Dear Client:    Idaho’s beer and wine distributor organization has officially intervened in a suit filed by out-of-state producers challenging the state’s self-distribution laws they claim give a leg up to in-state producers.  Over the holiday break, the Idaho Beer and Wine Distributor’s Association filed a motion to intervene as a defendant in a case brought … Continue reading “Idaho Distributors Want to Defend Self-Distribution Status Quo”

Dear Client:    News hit over the holiday break that Flying Fish Brewing Co. – one of New Jersey’s oldest craft breweries, and for a time the biggest in the state – has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing, submitted during the final week of 2023, capped off a tumultuous year for the South Jersey … Continue reading “Flying Fish Files for Bankruptcy”

Dear Client:    Despite having recently closed a complicated deal to acquire San Diego’s Modern Times, and a historically destructive wildfire in Maui, Craft ‘Ohana brass says 2023 was a banner year, with double-digit growth (roughly 38%) on the mainland for the Maui brand. All in, Craft ‘Ohana is north of 100,000 barrels.   We caught up … Continue reading ““The Demand for Maui is Off the Charts””

Dear Client:    Jacob Landry, founder of New Orleans-based craft brewer Urban South, is the first to admit they’ve entered the game “late” on several “trending” beverage alcohol categories.  “We certainly weren’t early in craft beer. We weren’t early with our seltzers. We weren’t early with our hard iced tea,” he told CBD.  So, with hemp-derived … Continue reading “Urban South is Betting on THC Beverage Line Over Non-Alc”

Dear Client:    Just days after the Brewers Association warned that kegs may hit “the lowest level since before WWII” as the craft category is down 2.5 million barrels on draft (since pre-Covid), Rhode Island-based craft brewer Narragansett told CBD its draft sales are up 15% in 2023.  “On-premise is up 12% and our draft beer … Continue reading “Narragansett, Bucking Craft Trends, Sees Draft Up 15%”

Dear Client:    Craft isn’t ending the year on a high note, but it’s not limping out of ’23 either. The segment, while still posting off-premise declines, did see some slight improvement in November scans, per the latest set of Circana data. Craft dollars were down 1.6% for the four weeks to December 3 in Circana’s … Continue reading “Latest Scans: A Not so Bad November; And a Return to Easy Drinking Styles?”

Dear Client:    During a sobering collab hour webinar this morning, Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson predicted continued declines for the craft category – and beer overall – in 2024.  And draft, where craft typically over indexes (30 share of volume), is currently down 2.5 million barrels (vs. the pre-COVID trajectory), Bart said. It’s expected … Continue reading “Bart: “Kegs May Hit Lowest Level Since Before WWII” in ‘24”

Dear Client:    While the craft beer industry has seen its fair share of challenges in 2023, there were still more brewery openings (420) than closings (385) this year, according to the Brewers Association’s Year in Beer annual report.  The openings/closings tally comes following the BA’s mid-year survey [see CBD 08-10-2023] which indicated a production dip … Continue reading “BA: Brewery Openings Still Outpace Closings in ’23, But Only By a Smidge”

Dear Client:    When she took over the marketing helm at Petaluma, CA-based craft brewery, Lagunitas, this summer, interim Chief Marketing Officer Hannah Dray set out to accomplish a “three-pronged” marketing overhaul [see CBD 07-13-2023].  Among Hannah’s marketing priorities include “getting our mojo” back by rebuilding some of the brand’s irreverence and “trying to move away, … Continue reading “Lagunitas Leans on “High-Low” Trends with ‘24 IPA, Variety Pack Innovations”

Dear Client:    One space that suppliers (big and small) seem to have their eye on next year are non-carbonated FMBs. Indeed, whether it’s refreshers, aguas frescas, hard juice or hard tea, bubble-free plays seem to be a common theme among FMB innovation next year. Judging by trends from one of the early runners in this … Continue reading “NOCA Eyeing the Million Case Mark in ’24”

Dear Client:    In the age of innovation, creating line extensions of craft flagship brands is a risk brewers don’t take lightly. But as Rogue Ales’ new president Steven Garrett [see CBD 08-07-2023] put it during a craft panel discussion at Brewbound Live this week, deciding to innovate around the company’s 32-year-old brand Dead Guy Ale … Continue reading “Craft Brewer Brass Chats Line Extending their Top Brands”

Dear Client:    CANarchy is betting on two popular beer trends: larger format, and higher ABV.  The Monster-owned craft consortium announced three new 19.2 oz single-serve can plays for some of the portfolio’s “most recognizable beer brands.” Those include two well known Oskar Blues brands, flagship Dale’s Pale Ale, and Hazy Blues IPA. CANarchy’s bestselling craft … Continue reading “CANarchy Leaning on Imperial 19.2 Plays”

Dear Client:    Roughly a year after Tilray acquired New York-based Montauk Brewing Co., the company is expanding to more markets.  Montauk will hit Florida’s Tampa/St. Pete area with the A-B network, including Great Bay Distributors, Pepin Distributing, and Gold Coast Eagle Distributing. (Its larger network includes a mixed bag of A-B, Constellation and Molson Coors … Continue reading “Montauk Enters Florida with A-B Wholesalers”

Dear Client:    Sprecher Brewing Co., Milwaukee’s oldest craft brewer, has been on an acquisition streak as of late. It most recently purchased Ooh La Lemin Lemonade in October, joining six other brands Sprecher has acquired under new ownership which took over the company in February 2020, according to a feature story in Milwaukee Magazine.  And … Continue reading “Pivoting Mainly to Soda, Sprecher Brewing Aims for $100 Million in Sales”

Dear Client:    Legacy craft brewer, Brooklyn Brewery, has been making many moves lately, and as you might have noticed, not all these moves fit squarely into beer. Put simply, the company is evolving. “Consumers have shifted and we can’t pretend they haven’t,” Brooklyn chief Eric Ottaway said on Beernet Radio last week. Thus, Brooklyn is … Continue reading “Brooklyn’s Moves to Meet the Consumer”