At the end of February, we told you that we’d be visiting Chicago on Tuesday April 28 to host our traveling Brew Talks meetup series at . At the time, we promised that speakers would be revealed shortly after the announcement.
Well now it’s April 24, there are 100 beer industry professionals already registered to attend next Tuesday’s meetup and we still haven’t said a peep about the program. That changes today.
Brewbound is excited to announce the first half of next Tuesday’s Brew Talks program, featuring a stellar lineup of sales & marketing experts.
Kicking things off will be Revolution Brewing’s director of sales and marketing, Donn Bichsel, who will join Brewbound editor Chris Furnari in a 1-on-1 conversation and discuss the company’s progress through the first half of 2015. He’ll also share a few insights from the Craft Brewers Conference and provide his outlook for the craft segment over the next 12-18 months.
Brew Talks guests will be also treated to a special presentation from Jason Miller, the vice president of emerging media for FleishmanHillard. In his role as VP, Miller helps clients connect with customers online and is an expert at creating and executing digital programming that is consistent with a brand’s story. At Brew Talks, Miller, an avid craft beer drinker, will explain how breweries can refine their online messaging and engage new consumers through visual storytelling.
Register for Brew Talks TODAY!
A third panel discussion with Wirtz Beverage’s David Kahle, Une Annee founder Jerry Nelson and two other local craft brewers will also be featured. Additional details about that talk will be announced in the coming days.
Lastly, the incredibly generous folks over at Revolution Brewing have agreed to open the taps next Tuesday and a selection of beers will be made available to Brew Talks guests. while Brew Talks Chicago is FREE to attend, Brewbound encourages all attendees to donate to West Town Bikes, which promotes bicycling in the city of Chicago.
Brew Talks will be making stops in several other markets this year. While not yet finalized, here’s a glance at our plan for the remainder of 2015. Official dates and locations will be announced in the coming months.
Interested in hosting a Brew Talks event? Contact Brewbound editor Chris Furnari at cfurnari@bevnet.com or 617-231-8828. Sponsorship opportunities are also still available. Please contact John McKenna at jmckenna@bevnet.com or 617-231-8825 to learn more.
Since hosting our first event in the basement of a craft beer bar in Boston in 2013, the meetup series has developed into a multi-city tour where beer industry professionals can come together inside of some of the country’s most recognizable craft breweries and share business insights with one another. In less than two years, we’ve hosted 19 meetups, in 15 U.S. cities, and connected with thousands of individuals from all tiers of the industry. The events are also broadcast globally via a free live stream.
Befitting the reputation it has built for using diverse and exotic ingredients in the brewing process, Dogfish Head has shown over the years that, as a company, it has eclectic taste in music as well. Spearheaded by founder and self-proclaimed music geek Sam Calagione, the company has made its fandom known through collaborations with the likes of Pearl Jam, the Grateful Dead, Miles Davis’ estate and, most recently, a Dogfish-sponsored live performance by hip-hop icon Tone Loc during this year’s Craft Brewers Conference.
Dogfish Head, the country’s 13th largest craft brewery, was also the official sponsor of this year’s Record Store Day, a nationwide celebration of independent record stores marked by the release of vinyl and CD releases specifically produced for the occasion.
The brewery is also the official craft beer sponsor of the Firefly Music Festival, a four-day music experience in Dover, DE. This year’s event is headlined by Paul McCartney and Snoop Dogg.
The tracklist goes on, and Calagione’s adoration is apparent, but his passion for music is more than just a weekend hobby. In recent years, Dogfish Head has managed to strike a melodic chord between beer, music and business, and put the brand in the hands of thousands of new consumers in the process.
So before taking over the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Ore. as one half of the Pain Relievaz (a joke hip-hop duo that he and fellow MC Bryan Selders of Post Brewing take a little more seriously than they might lead on) during CBC, Brewbound caught up with Calagione to talk about some of the artistic endeavors Dogfish Head has undertaken.
The following conversation has been condensed and slightly edited for clarity.
Give us a quick rundown of the artistic stuff you guys have been doing.
I think the overlap between the craft beer community and the music community is huge. Very rarely do you go to a brewery and there’s not music playing while people are brewing or hanging out in a brewpub or a tasting room. I think especially there’s a great affinity for hip-hop and indie rock in the craft beer world. I think that’s because both of them really started as these kind of niche, marginal kind of genres in a world dominated by a few more homogenous giant kinds of music. And their trajectories are very similar. You know, hip-hop has broken through to the mainstream, as has indie rock.
You’ve mentioned in the past these collaborations aren’t entirely altruistic, there’s a sense it actually helps the bottom line. How do these collaborations help Dogfish Head from a business standpoint?
I think in the case of the beers that we do with different bands, there’s obviously a revenue stream so in that sense there’s a financial component to it. But also, when you work with artists, whether it’s rock and roll poster artists or the musical artists themselves, once you’re doing something with them, to some extent then what they’re all about kind of informs the Dogfish head logo as well. They’re kind of part of our journey and we’re part of theirs. It really helps us to sort of differentiate ourselves in craft beer.
Is there a sense at all that a fan of Robert Johnson maybe sees Hellhound On My Ale in the store and they might not have known Dogfish Head and they pick up that bottle because of the label essentially?
Yeah, I mean, that’s a great point. Think of The Grateful Dead and they’ve got just a giant grassroots following, much bigger than Dogfish’s I would say, but similar in that we’re both very grassroots kind of human scale, you know, artistic sort of entities that also have a financial component to us as well – their tours, and our beers, their music. But we’re also fairly conscious to not just do projects with bigger bands like The Grateful Dead or Bitches Brew, with Miles Davis’ family. We intentionally choose some smaller bands to do projects with.
