Dear Client:   As American craft brewers and fans descend on Denver into the weekend for the Great American Beer Festival, international beer consumers will surely be watching which brews get top honors. If they’re lucky, maybe they’ll find some of them on shelves abroad in the coming months.  That’s because interest in the American craft … Continue reading “Craft’s Opportunity With Exports”

Dear Client: While BrewDog USA might be known for its irreverent and vast array of craft beer offerings, it is building momentum with its non-alcoholic portfolio. Indeed, we were struck by the brewer recently reporting it has experienced triple-digit growth from its non-alcoholic portfolio [see CBD 09-01-2023], so we called up new-ish BrewDog USA CEO … Continue reading “BrewDog USA’s CEO on “Essentially Doubled” Non-Alc Business”

Dear Client:   It was just a few short years ago that Boulevard Brewing announced it would enter into the hard seltzer game with Quirk, and it’s “fair to say that it’s exceeded any expectation we ever had.”  This comes from our recent chat with Duvel USA’s EVP of sales and marketing, Bobby Dykstra, who sat … Continue reading “BLVD’s Quirk Hard Seltzer Still Growing in Backyard and Beyond”

Dear Client:   Athletic Brewing Company is doubling down on its international business, announcing it has secured distribution in the UK with importer James Clay and Sons, in addition to striking key retail partnerships in Canada.  The international expansion comes as the non-alcoholic category “is up about 35%” per NielsenIQ Total US x AOC + Liquor … Continue reading “Athletic Expands International Distribution in the UK & Canada”

Dear Client:   At his appearance at Barclays Global Staples Consumer Conference last week, Molson Coors chief Gavin Hattersley teased some imminent “new plans” to turnaround Blue Moon, and at the company’s Distributor Convention this week in Orlando, your editor got the low-down. Molson Coors VP of marketing for above premium beer, Courtney Benedict, did the … Continue reading “How Blue Moon Hopes to Turn the Tides”

Dear Client:   Craft beer just might be able to capitalize on the surging popularity of craft spirits by leaning in on an old technique: distilling beer into whiskey.  While craft beer was flat in ‘22, whiskey producers experienced strong growth in 2022, with American whiskey revenues up 10.5% and volumes up 5.2%; and blended whiskey … Continue reading “Could Whiskey Distilled From Beer be a Big Trend in Craft?”

Dear Client:   Michigan’s Bell’s Brewery is playing to Oberon Ale fans: the big seasonal offering is now available year-round, with the unveiling of a new spinoff brew, Oberon Eclipse.  On shelves during the fall and winter months from October through March, Oberon Eclipse is a citrus wheat ale brewed with orange and coriander, giving the … Continue reading “Oberon Goes Year Round with Spinoff, Oberon Eclipse”

Dear Client:   Phoenix-based O.H.S.O. Brewery + Distillery (an acronym for Outrageous Homebrewer’s Social Outpost) is gearing up to expand statewide distribution after acquiring its neighbor, Helton Brewing Co.  Known for building out a handful of neighborhood brewpub locations throughout Phoenix and a couple other Arizona cities (Gilbert, Scottsdale), owner Jon Lane told CBD with the … Continue reading “O.H.S.O Buys Helton Brewing in Phoenix, on Expansion Streak”

Dear Client:   How high can hopped-up non-alc supplier, Hoplark, fly? We’ll soon get an idea, thanks to a strategic partnership it has struck with top 10 craft brewer, Brooklyn Brewery. The budding Boulder-based supplier announced today that it has entered into “a comprehensive long-term strategic partnership” with Brooklyn, which will cover “production, warehousing, logistics, sales, … Continue reading “Brooklyn Brewery and Hoplark Strike Strategic Partnership”

Dear Client:   Former Anchor Brewing employees raised more than $70,000 this week after starting a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal fees and other expenses as they develop a business plan in an attempt to buy the historic 127-year-old San Francisco brewery.  Members of Anchor’s union (International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 6) launched the GoFundMe … Continue reading “Anchor Employees Launch GoFundMe in Bid to Buy Brewery”

Dear Client:   Longtime Anheuser-Busch vet, Shreyas Balakrishnan, is on the move to a different kind of “bud,” taking on the role of CEO at cannabis company Blaze Life Holdings, per company announcement today. For those unfamiliar with Shreyas, well, he’s been kind of a big deal at A-B.  His most recent position at the company … Continue reading “A-B Hot Shot Shreyas Balakrishnan Appointed as CEO of Ambitious Cannabiz, Blaze Life Holdings”

Dear Client:   Leaning into consumers’ preferences for moderation, HOP WTR is partnering with large and growing Mexican import brand, Pacifico, on a co-branded marketing campaign across retailers (with a national rebate) and social media this fall. Recall, Pacifico’s parent company in the U.S, Constellation, also owns a minority stake in HOP WTR – making this … Continue reading “Moderation Goes Mainstream in Co-Branded HOP WTR/Pacifico Campaign”

Dear Client:   Newly independent Appalachian Mountain Brewery is entering a joint venture with Asheville’s Green Man Brewing to produce their beer for distribution. AMB opened their second location in Mills River in June— after buying back the brewery from Anheuser-Busch. Recall that A-B had acquired AMB when the big brewer purchased Craft Brew Alliance brands … Continue reading “Appalachian Mountain Brewery Enlists Asheville’s Green Man for Contract Brewing Partnership”

Dear Client:   A new chapter cometh for Crispin Cider. The once prominent cider brand is making a return to market this fall, thanks to a new long-term licensing agreement between Minneapolis Cider Company and Molson Coors. Recall, Crispin has been out of commish for a little over two years now, following the discontinuation of the … Continue reading “Crispin Cider Comeback”

Dear Client:   Famed California brewer, Russian River, is taking on a first this fall – sending canned beer to store shelves, per North Bay Business Journal. The 26-year-old brewer will begin this new venture with two brews: STS Pils and Velvet Glow lager, putting both brews in 6-packs of 12-oz. cans “after years of producing … Continue reading “Russian River to Send Some Cans to Store Shelves”