The gang of four — Andy Thomas, Luis Duran, Ken Kunze and Willem van der Hoeven — sat around a table and listened to the pitch by Euro RSCG. The marketing firm had this idea for Heineken-owned Dos Equis, previously marketed as a Mexican beer for young people. But their idea didn’t rely on Mexican… Read more »
As the Corona commercials it’s paid for suggest, Constellation Brands has found its beach in Piedras Negras — and maybe a much bigger beachhead, as well. After landing the U.S. rights to the Grupo Modelo brands as part of a Justice Department forced carve-out of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s $20.1 billion purchase of the maker of Corona… Read more »
New Belgium Brewing is making good on its promise to be distributed in all 50 states by 2018. Bryan Simpson, a spokesman for the Fort Collins, Colo.-based craft brewery confirmed the company’s plans to expand distribution into Ohio this December. New Belgium will officially announce its wholesale partners in October.
Ninkasi Brewing today announced expanded distribution throughout Southern California. The Eugene, Ore.-based craft brewery has signed agreement with six independent wholesalers in Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego County to distribute its flagship and limited release offerings in 22 oz. bottles and kegs.
Steve Hindy might be best known for his work as the co-founder of Brooklyn Brewery, but it’s his second career. In the mid-1980s he was employed as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, stationed in the Middle East during the Iran-Iraq War. A lot happened during Hindy’s time abroad.
During its second quarter earnings call, Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) advised investors that, despite a sluggish start to 2013, the company rebounded and saw depletion growth of 12 percent and non-contract shipment gains of 13.5 percent. The stronger second quarter shipments-to-retailers (STR’s) and overall volume production growth has CBA executives feeling much more positive about… Read more »
Craft has a significant following in California, as evidenced by the craft beer markets in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, but there’s untapped potential remaining. Meanwhile, Sacramento, a city commonly known for what’s not there compared to what is, has started catching onto what the other major Californian cities have so heartily embraced.
Over the years, Duvel Moortgat has grown through international acquisition. In the last 10 years alone, the company has bought Brewery Ommegang, Brasserie d’Achouffe, Brouwerij Liefmans and Brouwerij De Koninck. Now, however, the Belgium-based brewing company is looking to strengthen its position in the U.S. craft beer market by purchasing other American breweries.
In the craft beer community, there are few pilgrimages more revered than the trip to upstate New York for Duvel Moortgat USA and Brewery Ommegang’s annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown (BCTC) beer festival. The brewery barely breaks even on the event, but the word of mouth and positive vibes can be astonishing.
A report from research firm Consumer Edge Insight indicates the ballooning preference of consumers for heavier beers. That’s shown not through a lineup of even more craft beer style holidays, like IPA Day, but through a decline in consumers’ taste for light beer, long the best-selling premium style.
It’s almost impossible to believe, but in its 33-year history, Sierra Nevada Brewing has never produced what has become standard issue for many older craft brewers, the seasonal-variety 12-pack. “Other than our specialty ‘Beer Camp’ pack, it is the last significant segment that we haven’t approached,” said Joe Whitney, Sierra’s director of Sales and Marketing.
Any craft brewer can tell you, it’s difficult to keep wholesalers and retailers happy when you’re having trouble keeping beer on the shelves. Most brewers will claim that it’s a good problem to have and, for the majority of brick and mortar operations, the solution is simple: buy more fermentation tanks. But when you’re a… Read more »
Oskar Blues Brewery is on pace for its ninth straight year of double-digit growth. The Colorado-headquartered craft brewery today announced that company-wide depletions increased 38 percent through the first six months of 2013. The impressive first half numbers were led by 40-percent growth of its flagship offering, Dale’s Pale Ale, which currently makes up 58… Read more »
The Brewers Association (BA) — the trade group representing small and independent breweries — today reported strong mid-year numbers for America’s craft brewers. U.S craft brewers continued their incredible growth through the first half of 2013, boasting 15 percent dollar sales growth and 13 percent volume growth over the same time period last year.
