More than 80% of craft breweries said they have received funding through the Paycheck Protection Program, and those loans are making many of them more confident about the future, according to the Brewers Association’ (BA) latest survey of how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting those businesses.
As all 50 states have begun the reopening process, two more craft breweries are asking their customers how willing they are to return to brewery taprooms when on-premise sales return. Seattle’s Reuben’s Brews and New Orleans’ Urban South Brewery, which also operates a location in Houston, Texas, recently shared the results of their respective surveys.
Hard seltzers are continuing to attract new consumers, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study conducted by market research firm Nielsen. During the eight-week period during the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of consumers buying hard seltzer nearly doubled, as 44% of hard seltzer buyers were doing so for the first time, according to the study.
Just 11% of bar and restaurant operators have been able to generate sustainable profits by offering takeout and delivery, according to a survey conducted by Nielsen CGA, the market research firm’s on-premise channel data arm.
The largest beer festival in the U.S. will not take place in-person in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For the first time in the festival’s nearly 40-year history, the Brewers Association (BA) has canceled the 2020 edition of Great American Beer Festival, which was slated to take place September 24-26, and will instead move the event “to an immersive online experience” from October 16-17.
Russian River Brewing Company’s annual release of Pliny the Younger triple IPA drew visitors from 47 states and 14 countries and generated $5.1 million in economic impact to the local economy, an increase of 22.6% over the 2019 release, according to a study conducted by the Sonoma County Economic Development Board.
One in five consumers have returned to on-premise establishments in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Texas — states that have begun the reopening process following the shutdown forced by the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 — according to a new survey conducted by Nielsen CGA.
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered nearly every facet of life and commerce, but one particular area stands to be gutted more than almost any other: large scale events. In the beer industry alone, event casualties are numerous, as the Brewers Association has now canceled three of its marquee events.
Nearly nine months after announcing their plans for a new $12 million brewery and taproom in Philadelphia, the founders of Everett, Massachusetts-headquartered Night Shift Brewing today announced they have abandoned the plan and reached an agreement with their landlord to terminate the lease on the 130,000 sq. ft. facility.
Dr. Anthony Fauci today cautioned against reopening businesses and other public gathering spaces before states meet guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An investigation by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) found that third-party delivery services are “routinely delivering alcoholic beverages to minors,” according to an industry advisory posted by the regulatory agency.
There’s a distinct sense of FOMO happening at Charlotte, North Carolina-based Sycamore Brewing. “It’s painful. This time of year in Charlotte, it’s absolutely beer garden weather,” Sycamore co-founder Justin Brigham said during a video interview.
Reyes Beer Division, the nation’s largest wholesaler of beer, has laid off some of its 5,700-person workforce, a company spokesperson confirmed.
Craft beer purchase intent among wholesalers has hit an all-time low, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA). Nielsen CGA found the number of checks at tracked accounts in the week ending April 25 increased 69% over the week ending March 28.
As states grapple with reopening for business in face of the COVID-19 pandemic, one Maine brewpub owner opted to defy the reopening plan Gov. Janet Mills laid out last week that orders restaurants to remain shut for on-premise dining until June.
