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New Belgium Announces Distribution in Massachusetts in 2017

New Belgium Announces Distribution in Massachusetts in 2017

Massachusetts’ love affair with New Belgium will begin just in time for Valentine’s Day. The Fort Collins-based, bike-friendly brewery announced today that it will begin distribution throughout the Bay State starting February 13, 2017. (The company has a second production brewery located in Asheville, North Carolina.)

Ex-Surly Employees to Open Barrel Theory Beer Company

Ex-Surly Employees to Open Barrel Theory Beer Company

Two more employees have left Minneapolis’ Surly Brewing Company, with their sights set on opening a brewery in St. Paul’s growing Lowertown neighborhood in 2017.

Brett Splinter, Surly’s former director of technology, and brewer Timmy Johnson have announced plans to open a 10-barrel brewhouse, a 90-seat tasting room and a 4,000 sq. ft. cellar dedicated to barrel-aging.

Shelton Brothers Files Lawsuit Against Craft Brewers Guild

Shelton Brothers Files Lawsuit Against Craft Brewers Guild

The latest twist in Massachusetts’ pay-for-play scandal came Friday as beer importer Shelton Brothers filed a lawsuit against Craft Brewers Guild, owned by Sheehan Family Companies, alleging that the Everett, Mass.-based wholesaler’s “unfair and illegal” practices cost its company $1.7 million in potential sales, according to the Boston Globe. The lawsuit comes eight months after… Read more »

Editor’s Note: Choice Matters, But So Does Context

Editor’s Note: Choice Matters, But So Does Context

When asked during last week’s earnings call whether or not the U.S. craft market was reaching an “inflection point,” Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Carlos Brito responded by speculating that consumers might one day “get a bit tired of so much choice.” That sound bite — which was part of a two-minute long response about the growth of craft, A-B’s activity in the segment and thoughts on how the category is continuing to evolve — would eventually get picked up by beverage industry website just-drinks.com, igniting a hailstorm of hot takes in the process.

Last Call: Revolver, Brooklyn, and Others Expand; Harriet Brewing to Close

Last Call: Revolver, Brooklyn, and Others Expand; Harriet Brewing to Close

Another member of MillerCoors’ Tenth & Blake division is setting up shop near a Major League Baseball stadium. Texas’ Revolver Brewing plans to open a brewery inside the forthcoming entertainment district being developed by the Texas Rangers and the Cordish Companies in Arlington, Texas.

Undeterred by DOJ Scrutinies, A-B Snatches Another Craft Brewery

Undeterred by DOJ Scrutinies, A-B Snatches Another Craft Brewery

Anheuser-Busch InBev today announced it would purchase Karbach Brewing Company, the fastest-growing craft brewery in Texas and the ninth to join A-B’s ever-expanding High End division. Specific financial terms of the transaction were not disc

CBA Earnings: Continued Kona Growth Offsets Steep Redhook and Widmer Declines

CBA Earnings: Continued Kona Growth Offsets Steep Redhook and Widmer Declines

Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) today released its third quarter earnings results, which were highlighted by a 12.7 percent increase in Kona Brewing shipments and a portfolio-wide net sales growth of 1.1 percent percent compared to the same period in 2015. In a press release, CEO Andy Thomas once again touted the company’s “Kona Plus” strategy — one that combines a nationwide sales effort for the Hawaiian-themed brand with a regional sales approach for strategic partners Cisco Brewers and Appalachian Mountain as well as the more established Widmer Brothers and Redhook labels.

Two Roads Embarks on $12 Million Expansion Project

Two Roads Embarks on $12 Million Expansion Project

Two Roads Brewing Company today said it would spend $12 million to expand its operations with the addition of a new 25,000 sq. ft. brewery and barrel-aging facility adjacent to its existing location in Stratford, Connecticut. Situated on 2.5 acres, the new facility — which the company said would be dedicated to the production of sour and barrel-aged beers — will feature a 50-barrel brewhouse, foeders, a coolship and space for 2,000 wooden barrels.

Constellation Brands to Buy Grupo Modelo Brewing Facility for $600 Million

Constellation Brands to Buy Grupo Modelo Brewing Facility for $600 Million

Constellation Brands, which owns the Corona and Modelo brand rights in the U.S., today announced plans to purchase the Obregon, Mexico brewery from Grupo Modelo, an Anheuser-Busch InBev subsidiary, for $600 million. In a press statement, the company said it would submit a proposal to the U.S. Department of Justice, and also noted that the brewery purchase would allow Constellation to “become fully independent from the interim supply agreement with Grupo Modelo.”