of $20 — are the company’s first foray into the “affordable, larger-package format.”

Trillium to Open Farm Brewery in Connecticut

Trillium to Open Farm Brewery in Connecticut

Nearly two years after publicly declaring an interest in opening a farmhouse brewery in Connecticut, popular Massachusetts craft beer maker Trillium Brewing Company has purchased a farm in North Stonington, about two hours outside of Boston. In a blog post, JC and Esther Tetreault, the husband-and-wife team that co-founded Trillium in 2013, said they bought the farm in order to fulfill their dream of opening a farm brewery near where they were married in the pastoral region of Connecticut.