Minhas Producing Nelk Boys’ Hard Seltzer
Minhas Craft Brewery, the second-oldest continuously run brewery in the U.S., is producing Happy Dad Hard Seltzer, which was created by the Nelk Boys, a group of Canadian YouTubers with more than 6.6 million subscribers. The Nelk Boys’ videos feature mainly pranks and drinking games. The hard seltzer launched this month in California, with plans to expand distribution throughout the U.S. and Canada in the coming months.
Happy Dad founders Kyle Forgeard, John Shahidi, and Sam Shahidi announced the launch of their new venture this past Memorial Day on the Nelk Boys’ Instagram account, which has more than 600,000 followers. The announcement drew so much engagement that it allegedly overwhelmed Instagram’s system, causing the account to be temporarily shut down, according to a Happy Dad press release.
On the same day, the content creators published a 30+ minute video on the NELK YouTube channel, which gave a behind the scenes look at the year-long process behind creating Happy Dad, from the initial development and taste testing, to the branding design and to the final product sampling. A large portion of the video features the Nelk Boys collaboration and business talks with Minhas, including the first canning of the product, in Monroe, Wisconsin.
While visiting the brewery in April, the Nelk Boys drew a large crowd of fans after word spread that the creators were in town. The co-founders gave the crowd a first look at the Happy Dad cans, and gave a select few 21+ year-old fans an exclusive first taste of the product, which included a couple fans “shotgun-testing” the seltzer.
Kris Spaulding Elected to Brewers Association Board
Kris Spaulding, owner and president of Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been elected as a pub brewery representative on the Brewers Association’s (BA) board of directors.
Spaulding will fill a vacated position following the departure of former-board member Sean Casey, founder and president of The Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh. Her term on the BA board will start immediately and continue until February 2023, according to a release by the BA.
Spaulding co-founded Brewery Vivant in 2010. The brewery was awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification in 2012, and in 2014 it became a certified B-Corp.
Constellation Brands Invest in Breaking Bad Stars’ Dos Hombres Mezcal
Constellation Brands has acquired a minority stake in Dos Hombres, a mezcal brand created by Breaking Bad stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston.
“Our goal is to make strategic, minority investments in high potential brands in growing categories, and the U.S. mezcal market continues to show great potential,” Jennifer Evans, vice president of Constellation Ventures, said in a release. “We’re excited to further invest in the category with a great team and brand that we feel has a lot of growth runway.”
The U.S. mezcal category grew 14% in 2020, with ultra-premium mezcal (bottles priced $30 and above) projected to be the fastest-growing segment in the category, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.
Paul and Cranston launched Des Hombres in 2019 after the pair formed a “special bond” through filming their hit-show, and decided they wanted to keep working together outside of filming, according to a post on Paul’s Instagram announcing the initial brand launch.
“We have big hopes and dreams for Dos Hombres and we are thrilled that Constellation’s vision for Dos Hombres is aligned with ours,” Paul said in a release.
Former Atlas Distributing President Lester Sadowsky Dies at Age 95
Former Atlas Distributing president Lester Sadowsky has died at age 96.
Sadowsky and his father, Abe, started Atlas in Worcester (now Auburn) in 1933 at the conclusion of Prohibition.
In a statement to Brewbound, Joe Salois, the owner and president of Atlas, called Sadowsky “a friend, mentor, and a person I had the honor of working with for many years.”
“He was a terrific leader, family man, proud veteran and had a contagious personality and wit about him, everyone enjoyed being in his presence,” Salois continued. “We are saddened by his loss and send our heartfelt sympathy to his wife Joan, his children, and the entire Sadowsky family.”
Atlas was the first distributor of Harpoon products, a fact that co-founder Dan Kenary has not forgotten.
Sadowsky is survived by his wife of 72 years, Joan, and his children John (Birgit), Karen (Richard Kaufman), Laura (Guy Bouchard), and Ken; one brother, Harold; and three grandchildren.
Diageo Becomes NFL’s First Official Spirits Sponsor
Diageo has signed a multiyear sponsorship agreement with the National Football League (NFL), becoming the NFL’s first spirits sponsor.
