Craft posted up new share highs last year…

Dan had new MULO (multi-outlet: food, drug, Mass, Walmart, Club [Sam’s and BJ’s], dollar and military channels) and MULC (multi+convenience) trends to report, as Walmart and Sam’s Club began sharing their syndicated data for the first time in over a decade last year.

They’ve long been rumored to hit the crazy Chicago market. Now Ballast Point VP sales and marketing Earl Kight has confirmed to CBD they’ll launch the market on May 1, distributor TBA.

There are no “hard goals” for the program in year 1, but the retailer hopes it will establish the Consultants as the craft “gurus” of their neighborhood and keep ABC, the largest privately owned wine and spirits retailer in the country, top-of-mind for beer. The program is a year in the making.

Last time we checked in with NorCal’s 26-year-old Anderson Valley Co., they’d just formed a partnership with Wild Turkey. Anderson owner Trey White told CBD the deal is novel in its securement of “almost unlimited quantity of barrels” and the right to use the ‘Turkey trademark.

Recall that their planned $35 million facility at Pier 48 at the Giant’s Mission Park will bring them to 680,000 capacity total, including the existing facility; they hope to be pouring beer at the new location in Q3 2015.

Earlier this year we reported that Oskar Blues had plans for 6 new markets in 2013 – starting with Michigan in Q1. Now there’s a timetable and a slew of distributors for the move.

Boston Beer Co. has reported depletions growth of 16% for Q4 2012, “primarily due to increases in Angry Orchard, Samuel Adams Seasonals, and Twisted Tea” and “partially offset by declines in some other Samuel Adams styles,” per company statement. Depletions were up 12% for 52 weeks.

Last August, Anchor Brewing Co. owner Keith Greggor told CBD they’d open a new San Francisco-based brewery , location TBD, which could be producing beer as early as 2015.

Get ready to experience a can with some serious claims. Boston chief Jim Koch has long said he’d put his brew in a can when he could design one that was worthy…

The next expansion to almost 1 million barrels capacity? The biggest craft brewer in the Southeast: Abita.

Summer Shandy “primarily” helped Leinenkugel grow double digits for the year, having itself doubled volume in 2012.

Late last year, Boulevard acquired a 60,000 square foot industrial building in its backyard, where it ultimately hopes to move Smokestack Series conditioning and packaging operations…

There’s a lot going on with this Athens, GA-based brewery that’s finally been able to expand production since MillerCoors invested a minority stake in late 2011.

Larry Bell will move forward with investments at Bell’s Comstock Township facility after having “resolved some of the issues” he had with the company’s minority shareholders as well as “some of the concerns financial institutions had,” per MLive.com.