New Belgium Completes Upgrades at Asheville Brewery
New Belgium has completed several upgrades at its LEED-certified production brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, including the addition of a large solar installation, the company announced today.
The company said the “446 KW Solar PV system, installed by Renu Energy Solutions, includes 1,063 modules spanning the facility’s 114,000 square-foot roof, producing an estimated 620,000 kWh of electricity annually.” The renewable energy being produced in Asheville will offset about 11,100 tons of carbon dioxide, according to New Belgium.
Earlier this spring, New Belgium added 10 additional tanks to expand capacity at the facility. An expanded beer garden will open this summer. Those upgrades are in addition to a new canning line added in 2020. The company said those additions have led to the creation of 50 jobs at the facility over the last two years.
“As we celebrate 10 years since announcing our move to Asheville with a brewery designed for rooftop solar, we’re thrilled to make good on our commitment to add more renewable energy to the grid,” New Belgium Brewing Asheville GM Jay Richardson said in the release.
“The climate crisis is already harming our coworkers, our communities, and our customers here in Asheville and across the country – not to mention threatening the future of beer itself,” New Belgium director of environmental and social impact Katie Wallace added. “Renewable energy is an economic driver for businesses like New Belgium and our outstanding local partners at Renu, and for residents in need of good-paying jobs and clean air and water.”
New Belgium previously installed a 200kW rooftop solar array at its production facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2010, and later added a 96kW solar array in 2015. The company has detailed its carbon neutral blueprint for businesses at drinksustainably.com.
White Lion to Open 2nd Brewery in Amherst in Fall 2022
Springfield, Massachusetts-based White Lion Brewing Company plans to open a second taproom in downtown Amherst this fall as part of its partnership with NBA and University of Massachusetts legend Marcus Camby.
In January, White Lion partnered with Camby on the launch of Marcus Camby New England IPA. Now, the two will open a nanobrewery with “one-off experimental ales, a test kitchen, taproom, and outdoor social space,” White Lion Brewing Company Business Partner and Head Brewer Mike Yates said in a press release.
“Our brand is built on the community’s fabric creating a diverse, inclusive, and fun place to be in downtown Springfield,” Yates said. “We look to replicate much of that exciting vibe in downtown Amherst. As an UMass-Amherst alum and a resident of the Happy Valley, I could not be happier to be back in Amherst. I built much of my professional brewing career here and I look forward to bringing brewing back to downtown Amherst.”
“I have witnessed White Lion do amazing things in the greater Springfield area,” Camby added. “I am confident we can capitalize on that momentum, utilize my career relationships to enhance the downtown Amherst experience. Lastly, the centerpiece of success is to work with UMass-Amherst and the local education community to create opportunities for the next generation of leaders.”
Camby and White Lion will host a meet-and-greet in Amherst at The Drake (44 N. Pleasant) on Saturday, May 21.
Molson Coors Shows Off New Keystone Light Packaging
Molson Coors alerted its wholesaler partners in late March that a Keystone Light packaging refresh was underway — just days after a jury awarded Stone Brewing $56 million in its trademark infringement suit over the separation of “Key” and “Stone” on packaging.
Molson Coors offered a glimpse of the refreshed packaging in its latest Molson Coors blog, although a spokesperson told Brewbound that there’s “more to come.” The new can packages reunite “Keystone” on the cans, as well as on 15- and 30-packs.
Molson Coors has also launched a new campaign aimed at rural consumers. Matt Lafferty, marketing manager for Keystone Light, told the company blog that 60% of the brand’s volume comes from rural counties.
Molson Coors, citing IRI data, added that Keystone Light boasts “the second-highest buyer loyalty in the entire beer category” and “the second-highest buy rate in the category,” an increase of +11% compared to 2021.
Flying Dog Wins Lawsuit Against NC ABC
Maryland’s Flying Dog has won its First Amendment challenge against the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Commission over its Freezin’ Season Winter Ale label, which the state agency rejected, the company shared this week.
In 2021, Flying Dog filed a lawsuit against the N.C. ABC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, after the state agency rejected its label for Freezin’ Season, which its commissioners deemed was in “bad taste.” The federal court on May 13 ruled that the ABC’s bans were in violation of the First Amendment.
“The First Amendment is the last defense against authoritarian and arbitrary government, and it must be protected against any and all threats,” Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso said in a press release. “We are hugely grateful to our attorney, Marc Randazza, whose knowledge and passion for the First Amendment carried the day. With the First Amendment seemingly under attack from all sides, it is heartening to see court decisions like this that protect the freedoms that it embodies.”
Flying Dog said the district court’s ruling forces the state to remove similar regulations and prevents it from enacting similar ones in the future. The brewery has previously succeeded in suing liquor commissions in Colorado and Michigan.
Mark Anthony Launches White Claw REFRSHR Lemonade, Iced Tea Packs
Mark Anthony Brands launched a new White Claw hard seltzer sub-brand called REFRSHR earlier this week that will offer “new takes on classic Lemonade and Iced Tea flavors,” according to the company.
The first White Claw REFRSHR Lemonade variety 12-pack features four flavors: “Limón with a hint of Calamansi; Blood Orange with a hint of Black Raspberry; Blackberry with a hint of Red Cherry; and Strawberry with a hint of Kiwi,” according to the company.
The White Claw REFRSHR Iced Tea variety 12-pack will follow this summer with four flavors: Peach, Lemon, Strawberry and Mango. The hard seltzer is made with “sustainably sourced brewed tea that’s certified by the Rainforest Alliance.”
Each 12 oz. can of REFRSHR is 5% ABV, 100 calories and 2g carbs.
White Claw previously launched a hard tea offering, White Claw Hard Seltzer Iced Tea, in March 2021. The line was available in a variety 12-pack featuring four flavors: Lemon, Raspberry, Mango and Peach. The company also released a lemonade seltzer under the Mike’s Hard brand last year.
Beer Prices at Laguardia Revised After Traveler’s Tweet
The price of beer may be going up, but not quite to the level of those at New York’s Laguardia Airport. Beer prices at the airport came under scrutiny after a traveler tweeted a photo of the prices for draft beer at Biergarten that ranged from $13.05 for a Michelob Ultra to $27.85 for a Samuel Adams Summer Ale — which didn’t include a 10% COVID-19 recovery charge that specifically is “not a gratuity for employees.”
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has since introduced revision to the “Concessionaire Street Pricing Standards and Procedures Manual” to rein in prices that will prevent items from being priced above “street prices” with a 10% maximum surcharge, according to WPIX.
Concessionaire OTG operated the restaurant that sold the beers, and 25 customers were overcharged, the Office of Inspector General found, according to WPIX. Those customers were refunded with the prices being called “totally indefensible.”
Prices will now be reviewed more often.