Diageo, whose brands such Crown Royal Whisky, Smirnoff Vodka, and Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, will have “on-site activation and engagement” opportunities with fans through the deal, as well as broadcast, digital, and social content throughout the NFL season and postseason, according to a release.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Diageo, a global leader in the spirits industry, to the NFL family as our first ever spirits sponsor,” Renie Anderson, chief revenue officer and executive vice president of NFL partnerships, said in a release. “We look forward to working with Diageo on innovative programs to elevate their business, as well as furthering the important message around responsible drinking.”
Diageo’s Crown Royal was the first spirits brand to advertise during a televised NFL game, after the ban on spirits commercials by the league was lifted in 2017.
AlaBev Fined $825,000 by EEOC for Discriminaton Against Black Employees
Birmingham Beverage Company, which does business as AlaBev, was fined $825,000 by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for discriminating against Black employees.
The 114-year-old Birmingham, Alabama-based distributor denied Black employees jobs and promotions that instead went to white workers, who were often less experienced, according to The News & Observer.
The EEOC filed a lawsuit against AlaBev in 2017 after it failed to promote driver supervisor Ronnie Johnson, who is Black and demonstrated six years’ worth of “exemplary” job performance. AlaBev instead gave the route sales job to a white employee with less experience.
Johnson and 34 current former Black employees will split the $825,000 settlement, and AlaBev entered a three-year agreement with EEOC to prevent future discrmination.
Massachusetts Extends Pandemic-Era Provisions
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed an extension of pandemic-era provisions into law Wednesday, which includes two provisions directed at restaurant economic development issues.
The first allows restaurants to continue alcoholic beverage to-go sales until May 1, 2022, with the condition that such beverages must be priced the same as they would be when consumed at the restaurant.
Secondly, the bill extends outdoor dining authorization for restaurants through April 1, 2022.
The Senate passed a post-emergency bill that included the above extensions last week, with the House approving an amended version on Tuesday, according to NBC 10 Boston.
Drizly: Hard Seltzer Drives Memorial Day Data
Hard seltzer drove beer sales on e-commerce, on-demand alcohol delivery platform Drizly over Memorial Day weekend, the company shared.
The segment accounted for 28% of beer category sales, up from 25% during the rest of May.
The best-selling beer category brands on Drizly during the holiday weekend include:
- Mark Anthony Brands’ White Claw;
- Boston Beer’s Truly Hard Seltzer;
- Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Bud Light;
- Constellation Brands’ Corona;
- Molson Coors’ Coors brand family;
- A-B’s Michelob brand family;
- Molson Coors’ Miller brand family;
- Constellations’ Modelo;
- A-B’s Stella Artois;
- Heineken.
Hill Farmstead Cancels Festival
Citing a smaller team with fewer resources and the passing of its 10th anniversary, Hill Farmstead announced the cancelation this week of its Friendships and Explorations Festival, which was postponed from its August 2020 date due to the pandemic.
“Our original vision for the festival was to gather as many of our friends as possible for a single celebratory weekend — and, of course, to mark a decade of the brewery,” the company wrote. “However, the milestone window has passed us by. With continuing uncertainty with travel restrictions abroad, many of our international inspirations may not be able to visit us this year.”
Last month, founder Shaun Hill apologized for the inappropriate behavior he was alleged to have committed in several stories shared on the Instagram account of Brienne Allan (@ratmagnet).
In its festival cancelation announcement, Hill Farmstead noted that it is“committed to approaching decisions with greater empathy and in alignment with a now clearer sense of our vision for the future.”
Cubs Fans Create $30,000 Beer Cup Snake
Chicago Cubs fans went viral Sunday, creating beer cups snake at Wrigley Field stretching from the bottom of the scoreboard in center field, to the top of the lower centerfield section, according to NBC sports.
One Twitter user, Jim Mumford, calculated that the amount of beer bought to create the cup snake cost nearly $30,000, estimating the approx. 100 ft. long snake contained 2,400 beers, priced at $12 a beer.
While security at Wrigley usually prohibits cup snakes, Crane Kenney, the Cubs’ president of business operations, said they let it slide this time to celebrate Chicago’s official reopening and the return of full-capacity at Cubs games.
“What we decided to do this weekend was just let them snake,” Kenney said on 670 The Score. “A year ago, the ballpark was a food pantry and the hotel across the street was a shelter for our physicians… People were letting it out and they were having some fun this weekend.”