Boston Beer CEO’s Compensation Boosted by Bonuses, Stock Awards
Boston Beer Company CEO David Burwick received $20 million in total compensation in 2018, primarily as a result of one-time stock awards and signing bonuses, according to the Boston Business Journal, which reviewed an SEC filing. That’s 264 times more than Boston Beer’s median employee salary of $75,700.
Subtracting the one-time payments, Burwick’s pay was about $4 million, the Business Journal reported.
In addition to receiving a prorated base salary of $562,500 in 2018, Burwick brought home about $13.7 million in one-time restricted stock awards, as Brewbound reported at the time of his hiring last year.
In February, Boston Beer’s compensation committee approved a raise for Burwick’s $750,000 annual base salary to $772,500 for 2019.
7-Eleven Test Store Serves Craft Beer, Kombucha in Dallas
In an effort to begin reshaping its image as a destination for higher-end offerings, 7-Eleven is testing a new “lab store” concept in Dallas that features a growler station serving craft beers, taps pouring kombucha and organic teas, an onsite taqueria, and more, according to USA Today.
The new store concept is 7-Eleven’s attempt to attract female, millennial and General Z consumers by offering a more upscale experience. The first store opened in March.
“We’re experimenting with different services and platforms and products to see what resonates,” 7-Eleven COO Chris Tanco told the outlet. “I don’t want to jeopardize the speed of getting out quickly. That’s our core advantage.”
The convenience store chain, which operates more than 9,000 U.S. locations, plans to open similar stores on both coasts as well as in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the outlet reported.
Amazon Seeks Alcohol Public Policy Manager
Amazon is looking for an alcohol industry lobbyist. The e-commerce giant posted a job listing for a manager of public policy to “create, execute and manage key public policy issues related to alcohol procurement and sales,” according to the Washington Business Journal.
According to the job listing, the public policy manager would join Amazon’s “growing public policy team” and report to its U.S. public policy director. The new hire would be tasked with managing “consultants, trade associations and coalition partners” as well as corporate, state government and regulatory agencies.
“They will participate in key trade association and industry coalition committees and other programs to advocate legislative and regulatory priorities,” the job listing said. However, the job post did not expound on those priorities.
New York Liquor Authority Fines Shmaltz $50,000
The New York State Liquor Authority has fined Shmaltz Brewing Co. $50,000 for 42 violations regarding unregistered beer labels and the disclosure of investors, according to the Albany Business Review.
During a Liquor Authority board meeting last week, Shmaltz owner Jeremy Cowan pleaded no contest and described the violations as “unintentional paperwork mistakes.”
“I want to be very clear, we have never purposefully misrepresented on any of this documentation,” he told the board.
Shmaltz, which struck a deal last year to sell its Clinton Park production facility to SingleCut Beersmiths, needed to clear up the violations in order to turn over its license to SingleCut owner Rich Buceta, the Business Review reported. An attorney for SingleCut added that the matter should be resolved in a few weeks.
New Belgium Pub Launches at Denver International Airport
New Belgium Brewing Company has officially opened its pub at the Denver International Airport, located near gate B32.
The site features 20 draft handles that will pour core brands (Fat Tire Amber Ale, Voodoo Ranger IPA), seasonal offering, limited-edition releases and wood cellar beers. The company also tapped Denver chef Paul C. Reilly to create the menu.
The airport pub is the latest New Belgium satellite location, following “The Woods,” a small-batch brewery, barrel-aging room and taproom at Denver’s The Source Hotel, and a branded taproom at the Mohegan Sun casino and resort in Connecticut.
Beer Shipments Decline 2 Percent in March
March shipments from U.S. beer companies declined 2 percent, to about 14.3 million barrels of beer, compared to the same time last year, according to the Beer Institute (BI), which cited unofficial estimates of domestic tax paid shipments from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
Through the first three months of the year, U.S. breweries have shipped nearly 37.9 million barrels of beer, down 0.5 percent compared to March 2018 levels.
Dealscape: Braven Brand Sold; Actual Brewing Brewpub Close to Sale; BadWolf Finds New Owner
Rhode Island-based Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling has struck a deal to acquire Brooklyn-based Braven Brewing Company’s intellectual property assets. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Acquiring the Braven intellectual property assets gives us the opportunity to continue Braven’s well-established brand and community connection while creating a new outlet for Newport Craft in New York City,” Newport Craft CEO Brendan O’Donnell said via a press release.
Braven, which was founded by Marshall Thompson and Eric Feldman in 2013, opened a brewpub in the Bushwick neighborhood in September 2018. However, the brewery closed in March 2019 due to what it described as “financial and personal challenges.” The company is still attempting to sell its physical assets — including a 3.5 barrel electric brewhouse — and the lease its 2,500 sq. ft. space.
Meanwhile, Ohio restaurateur George Tanchevski is in negotiations to purchase the assets of Actual Brewing Company’s shuttered Clintonville brewpub for $30,000, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
The brewpub closed in February, just one month after after several women came forward accusing founder Fred Lee of sexual harassment and assault.
The property’s landlord has agreed to a lease with Tanchevski for the facility’s equipment and fixtures, the Dispatch reported. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court could approve the sale next week, barring objections.
Finally, about a year after putting Manassas, Virginia-based BadWolf Brewing Company up for sale, founders Sarah and Jeremy Meyers have sold the business to firefighter Doug Webb, according to the brewery’s blog.
Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed. However, an ad on CraftBreweryForSale.com lists the operation for $100,000, including the business assets, trademarks and recipes, among other things.
Blue Moon Replaces Shock Top at Red Lobster
Blue Moon Belgian White is replacing Shock Top as a mandated draft placement at Red Lobster, MillerCoors chief customer officer Nigel Tordoff announced in a memo to wholesalers yesterday.
“This is a 100,000-case annual opportunity,” Tordoff wrote, noting the change is part of the seafood chain’s conversion to a new menu on May 27.
The move comes as MillerCoors has set a goal of making the Blue Moon brand the “No. 1 taphandle in America,” MillerCoors vice president of communications Adam Collins told Brewbound.
Fifty West Sales Director’s Beer-Only Diet to End
Fifty West director of sales Del Hall’s beer-only diet for Lent is coming to a close on Easter Sunday.
The 43-year-old Hall gave up solid food in favor of two to five beers a day and lost more than 40 pounds. After 40 days, he told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he feels like he’s in his twenties. He added that he expects to be eating whatever he wants within five days.
Ex-Newlands Owner Starts New Brewery Equipment Manufacturer
Newlands Systems founder Brad McQuhae has started König Brewing Systems, a new brewery equipment manufacturer in the former Newlands facility in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
The new company launched last week and is taking orders for custom-designed brewing equipment.
McQuhae, who founded Newlands in 1990, had left the company following a merger with Diversified Metal Engineering (DME) in 2016.
Newlands’ Abbotsford plant was shuttered last November when DME fell into receivership after defaulting on loan payments to the Royal Bank of Canada.
In March, CIMC Enric Tank & Process B.V. acquired the financially troubled Canadian brewing equipment manufacturer and resumed operations in Charlottetown under the name DME Process Systems Ltd.