Justin Kendall provides daily coverage of the beer industry on Brewbound.com, conducts live-streamed interviews during Brewbound’s events and co-produces the Brewbound podcast. Kendall is a nearly 20-year career journalist who led alt-weekly newspapers in Kansas City, Missouri, and Des Moines, Iowa.
Off-premise beer category dollar sales are up +0.7%, while volume sales have declined -4.1% for the four-week period ending June 17, according to market research firm NIQ. Also, the off-premise declines of Bud Light accelerated compared to previous weeks.
Monster’s foray into beverage-alcohol is expanding, as the energy drink maker plans to leverage its early success in FMBs with the launch of Nasty Beast hard iced tea, company leaders shared during the company’s annual shareholder meeting. Monster joins another non-alcoholic beverage juggernaut, AriZona, in launching a hard tea
Skagit Valley Malting has permanently closed and is expected to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, a now-former employee confirmed to Brewbound.
As the Bud Light brand continues to lose sales and share amid conservative-led backlash over a one-off social media influencer partnership with a transgender woman, the company is now pledging financial support for its wholesaler partners, according to a 6K filing with the SEC.
The combination of two of New Jersey’s largest craft breweries is off. The transaction announced in April that would combine Cape May Brewing Company, the Garden State’s largest craft brewery, and Flying Fish, one of the oldest, is a no-go.
Lawson’s Finest Liquids has named Adeline Druart as the 15-year-old Vermont craft brewery’s second CEO. Lawson’s founders Sean and Karen Lawson made the hire public today, appointing Druart as the successor to Sean Lawson.
Steve Fechheimer, who led New Belgium Brewing Company to unprecedented growth, will depart the company in August after six years to “explore new challenges.”
The wheeling and dealing between Classic Beverage and Scout Distribution continues in California. Classic Beverage of San Diego announced a deal on Friday to acquire Scout Distribution’s business in San Diego. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the deal is expected to close by August 11, pending supplier approvals.
As the summer selling season takes hold, Dogfish Head is releasing a trio of offerings in its strongest markets, including one that will stick around year-round. Co-founder Sam Calagione shared details of Dogfish Head’s solo releases with Brewbound, joined by Talea Beer Co. founders LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson to discuss the second year of the trio’s ongoing bodega-inspired collaboration.
A pair of beer distributor surveys found that many in the middle tier believe that the conservative led boycott of Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light brand may be permanent. Financial services firm Jefferies’ survey found that a majority (65%) of distributors surveyed expect the Bud Light downturn to last at least another six months, while 32% believe it could be permanent. A separate distributor survey by Goldman Sachs analyst Bonnie Herzog found that most respondents are “pessimistic about the potential for a full recovery” of Bud Light’s “brand equity and market share.”
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. CEO Jeff White has announced his retirement from the Chico, California-headquartered craft brewery. Brewery founder Ken Grossman will step in as interim CEO as a search for a new CEO begins.
After more than four years of leading Salt Lake City-headquartered Uinta Brewing Company, Jeremy Ragonese is stepping down as president, effective June 30. Noah Brown, Uinta’s VP of revenue, will assume the presidency, starting July 1.
A Massachusetts Superior Court Judge on Friday granted Gopuff’s request for a preliminary injunction, blocking for now the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission’s (ABCC) attempt to revoke the e-commerce retailer’s liquor license for allegedly selling and delivering alcoholic beverages to underage consumers in the Bay State.