Score another one for the Chicago Cluster. Boulevard Brewing confirmed today that the distribution rights for its brands in the Chicago market have been sold to OneIllinois, a consortium of MillerCoors wholesalers known as the “Chicago Cluster.”
If the definitions of “craft” and “crafty” weren’t muddled enough, Third Shift Amber Lager, the latest release from MillerCoors, should do the trick. “This amber lager is a gold-medal winning brew within the Marzen category,” David Coors, Third Shift brand manager, said in a release. “We call it Third Shift to properly honor the brewers who worked through the night in order to pursue their passion of developing something truly unique.
Alchemy & Science, the craft-brew incubation project spearheaded by beer industry veterans Alan Newman and Jim Koch, confirmed today that it has quietly made its latest acquisition. The Vermont-based company recently purchased the trademark rights to the business name “Just Beer” from Buzzards Bay Brewing of Westport, Mass. “Just Beer” was the name of a… Read more »
Breckenridge Brewery is building a new home. The brewery announced yesterday that it will set up shop on 12 acres along the South Platte River in Littleton, Colo., just south of its current home in Denver. Breckenridge will break ground in the fall of 2013, and aims to open the facility in the fall of 2014.
As an onslaught of new craft beer companies continues to chip away at a finite amount of retail shelf space, Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) — which markets Kona Brewing, Redhook Brewery and Widmer Brothers Brewing brands — is hoping to defend its turf with a new set of packages and labels for its products. Most… Read more »
Craft beer is back on New Hampshire’s political docket as state legislators recently introduced a bill that would give some small breweries the ability to sell beer in state-run liquor stores. New Hampshire House Bill 275 would create a two-year pilot program allowing beer produced by the state’s nano breweries and microbreweries to be sold… Read more »
A group of Massachusetts craft brewers knocked on doors at the State House in Boston last Wednesday in an effort to rally support for a bill, HD999: An Act Relative to Small Brewers. Their argument? The growing notion that the legal relationship between brewers and distributors is antiquated, and in need of adaptation.
Looks like second place will suit Sam Calagione just fine. The founder of the “off-center” Dogfish Head Brewery told his distributors that the company is no longer the fastest-growing craft brewery in the company. Instead, over the past five years, the Delaware-based brewer, which grew by 20 percent last year, has the second-highest growth average… Read more »
On-premise retailers can be the gateway for craft breweries looking to establish a strong brand presence in their local markets, but only when they are provided with well-made, well-marketed products that justify switching a tap-handle from an outside brand. That challenge, getting a bar or restaurant to go for a local brand in the face… Read more »
Boulevard Brewing announced today that Steve Mills has been named the vice president of sales for the company. Mills previously held dual roles as chief operating officer and the interim vice president of sales of Boulevard, following the departure of Bob Sullivan, who left the brewery earlier this month.
Following impressive growth through its first full-calendar year, Jack’s Abby Brewing, based in Framingham, Mass., expects continued expansion in 2013. The company, which is the only all-lager brewery in Massachusetts, produced approximately 2,500 bbls in 2012, and according to a press release, expects to increase capacity from 3,500 to 5,500 bbls with the installation of new fermentation tanks.
Knowing how and when to expand have become increasingly challenging issues for craft breweries looking to capitalize on growing consumer thirst for high quality beer. While the temptation to try and grow rapidly is undoubtedly a palpable one, Sean Wilson, founder and “chief executive optimist” of Fullsteam Brewery is focused on a slow and steady… Read more »
Despite declining performance for domestic and imported beer, the craft beer market has risen strongly and appears poised for even greater heights, according to a new report from market research firm Mintel. The report reveals that sales of craft beer more than doubled from $5.7 billion in 2007 to $12 billion in 2012. And the upward trend shouldn’t stop there; Mintel also forecasts that by 2017, craft beer sales will reach $18 billion.
What was once old is new again. As of February 1, MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co. — part of the North American Breweries portfolio that was sold last October to Cerveceria Costa Rica, S.A. for $388 million — will return to its original Portland Brewing Company name.
