One of the biggest issues facing the craft brewing industry as it continues to evolve is that of franchise laws, the rules that contractually bind manufacturers to their wholesaler partners. Across the country, brewers are trying to find more latitude in how they bring beer to market.
Addressing thousands of beer industry professionals this morning at the convention center in Portland, Ore., Charlie Papazian, the president of the Brewers Association, detailed the significance of craft brewery self-reflection.
Columbia Distributing has bolstered its portfolio of craft offerings, signing agreements with two high-end beer makers from California and Colorado. he MillerCoors-aligned wholesaler, which operates branches in Oregon and Washington, today announced it has signed distribution agreements with Almanac Beer Co. and Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project for coverage throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Blue Moon Brewing, the preeminent brand of Tenth & Blake, MillerCoors’ craft division, has announced plans to build a new brewery in Denver’s emerging River North Art District.
Brew Hub has again added to its roster of contract partners, bringing Iowa’s Toppling Goliath into its brewing network, the company announced today. Per an agreement between the two companies, Toppling Goliath will soon begin producing a number of its beers – including Golden Nugget IPA and Rover Truck Oatmeal Stout – at Brew Hub’s facility in Lakeland, Fla. Finished product will then be shipped back for distribution throughout Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota, a new market for the brand, according to a company statement.
Beer industry supplier MicroStar Logistics has acquired a keg repair and maintenance operation from Tosca, a national supply chain management company that facilitates the delivery of perishable food and drink items.
The governor of Maine yesterday vetoed a bill passed by lawmakers that would have required businesses that advertise the sale of pints to serve the beer in a glass of at least 16 oz. Dubbed the Fair Pint Bill, supporters had contended consumers weren’t always getting what they were paying for, claiming many establishments serve advertised pints in shorter glasses.
We’re now mere days removed from the takeover of Portland, Ore. by more than 10,000 beer industry professionals, all coming from far and wide for the Brewers Association’s annual Craft Brewers Conference. Inside the Oregon Convention Center next week, attendees will find some of the country’s preeminent industry advocates across the three tiers sharing their wisdom and trying to make sense of this booming trade from hop to truck to glass.
Sun King Brewing has announced plans to open a small taproom and brewery in Fishers, Ind. this summer about a half mile away from where the company eventually plans to build out a larger scale production facility. Construction is currently underway on the 6,000 sq. ft. space inside a shopping center, which the company said would be complete with a 3-barrel brewing system, taproom and event space for community and private events by this June.
Deschutes Brewery will expand its existing partnership with West Side Beer Distributing, and Deschutes beers – including Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Fresh Squeezed IPA and the seasonal Twilight Summer Ale – will be available on draft throughout Detroit’s Wayne County beginning the first of June. Packaged product is expected to be available later in the fall.
In an effort to diversity its portfolio of beverage offerings, American Brewing, a Washington-based, publicly traded craft beer company, has announced the acquisition a fast-growing kombucha brand. As reported earlier this week by BevNET (the sister site of Brewbound), the brewery purchased Búcha, a brand of certified organic sparkling kombucha drinks, from B&R Liquid Adventure, LLC for a combination of $260,000 cash, a $140,000 note payable and $500,000 in American Brewing restricted stock.
Newburyport Brewing today announced cellar expansion plans to double the capacity of its production facility to 15,000 barrels, a figure that, when reached, will cement its position as a regional brewery in the Northeast.
New Belgium Brewing will gift $1 million to Colorado State University to renovate the facilities that host the school’s fermentation science and technology program, the brewery announced this afternoon. Kim Jordan, New Belgium’s CEO, will herself give $500,000 to the school, per a statement from the company. The remaining half million dollars will be allocated over five years through the brewery’s philanthropy arm.
Georgia lawmakers passed a stripped-down version of the so-called Beer Jobs Bill last Thursday, alleviating some sales limitations but ultimately falling short of the sweeping changes originally supported by the state’s craft brewers. As passed, Senate Bill 63 allows for brewers to charge varying fees for tours and in return provide consumers with up to 72 oz. of beer for off-premise consumption as a “free souvenir.”
