2020 will see Captain Pabst’s final voyage. Pabst Brewing Company announced yesterday that the Captain Pabst Pilot House, its Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based brewery, taproom and event space, will permanently close on December 21.
The night before Thanksgiving — typically a popular night for people who have returned to their hometowns for the holiday to crowd local bars for impromptu reunions — brought on-premise establishments a boost by 2020 standards, according to BeerBoard, which tracks draft sales at bars and restaurants.
Eugene, Oregon-based Ninkasi Brewing Company has instituted “organizational and operational changes” over the last month that has led to cuts within its field sales, hospitality and management teams, Ninkasi Brewing CEO Nigel Francisco confirmed to Brewbound.
Grand Rapids, Michigan-headquartered Founders Brewing Company laid off 89 retail workers at its taprooms in Detroit and Grand Rapids, effective November 18, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) filed that same day with Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Workforce Development.
Pennsylvanians looking to reunite with former classmates at their hometown bars on the night before Thanksgiving will have to do so over Zoom, as the commonwealth has banned on-premise alcohol sales from 5 p.m. on Wednesday until 8 a.m. on Thursday. The ban applies to “bars, restaurants, and private catered events,” according to a press release. It intends to keep large groups of people from gathering.
As craft breweries continue to struggle under on-premise restrictions and closures during the fall surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s largest trade association representing craft breweries is encouraging consumers to include visits to local breweries as they kickstart their holiday shopping.
There won’t be a pilgrimage to Sonoma County for Russian River’s Pliny the Younger in 2021. Russian River Brewing Company announced Sunday that the onsite portion of its annual Pliny the Younger release in 2021 would be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Restaurant Association is pushing back against further restrictions being imposed on restaurants and bars by state governors as they attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The Brewers Association has postponed registration for next year’s Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America until early 2021, according to an update on the conference website. “We are working hard, having ongoing conversations with the host city of San Diego and paying close attention to information regarding the evolving nature of this pandemic, and how it affects live events such as ours,” the BA wrote.
As the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic surges in the U.S., governors continue enacting restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Over the weekend, the governors of Washington, Oregon, Michigan and New Mexico banned on-site dining at bars and restaurants for the next few weeks.
Consumers are still buying alcohol to drink at home, and with impending on-premise shutdowns as the COVID-19 pandemic surges, they could be buying even more soon, according to market research firm Nielsen.
Two more popular craft breweries have announced that their taprooms will be hibernating this winter as colder weather makes outdoor service infeasible, and COVID-19 cases continue to rise nationwide. Chicago-headquartered Revolution Brewing and Canton, Massachusetts-based Trillium Brewing both said this week that they will be temporarily shuttering their locations for on-premise service through the winter.
Pacific Northwest-based hospitality and brewpub chain McMenamins has launched the second phase of its investment drive as it seeks to raise as much as $15 million from accredited investors. Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Titletown Brewing is seeking a new owner or investors due to the COVID-19 pandemic hampering sales.
The leveling up of Millennials and Generation Z consumers is a bright spot on the horizon for craft beer, the beer industry’s leading economists said during last week’s Brewers Association Collab Hour webinar. “There’s really good tailwinds for craft,” Brewers Association (BA) chief economist Bart Watson said.
