It took 18 months, but Brew Hub has finally selected a site for its second “partner” brewing facility. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Brew Hub’s development partner, Green Street, has a “letter of intent to acquire a 7-acre property at the southwest corner of Chesterfield Airport Road and Spirit of St. Louis Boulevard.”
A-B to Divest SABMiller’s CR Snow Stake; New Locations on the Way for Some Established Craft Brewers; Sand Creek Brewing Acquires 2 Smaller Brands; New Belgium Celebrates 25th Anniversary with “Riff-Pack”…
Anheuser-Busch InBev this week announced changes to a U.S. division it calls “The High End,” eliminating the “CEO of Craft” position previously held by longtime executive Andy Goeler. Goeler, who had been focused on growing A-B’s involvement in the craft category, will transition into an expanded vice president of marketing role, working directly with both the company’s acquired craft breweries as well as brands like Stella Artois and Shock Top.
Craft Beer Guild LLC — a Massachusetts beer wholesaler responsible for selling about 200 craft brands from around the U.S. — has agreed to pay more than $2 million for violating state laws that prohibit unfair trade practices and illegal activities, the Boston Globe reported. The Globe, citing a person familiar with the wholesaler’s operations, said the fine was about $2.6 million. That amount also includes sales made via its “Craft New Hampshire” operation, the ABCC and Craft Beer Guild confirmed.
In March, Wachusett Brewing – via its newly established Craft Cocktail Company DBA — will introduce a line of hard seltzer products under the “Nauti Seltzer” brand identity. Positioning it as a “healthy alternative in the hard soda category,” the 110 calorie, five percent ABV Nauti Seltzer offerings – which will come in raspberry, lemon-lime, grapefruit and cranberry flavors — will have a national focus from the onset and are aimed at health-conscious consumers looking for an alternative to traditional beer.
In this week’s edition of Last Call: Harlem Brewing has inked a 39-store deal with Walmart, Brooklyn could leave Williamsburg in 2025, the Iowa Senate has passed a growler freedom bill and more hard soda is on the way.
The clock is winding down on Craft Beer Guild LLC, the Boston-area beer distributor that earlier this month was handed a 90-day license suspension for violating state laws that prohibit illegal pay-to-play schemes. The clock is winding down on Craft Beer Guild LLC, the Boston-area beer distributor that earlier this month was handed a 90-day license suspension for violating state laws that prohibit illegal pay-to-play schemes. The wholesaler, which is responsible for selling about 200 craft brands throughout Boston, Central and Western Massachusetts, has until Wednesday, March 2 to decide if it will pay a fine equal to 50 percent of gross profits over the 90-day period in lieu of serving a suspension.
Colorado’s Left Hand Brewing will enter Louisiana next month, the 36th state where the company’s products are sold. The brewery has inked an agreement with Crescent Crown Distributing LLC. for coverage throughout the state. California’s Knee Deep Brewing, meanwhile, this week announced a foray into Florida, signing with Crafty Connoisseurs Distributing for coverage throughout the southeastern region of the state.
Small Brewers Caucus Asks DOJ to Review MegaBrew Deal; Perrin Brewing Enters First Out-of-State Market; Ace Cider up 30 Percent in 2015; BrewDog to Sell 20 Percent of U.S. Operations via Crowdfunding
Craft deal-mania is officially back. Just days after Pennsylvania’s Victory Brewing announced it would merge with New York’s Southern Tier to form the family office-backed Artisanal Brewing Ventures, a pair of established breweries — Chicago’s Goose Island and Delaware-based brewpub chain Iron Hill — today announced transactions of their own.
Though Boston Beer’s total shipments increased four percent, to 4.2 million barrels in 2015, the company struggled to grow in the fourth quarter as depletions dipped three percent compared to 2014. Net revenues also dipped one percent during the quarter, to $215.1 million, the company said in an earnings announcement. Citing declines across its Samuel Adams and Angry Orchard brands, Boston Beer shipments also decreased 3 percent during the fourth quarter, to 958,000 barrels. Those declines were partially offset by growth across its Coney Island, Twisted Tea, and Traveler brands, the company said.
Illinois’ Destihl Brewery is making a multi-million dollar bet on growing consumer interest in sour beer. Slated to open in early 2017, Destihl plans to build a 47,000 sq. ft. brewing facility in Normal, Illinois that will feature a “highly specialized ‘dual’ 60-barrel and 120-barrel brewhouse” designed to accommodate increased production of the company’s line of kettle-soured beers.
To commemorate 30 years of brewing and to celebrate New Orleans’ distinct identity, Abita Brewing has introduced a new set of packages that will “reflect the culture and heritage of the brewery’s neighboring city.” In a statement, the Louisiana-based craft brewery said it would begin shipping rebranded core products — which have also returned to traditional cardboard basket carriers — this month.
Here’s your first craft beer deal of 2016: Victory Brewing and Southern Tier Brewing will combine to form Artisanal Brewing Ventures (ABV), a private-equity backed holding company formed by Southern Tier founders Phineas and Sara DeMink and Ulysses Management LLC. Southern Tier had previously sold a majority stake to the New York-based family office in 2014.
