Top Features

Major U.S. events and celebrations in May led to large upticks in on-premise visits, according to the latest consumer survey from CGA, a market research firm that tracks on-premise sales.

Over the weekend, several breweries named in accounts of misogyny and misbehavior within the beer industry released statements. The leaders of Philadelphia-based Evil Genius Beer Company issued a statement on the brewery’s Instagram account on Saturday, May 22, that acknowledged past mismanagement and outlined the company’s next steps to improve its culture. Pollyanna Brewing Company, which announced the departure of former president and CEO Paul Ciciora last week, shared that it had since learned of “numerous allegations regarding Paul Ciciora and sexual misconduct.”

Sparkling hard tea and canned cocktail company Loverboy has filed a civil suit against Night Shift Distributing (NSD), citing fraud and breach of contract, in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on May 7.

As more stories of workplace harassment and toxicity come to light in the craft beer industry, more companies have responded this week either terminating employees, announcing investigations, issuing apologies or statements of support for the victims. Brienne Allan has been sharing stories from the beer and restaurant industries of workplace harassment, assaults and toxicity on her Instagram account, @ratmagnet, now for the last 10 days, amounting to about 1,000 stories.

Just how big a part of the beer category could hard seltzer be by 2025? It depends on who you ask. During this month’s Beverage Forum, Anthony Von Mandl and Jim Koch, the leaders of the companies that produce the two largest hard seltzer brands, White Claw and Truly, respectively, offered differing projections, according to analysts’ reports.

The BA is accepting grant applications on a rolling basis through November 1. The trade group’s Philanthropy and Outreach Subcommittee — a newly formed division of the organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee — will consider applications each month.

As allegations of sexual harassment, assault and other workplace hostilities continue to come to light on social media, the Brewers Association (BA) announced Wednesday several initiatives to combat the seemingly pervasive toxicity in the craft beer industry.

Jacob McKean, the founder and CEO of Modern Times, has resigned from his role after the San Diego craft brewery was named several times as a hostile workplace on a social media account that began sharing industry employees’ experiences of widespread sexism in the beer industry.

Sierra Nevada VP of sales Nick Lundquist has resigned from the company “to pursue other opportunities,” according to a note shared with wholesalers by Joe Whitney, the Chico, California-headquartered craft brewery’s chief commercial officer.

A chain reaction of personnel changes is beginning to course through several breweries, set off in recent days by a social media account’s mounting collection of hundreds of stories of widespread sexism in the beer industry.

Portfolio holding company Seattle Hospitality Group (SHG) has invested in Seattle’s Pike Brewing Company.

Lunar co-founders Sean Ro and Kevin Wong were a couple drinks in, reminiscing about the “before times” — when COVID-19 hadn’t locked down the country, halting travel — when they thought up their next flavor launch for their up-and-coming hard seltzer brand.

The founders of Ninkasi Brewing Company have reacquired the majority stake in the business they sold in April 2019 to Legacy Breweries.

Heineken and several of its subsidiaries have dropped their trademark infringement complaint against Biscayne Bay Brewing and signed a covenant not to sue the Miami-based craft brewery. “The parties have jointly agreed to resolve their trademark dispute,” a Heineken spokesperson told Brewbound.