The year was 1997 and San Diego’s Stone Brewing had just rolled out its Arrogant Bastard Ale, taunting consumers with a challenge: “This is an aggressive ale. You probably won’t like it,” the label read.
Add Upland Brewing to a growing list of craft breweries plucking top executive talent away from the world’s largest beer companies.
Pabst Brewing Company today announced its intent to construct a new brewery on the site of the original Pabst brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In a press release, the company said it plans to sign a multi-year lease on a building within the Pabst brewery “complex,” a mixed-use site that has already been partially redeveloped to include office buildings and hotel.
Ninkasi Brewing is broadening its footprint once again, this time to Texas. The Eugene, Ore.-based craft brewery today announced it has signed a distribution agreement with Andrews Distributing for full-time coverage in Dallas.
On the heels of a $7 million brewery expansion, fast-growing Virginia craft brewery Devils Backbone today announced it would expand distribution to neighboring North Carolina, beginning in August. The company also plans to launch in Tennessee and West Virginia later this year, as part an effort to enter five new states over the next 12 months, according to Hayes Humphreys, chief operating officer.
Already known for his prolific use of Twitter, Lagunitas founder Tony Magee has unshackled himself from the 140-character limits of the Twitterverse and setup shop on Tumblr, a free “microblogging” platform. The outspoken owner of one of the fastest-growing craft breweries in America has published four entries since first launching the blog, “Fermenting Ideas of Order,” on July 9.
After Silver Eagle Distributors increased its keg deposit price by 20 percent, a number of Houston-area retailers, alleging they were never warned of the new pricing structure, banded together to boycott the prominent Texas wholesaler.
In an effort to measure the operations of America’s craft breweries, the Brewers Association – which represents the interests of small and independent U.S. brewers – recently published the results of its annual “Brewery Operations Benchmarking Survey.” This year’s review, based on 2014 operations, featured responses from 310 unique breweries in 46 states, all of which responded to questions in the areas of human resources, sales & marketing, brewing and financial operations.
Deschutes Brewery has hired a new director of brewing operations who, among other things, will be tasked with assisting in the design, installation and launch of the brewery’s planned east coast facility. Karl Ockert, the industry executive who will fill the role effective August 3, discussed the company’s East Coast plans with Bend Bulletin’s resident beer business insider, Joseph Ditzler.
Chain restaurants now have another year before they must comply with new federal regulations that require the disclosure of caloric value and supplementary health criteria of beer, as well as other food and drinks, sold on-premise.
At last, Notch Brewing founder Chris Lohring will have his very own brewery. Lohring, who launched the session-minded Notch as a contract craft brand in 2010, today signed a lease for a 6,000 sq. ft. research & development facility on the outskirts of Boston.
Five years after imagining the company’s first beers with a homebrew kit in his garage, Knee Deep Brewing co-owner Jeremy Warren will depart the company he founded — and tattooed on his arm — to launch an entirely new brewery. After announcing his “separation” plans on Facebook, Warren confirmed to Brewbound that he is selling his stake in the company to current CEO and majority owner Jerry Moore. Upon completion of the transaction, Moore will wholly own Knee Deep, the pair said.
When Lord Hobo Brewing opened a 47,000 sq. ft. facility with initial capacity to produce 20,000 barrels annually, The Boston Herald called the launch “likely the largest craft brewery opening in New England history.” The company, which opened last month, has the production goals to match. Located in Woburn, Mass., Lord Hobo is hoping to introduce 10,000 barrels of beer to drinkers in the Bay State and beyond by the end of its first year in business.
When Golden Road Brewing co-founders Meg Gill and Tony Yanow wrote their first business plan, initial forecasts called for 60,000 barrels of beer by year five. Now, midway through its fourth full year, the brewery is on pace to sell 45,000 barrels, and it will likely exceed the 60,000 barrel threshold in 2016, Gill told Brewbound. So, with the expiration date on its first five-year plan just 18 months away, we checked in on the company’s plans the next phase of growth.
