Florida’s Office of the Attorney General has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that calls into question the constitutionality of the state’s long held and controversial ban on 64 oz. growlers. Currently, 32 and 128 oz. growlers are legal in the state, but 64 oz. packages, which are most commonly used for sales of take-home draft beer, are prohibited, something that many argue is harmful to the burgeoning craft beer industry.
It’s hardly news that craft beer is incredibly popular among the millennial demographic. But it can be hard to market to them armed with that information alone. As such, the bulk of Thursday’s “Power Hour” conference call, hosted by the Brewers Association, was spent further dissecting this demographic, specifically highlighting the untapped potential there is in the Hispanic population of young drinkers.
In light of disappointing third quarter earnings results, Anheuser-Busch InBev has laid off an undisclosed number of U.S. employees, according to Market Watch. The cuts include salaried positions in a number of divisions, the report adds, from marketing, procurement, sales, and brewery operations. While the specific number of layoffs is unknown, one person close to the matter estimated it could be in the hundreds.
Ohio legislators are making a last minute push behind a bill that, if passed, would nearly double the legal ABV limit for beer sold in the state, according to WCPO Cincinnati. As written, House Bill 391 would allow for the sale of beer that clocks in at 21 percent ABV in the state, up from the currently imposed cap of 12 percent.
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s recent acquisition of 10 Barrel Brewing may have been just the next step in the beer behemoth’s effort to augment its foothold in the craft side of the business, but the path won’t be completely clear until it resolves issues within the acquisition’s existing distribution network. In many markets, the 10 Barrel brand is already sold through A-B InBev wholesalers. But in areas like Boise, Idaho (Hayden Beverage Co.), Pendleton, Ore.
The Craft New York Act, which will officially take effect in 29 days, will ease licensing requirements and reduce fees for New York-based craft brewers, winemakers, cider producers and distillers that are looking to increase production. Additionally, the new law will enable manufacturers to conduct on-premise tastings with less stringent food requirements.
Regulators in Massachusetts are investigating whether brewers and distributors in the state are offering up cash and other incentives to retailers in exchange for guaranteed product placement, an illegal practice known in the beer industry as ‘pay-to-play.’ As reported this morning by The Boston Globe, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) has issued subpoenas to a number of businesses in the state.
Ninkasi Brewing has announced plans to expand its Canadian presence next week by launching new distribution throughout the western province of Alberta. Beginning Wednesday, per an agreement with Canadian wholesaler Copper & Theory Artisan Beer Supply Co., Ninkasi products — including Total Domination IPA, Believer Double Red, and Oatis Oatmeal Stout — will be made available in the province on draft and in bottles.
Brooklyn Magazine took the media spotlight off brewers and bartenders last week and placed it squarely on the tie that binds them: beer reps. More specifically, reporter Meredith Heil wrote about what it’s like to live — as the headline indicates — “a day in the life” of Krista Kilberg, a former banker turned beer rep for Union Beer Distributors in New York City.
We are excited to introduce Jester King Estival Dichotomous — our summer saison brewed with chamomile and spelt and refermented with strawberries.
Boulevard Brewing held a ceremonial groundbreaking this morning for its $12 million expansion project. As Brewbound first reported in April, the project, dubbed “Cellar Five,” will ultimately boost the company’s fermentation capacity by 40 percent to more than 300,000 barrels. Cellar Five will enable the company to stay ahead of growing demand and increased sales, according to a news release.
Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) today announced that it will begin shipping offerings from its Kona Brewing line to Canada. CBA has signed a wholesale agreement with Beerthirst for distribution throughout the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Kona will make its debut in British Columbia later this month and roll out in Alberta on December 1, the company said in a press statement.
Corridor Brewery & Provisions is a Farmhouse craft brewery and restaurant in Chicago’s West Lakeview neighborhood, located in the center of the Southport Corridor.
When Stone Brewing turned to crowdfunding by launching an Indiegogo campaign to help finance its German expansion this past summer, the company also triggered a maelstrom of anger, with people appalled that a profitable brewery would turn to its fans to ask for a handout. The squall of vitriol, though, was a mere sunshower when compared with the cash that rained down on the brewery.
