Alabama Senate Reviewing Direct Sales Bill; Maine Brewpubs Denied Off-Premise Sales; Oklahoma Looks to Update Three-Tier System Laws; Missouri State Reps Consider Cold Beer Bill
Former Popchips CEO and the snack brand’s current co-chairman, Paul Davis, has joined Craft Brew Alliance’s board of directors, the beer company announced yesterday. Davis, whose resume includes running companies like Coinstar/Redbox, Kettle Foods and Barilla America, brings more than “three decades of consumer packaged goods experience” to the CBA board, the company said in a statement.
Cigar City, a leading independent brewery based in Tampa, Fla., has agreed to sell controlling interest to Boston-based private equity firm Fireman Capital Partners, which already owns majority stakes in Oskar Blues, Perrin Brewing and the Utah Brewers Cooperative outfit that includes the Wasatch and Squatters brands. Together, the five craft breweries make up what the firm calls United Craft Brews LLC., a holding company and special purpose fund set up specifically for craft brewery acquisitions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and the transaction is expected to close within the next 90 days.
The pay-to-play saga continues in Massachusetts. 10 days after agreeing to pay a $2.6 million fine for violating state laws that prohibit unfair trade practices and illegal pay-to-play activities, the Craft Beer Guild of Massachusetts, which also does business as Craft Brewers Guild, has filed a complaint with the state’s Suffolk County Superior Court.
Georgia Lawmaker Sponsors Resolution to Study Liquor Laws; Oil Giant Sunoco to Open New York Malt House; Milwaukee Brewing to open new brewery on old Pabst Campus; New Beer Gardens for Cleveland Indians; Deschutes’ East Coast Announcement Expected Soon
In an effort to fill demand, Tree House will build a sizeable new brewery capable of eventually producing more than 125,000 barrels per year. In a blog posted to the company’s website on Tuesday, co-founder Nate Lanier detailed the company’s plans to build a 45,000 sq. ft. brewing facility in Charlton, Mass. Complete with a 50-barrel brewhouse and fermentation tanks as large as 240 barrels, the new brewery will initially be capable of producing 30,000 barrels annually, a significant increase from the 11,000 barrels Tree House will make in 2016.
He doesn’t always retire. But when he does, he prefers it to be on Mars. Jonathan Goldsmith, the 77-year old actor best known for his role as Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World,” will appear in his final commercial for the Mexican-themed beer brand owned by Dutch brewer Heineken, on Thursday
About two and a half hours north of Miami, there’s a small brewery where every beer on tap is made with citrus. Calling itself a “grove to glass craft beer project,” Orchid Island Brewery views itself as the Floridian equivalent of a Belgian farmhouse brewery. The company pays homage to Florida’s rich history of citrus growers by sourcing grapefruit, oranges and other citrus fruits from local growers.
Boulevard Brewing today announced it would add Michigan to a growing national footprint that now includes 35 states. The company has signed with Imperial Beverage for statewide coverage and expects to begin shipping beer next month. In a press statement, Boulevard also said it would enter Kentucky with Beer House Distributors, part of the Sheehan Family Companies, a move that was announced alongside a handful of planned market entries at the end of last year.
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.
