The crowd-sourced fund to support the families of victims of the shooting at Molson Coors Brewing Company’s Milwaukee campus last month has topped $1.1 million.
The fund, which reached $1,178,770 as of press time, was set up on behalf of the National Compassion Fund, a program of the National Center for Victims of Crime. All funds collected will go directly to the families of the five victims: Dale Hudson, Gennady Levshetz, Jesus Valle Jr., Dana Walk and Trevor Wetselaar, according to Molson Coors spokesperson.
The suspected gunman, Anthony Ferrill, a 51-year-old Molson Coors electrician, died at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Last week, the Washington Post published a story that portrayed a “long-held culture of racism” at the Milwaukee brewery in which workers tacked up racist cartoons in work spaces, scrawled graffiti in bathrooms and break rooms, and a 2015 incident in which a noose was placed on Ferrill’s locker.
Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales has denied that racism was Ferrill’s motivation for the killings
In a statement, Molson Coors chief communications and corporate affairs officer Adam Collins acknowledged that the company has “more work to do.”
“Fostering an inclusive and welcoming workplace is something every organization has to work towards each day, and we aren’t going to shy away from our responsibility to take a deep look at our own culture following this event,” he said.
NY Brewery Temporarily Closes After Employee Diagnosed with Coronavirus
Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.’s tasting room in Peconic, New York will remain temporarily closed this week after an employee was diagnosed with COVID-19, the coronavirus disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, according to the Suffolk Times.
In a statement, the brewery said “a qualified cleaning company” was contracted to “perform a deep cleaning of the premises.”
The employee’s diagnosis marked the first case of the coronavirus disease diagnosed in Suffolk County.
During a briefing Monday morning, Suffolk County officials described the person diagnosed with the county’s first diagnosed case of coronavirus disease as a man in his early 40s, whose condition is improving. He’s being held in isolation at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. The person is believed to have contracted the disease through community spread, officials said.
According to News 12 Long Island, the employee informed Greenport Harbor on March 8 that he was diagnosed with the disease. The worker had not been at the brewery since February 24. The beer company notified the Suffolk County Department of Health and all of its employees after learning of the employee’s diagnosis.
Hard Seltzer Drives February Wholesaler Purchases
The National Beer Wholesalers Association’s monthly Beer Purchasers’ Index — which surveys wholesalers’ monthly buying behavior — posted its highest February reading ever, driven by FMBs and hard seltzers, the trade group said.
The total beer index for February increased to 64 points, up 3 points from February 2019’s reading of 61. The hard seltzer and FMB segment posted a reading of 95, up from February 2019’s reading of 71. The craft (51) and import (52) segments both expanded, while purchasing of all other segments contracted.
Even though both craft and imports were still in expansion, their readings declined year-over-over. Cider, domestic premium lights, premium regular and below premium all scored at least 10 points below 50, indicating that those segments are in decline.
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Bud Light Seltzer launched in the first quarter of 2020.
An index of 50 points or more indicates that purchasing in a segment is expanding; while a reading below 50 indicates contraction.
US Brewers Ship 12.3 Million Barrels in January
For the month of January, U.S. beer companies shipped 12,325,000 barrels, a 0.6% decline compared to January 2019, according to the Beer Institute, citing estimates of domestic tax paid shipments by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
The Beer Institute also updated its shipment numbers for 2018 and 2019. In the revised numbers for 2019, the shipment decline slightly improved from a decline of 0.8% to an overall decline of 0.6%. The updated total shipments for 2019 improved to 165.9 million barrels, with total volume declining 990,661 barrels compared to 2018, when U.S. brewers shipped nearly 166.9 million barrels.
The Lost Abbey’s Tiny Bubbles Launches on Draft in California
Tiny Bubbles, the new line of canned live sour beers from Tomme Arthur, has launched on draft in California, according to a press release.
“To be very clear, this is beer, real live sour beer”, Arthur, COO and co-founder of The Lost Abbey, Port Brewing, and The Hop Concept, said in a press release.
The Lost Abbey acquired the recipe and naming rights for Tiny Bubbles from Santa Barbara, California-based Hollister Brewing, which had stopped producing it.
“I enjoyed Tiny Bubbles immensely the first time, second time, and twentieth time I had it ”, Arthur said in the release. “With the beer no longer being made, we believe we can take this brand to new heights in the beer world.”
Tiny Bubbles is available on draft at the Lost Abbey’s tasting rooms in San Marcos, San Elijo and Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California. Canned 4-packs will be available in California next month, with wider distribution to The Lost Abbey’s 13-state footprint in early summer.
The beer is a Gose-style ale brewed with lactobacillus. It checks in at 120 calories and 4.3% ABV. Tiny Bubbles will launch with two flavors: Original with Brettanomyces and Sea Salt, and Orange Guava. Key Lime and Rosé will follow.
Arthur announced the launch of Tiny Bubbles during his keynote speech at the Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica in December.
Russian River’s First-Ever Bottle Launch of Pliny the Young Sold Out
Windsor, California-headquartered Russian River Brewing Company sold out of its annual release of triple IPA Pliny the Younger, which it bottled for the first time.
The special release was available on draft and in 40,000 bottles, which sold for $10 each. Co-founder Natalie Cilurzo told the Press Democrat an estimated 23,500 guests visited the company’s Windsor and Santa Rosa locations to purchase the beer. Of those, a little more than half, about 54%, visited the Windsor brewery, while the rest went to the Santa Rosa taproom.
Heineken N.V. Shuffles Leadership
Heineken N.V. last week announced the appointment of a new chief supply chain officer, as well as its first chief digital and technology officer.
Magne Setnes, the current GM of Heineken’s Austrian business unit, will succeed Marc Gross as chief supply chain officer, effective in April when Gross plans to retire after a 25-year career at Heineken.
A replacement for Setnes in Austria will be announced at a later date.
Meanwhile, former Heineken USA managing director Ronald den Elzen has been appointed to the newly created role of chief digital and technology officer, effective immediately.
Den Elzen, who started at Heineken 25 years ago, joins Heineken’s executive team. He was succeeded in the U.S. by Maggie Timoney in September 2018.
In a statement, outgoing CEO Jean-François van Boxmeer called Setnes and den Elzen “two highly experienced and versatile” executives.
James Beard Foundation Award Semifinalists Announced
The James Beard Foundation, the fine-dining organization that champions chefs and restaurants, named several brewers as semifinalists in the Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Producer category for its 2020 awards.
This year’s semifinalists include:
- Jean Broillet IV, Tired Hands Brewing Company, Ardmore, Pennsylvania;
- David Favela, Border X Brewing, San Diego, California;
- Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon, Scratch Brewing Company, Ava, Illinois;
- Steve Luke, Cloudburst Brewing, Seattle, Washington;
- Jeffrey Stuffings and Michael Stuffings, Jester King Brewery, Austin, Texas.
Past beer industry winners include Allagash Brewing founder Rob Tod in 2019, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery co-founder Sam Calagione in 2017 and Brooklyn Brewery head brewer Garrett Oliver in 2014.
Winners will be announced at the foundation’s annual gala on May 4.