Dogfish Head Brewpub Greenlit on Second Try
Earlier this week, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery persuaded a Rehoboth Beach land-use board to let the company tear down and reconstruct its brewpub in the city, overruling an earlier rejection of the brewery’s plans to do so, reports Delaware Online.
The board denied the company’s initial request to raze and rebuild its brewpub on grounds that the new restaurant, at 9,820 sq. ft., would defy a state law that mandates restaurants that serve alcohol are kept at or below 5,000 sq. ft. Though Dogfish Head’s current building exceeds 5,000 sq. ft., the brewpub had been grandfathered in past the rule, according to the article. The company’s latest proposal would have required a fresh exemption, the board initially argued, per Delaware Online.
On Monday, Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione, his wife, Mariah Calagione, and other company employees provided 90 minutes of new testimony in hopes of reversing the decision, according to the report. The board ultimately acquiesced and approved a variance to allow the project with a 4-1 vote.
Sam Calagione told the website that Dogfish Head plans to invest $4 million in the project.
A-B Settles Beck’s Label Suit
Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) has settled a class action lawsuit that claimed the beer company purposefully misled consumers to believe Beck’s was actually produced in Germany and imported stateside when the beer was actually being brewed in the U.S. As part of the settlement, consumers who purchased U.S. brewed Beck’s beer (beginning May 1, 2011) are eligible for refunds of $0.50 per 6-pack, up to $50 per household. Those without receipts can claim up to $12.
In a statement obtained by St. Louis Today, A-B said, despite the settlement, its labeling of Beck’s has been in accordance with the law.
“We believe our labeling, packaging and marketing of Beck’s has always been truthful, transparent and in compliance with all legal requirements,” said Jorn Socquet, vice president of marketing at A-B. “A-B brews Beck’s to the highest quality standards and is proud to employ some of the finest American brewmasters to produce Beck’s for the U.S. market.”
Brewbound reported in January that A-B settled a similar case, with identical payouts, concerning the misrepresented origins of its Kirin Ichiban brand.
O’Fallon Opens New Brewery
O’Fallon Brewery has opened a new 40,000 sq. ft. production facility in Maryland Heights, Mo., complete with a full service restaurant and taproom.
“The expansion will not only allow us to get closer to meeting current demand, it will also serve as a showplace where consumers can meet our brewers and experience O’Fallon beers,” said O’Fallon president and CEO Jim Gorczyca in a press statement. “As we continue to increase distribution we have room to double our capacity to approximately 50,000 barrels.”
When Brewbound reported on the project in February of last year, Gorczyca said the restaurant and taproom component was something the brewery had long been missing.
“That ability to entertain customers, let them sit down, taste your beer,have them engage with you, your staff and brewers, that’s a big part of what we’re missing,” he said at the time.
Brooklyn Taps Dubai
Brooklyn Brewery has expanded its international footprint, partnering with African + Eastern for distribution to bars, restaurants, and liquor stores in Dubai. On its blog, Brooklyn said it launched in the new market with its flagship Brooklyn Lager and East IPA.
Jim Koch Is Doing Alright
In a Q&A with Business Insider, Boston Beer founder Jim Koch explained how becoming a billionaire in 2013 affected him:
“Oh, I don’t care. It is what it is. It’s actually sort of funny, because as the stock goes up and down, depending on the day, I might be a billionaire or I might be an ex-billionaire.
I think after the last earnings amount, it wiped out like $50 million worth of my value. You might think, ‘Oh, that’s terrible.’ No, it’s not! I never in my life thought I’d have that kind of money to lose. So I think it’s pretty cool.”
That is pretty cool, Jim. Please let us know if you’d ever like to “lose” $50 million in Brewbound’s direction.
Video Clip of the Week:
As we prepare to sign off for the weekend, here’s a little motivation to get out and do a little day-drinking, courtesy of NBC’s late night funnyman Seth Meyers.