The California Craft Brewers Association’s Lori Ajax and Chris Walker discuss a pair of bills awaiting the governor’s signature that would benefit the state’s craft brewers. Those bills — expanding the number of satellite locations and bonafide eating places, and adding on-sale privileges — were among the CCBA’s priorities this year. Ajax and Walker also dish on middle tier consolidation, direct-to-consumer sales, supply chain issues and much more.
“Over the last 10 years, the growth in the industry has really doubled,” Ajax said. “For small and mid-sized brewers that’s what they really excel at: being community gathering spaces – even with all of the crazy things that go on in California with fires and whatnot, being that community gathering place where people can enjoy their neighbors and talk about things and also enjoy great beer.”
The Brewbound team also discusses supply chain updates, Sierra Nevada’s termination of three California wholesalers and Dogfish Head’s closure of its Miami taproom. In addition, the team shares news about speakers added to line ups of the upcoming Brew Talks meetup in Denver and Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica.
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