This week’s beer goes out to GUINNESS! I assure you that the actual shortage of the good stuff in Britain as Christmas approaches is entirely unrelated to my trip there earlier this month (if it was one of my London trips when I was in my 30s – maybe).

Incoming Brewers Association CEO Bart Watson and staff economist Matt Gacioch offered a data-filled, crystal ball look at opportunities and challenges for craft brewers heading into 2025. The duo offered predictions for 10 areas of the beer business in the new year during a webinar Thursday.

Diageo is reportedly exploring a sale of Cîroc Vodka, the brand once transformed by the support of disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is now in prison facing federal charges of sex trafficking among other crimes.

Craft beer ended its four-month streak of off-premise dollar sales improvement during the four-week period (L4W) that ended December 1, according to market research firm Circana.

The first of two major reports that will inform the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ alcohol consumption recommendations has found that moderate drinking is better than not drinking for certain health issues.

The California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) has appointed Kelsey McQuaid-Craig as the state trade group’s new executive director. McQuaid-Craig succeeds Lori Ajax, who announced plans to exit the role at the end of the year.

The Brewbound team breaks down the choice of Bart Watson as the Brewers Association’s next president and CEO, recaps the 2024 Brewbound Live business conference and catches up with the outlet’s 2024 Person of the Year, Highland Brewing president Leah Wong Ashburn.

Oregon’s Task Force on Alcohol Pricing and Addiction Services has submitted its final report to Gov. Tina Kotek, including recommendations for reallocated resources and updated data collection.

Norwood, Massachusetts-based Castle Island Brewing Company has acquired the intellectual property (IP) of Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC). The deal closed Tuesday, three days before Cambridge Brewing was set to cease operations.

The Brewers Association (BA) has named Bart Watson as the trade group’s next president and CEO. Watson will succeed Bob Pease, who is retiring from the organization, effective January 3. Watson’s first day in the new role will be January 6.

Patco Brands, the manufacturer of one of the leading wine-based ready-to-drink products and other private label brands, has made a strategic investment in Farfield, California-based Frank-Lin Distillers Products, the companies announced Monday.

One-quarter of consumers who have visited the on-premise in the past three months have ordered a ready-to-drink cocktail (RTD) during that time, according to CGA, the on-premise arm of market research firm NIQ.

This week’s beer goes out to Oktoberfest beers for kicking pumpkin beers’ a**es during this fall seasonal uh, season. Lester Jones shared this nice chart here from the folks at FINTECH in a webinar last week illustrating the dominance (well done on the Beerfest addition there – who says data nerds don’t have fun?).

After one month on par with the increase in overall inflation, the consumer price index (CPI) for beer at home rose faster than inflation for all items year-over-year (YoY) in November 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).