Bear Republic Raising Money For Employees Affected by California Wildfires
California-headquartered Bear Republic has launched a “YouCaring” campaign to raise money for five employees who lost their homes in last month’s Sonoma County wildfires. So far, the company has raised $7,195 of its $50,000 goal.
Among those who lost their homes were head brewer Rob Kent and his wife, Cami, who works as a project coordinator for the company; Casey Clark and Kaylee Singkeo, who work as servers at the Rohnert Park brewpub; and Shawn Anderson, a cook at the brewery’s Healdsburg brewpub.
Additionally, Bear Republic’s Massachusetts’ wholesaler, Atlantic Beverage Distributors, will be donating a portion of the sales of Bear Republic products during the month of November to the fund. See more information here.
New York’s MTA to Ban Alcohol Ads
Effective January 1, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority will no longer allow beer, wine and spirits ads to appear on the city’s buses, subway cars and train stations, according to Ad Age.
It’s not likely to be a major hit to alcohol manufacturers, however. Of the $144.8 million in ad revenue generated last year by the MTA, just $2.8 million came from alcohol companies, the outlet reported.
New York joins Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Baltimore and Detroit in enacting alcohol ad bans on public transportation, Ad Adage reports.
Boulevard Releases First Cider
Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Company will be releasing its first cider, City Market Cider, in its home market on November 14. The company plans to distribute to other regions in the coming months. The 6.2 percent ABV cider blends juice from Jonathan and Fuji apples, which were sourced from Sibley Orchard & Cider Mill in Missouri.
Boulevard will be packaging City Market Cider in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles. A limited amount of the product will be available on draft in Missouri and Kansas.
Black Star Line to Open in Hendersonville
After receiving a $50,000 small business loan, Black Star Line Brewing Co. will officially open a brewery and taproom in the former Basic Brewing Co. space in Hendersonville, North Carolina, on November 10, according to the Citizen-Times.
“We’re trying to create living-wage jobs in the Asheville area, but we’ve met with a lot of resistance from lenders and investors that think it’s too risky,” founder L.A. McCrae told the Mountain Xpress. “We’ll make it work — we always do.”
Earlier this year, Black Star Line competed in Brewbound’s Startup Brewery Challenge in New York City. Today is the deadline to apply for Startup Brewery Challenge 9 in Santa Monica on November 29.
Small Virginia Brewery Offers Home Delivery
Danville, Virginia-based Ballard Brewing is offering home delivery of bottles and 32 oz. Crowler cans to legal drinking age residents who live within three miles of the brewery, according to the Danville Register & Bee.
Customers can order the beer via the ViV smartphone app and receive the products within an hour on Fridays and Saturdays for a $5 delivery charge. Orders must be signed for by someone with an ID proving he or she is of legal drinking age.
The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control allows alcohol manufacturers to deliver their products in sealed containers by obtaining an in-state delivery permit.
Admiral Taverns Acquires 29 Pubs from Heineken
England’s Admiral Taverns has agreed to buy 29 pubs from Heineken, after the world’s second largest brewer was required to divest its interest in the outlets following the acquisition of 1,300 Punch Taverns in September, according to City A.M.
Admiral will reportedly partner with Scottish hospitality group G1 to acquire the former Punch and Star Pubs & Bars.
“This acquisition is early testament to our commitment to this growth strategy and I am delighted to be able to welcome these high quality licensees and pubs in to the Admiral business,” Admiral Taverns CEO Kevin Georgel told the outlet.
Number of UK Brewers Eclipses 2,000
The total number of breweries in the United Kingdom has now topped 2,000, The Guardian reported. Last year, more than 300 breweries opened in the country, and the number of breweries in the U.K. has increased by 64 percent over the past five years, the outlet reported.
James Simmonds, partner at accounting firm UHY Hacker Young, credited a tax break introduced in 2002 that allowed smaller brewers to pay 50 percent less beer duty than larger brewers for the uptick in new brewery openings. Read more here.