Craft Brew Alliance is doubling down on brewery expansions.
The company today announced it would spend $15 million to build a new 100,000-barrel brewery in Hawaii. A list of potential locations is being reviewed and CBA said it expects the facility to be fully operational by 2017.
The news comes less than 10 days after the company said it would spend $10 million to add 200,000 barrels of capacity at its Widmer Brothers brewery in Portland, Ore. Combined, the two expansions will increase total CBA capacity by 300,000 barrels by 2017.
“We really do believe in the importance of being local, not just throwing it on a label,” CEO Andy Thomas told Brewbound. “There is no substitute for being local and unlike a lot of other folks, we aren’t running from our home markets looking for growth.”
Many of the nation’s largest and fastest growing craft breweries — including Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Lagunitas, Stone Brewing Co. and Oskar Blues — have all recently expanded brewing operations east of their original production facilities. That strategy, Thomas said, is based on a “hope” that “if you build it, they will come.”
“Rather than following a hope strategy, we are following a pretty disciplined approach to building around our home markets and doing it in a very stable way,” he said. “We are not in a business model where we are about finding the next new thing. We are building brands that people love and beers that people love drinking and connecting those two things to the local communities.”
CBA’s approach appears to be working, at least in Hawaii. The Kona brand is currently about 8 percent of all beer sold in Hawaii, Thomas said.
“Even though we are doing great on Hawaii, we still believe there is a lot of run room,” he said.
The new brewery will help support Kona’s growth in Hawaii and enable the company to innovate with unique styles and ingredients, Thomas said, adding that CBA’s export and mainland business could also see a bump as a result of the expansion.
“As we develop our export business in China and Asia, you could — emphasis on could — imagine what it might enable us to do,” he said, citing favorable freight shipping lanes.
So what will the new Kona brewery actually look like? Situated on about 30,000 sq. ft. of space, the new brewery will eventually be capable of being scaled past 100,000 barrels, said Scott Mennen, CBA’s VP of Operations. A 20 hL, high-efficiency brewing system that uses a mash filter instead of a lauter tun will be installed, increasing efficiency and improving sustainability, he said.
“Usually you see mash filters in breweries that are in that 5 or 6 million barrel range,” he said. “This is a smaller, scaled down version that enables brewers to use less grain and less water in the brewing process.”
Mennen compared the new brewhouse to a French press, which uses pressure to separate coffee grinds from a filter.
CBA will also keep its original brewpub location – which currently produces about 12,000 barrels of draft beer – and expand the site’s restaurant & taproom components.
A full press release with additional details is included below.
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (April 23, 2015) – Kona Brewing Company today announced that it will invest approximately $15 million to expand its brewery operations in Hawaii. The expansion project, which will include a new state-of-the-art, 30,000 square-foot brewery, will increase annual production capacity to 100,000 barrels (BBLs) per year. Kona Brewing is currently narrowing its list of possible locations for the new facility, with plans to break ground in the second half of 2015 and be fully operational by early 2017.
“When my son Spoon and I set out to create Kona Brewing Company 21 years ago, we had a vision to reflect the spirit of Hawaii, its people, culture and respect for this beautiful land, through distinctive local island craft beers,” said Cameron Healy, co-founder of Kona Brewing Company. “Kona’s tremendous success today is a testament to the support from this amazing community we started in, and I couldn’t be more pleased to see KBC continue to grow and build on that original dream through investing back in its home.”
Since it was founded in Kailua-Kona in 1994, Kona Brewing has become one of the best-selling craft beer brands in the world, while remaining steadfastly committed to its home through a strong focus on innovation, sustainability and community outreach. In 2014, the company grew sales by 13% overall and achieved a milestone in its home state, selling over one million cases on the Islands for the first time in its history.
The expansion in Hawaii will enable Kona Brewing to meet the increasing local demand for flagships such as Kona Longboard Island Lager, Big Wave Golden Ale, and Castaway IPA, as well as innovative small-batch beers, such as the recently released Makana Series, available exclusively in Hawaii.
“With the new brewery, not only will we have a steady supply of Liquid Aloha for customers across the Islands to enjoy, but we’ll be contributing even more to the local economy via new jobs, tax revenues, and direct spending,” noted Mattson Davis, Chairman of the Kona Brewing Company Advisory Board, who was formerly President and CEO for Kona Brewing and has been with the company for more than 18 years. “Hawaii has been our home and our family for more than two decades, and being able to continue growing and giving back through investments like this is one of the most direct ways we can say ‘thank you.’”
In addition to increasing production capacity, the new brewery will leverage the latest innovations in technology to reduce water and energy usage and support Kona’s commitment to leadership in sustainability. As part of this commitment, the company kicked off its 21st anniversary this year with the Kona Makana Series, a small-batch beer series that helps raise funds for Hawaii non-profit organizations dedicated to restoring, maintaining and protecting Hawaii’s natural resources. All Makana Series beers are available only in Hawaii. More information can be found at www.konabrewingco.com/makana-series.
The expansion to a new brewery site will also enable Kona Brewing to expand its popular Kona Pub, located next to the current brewery and original birthplace of Kona Brewing. The investment in the pub will allow Kona to engage with and serve even more visitors, while offering them the ability to see where Kona started.
The expansion of Kona Brewing in Hawaii builds on the recent announcement from Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), an innovative brewing company that is home to three of the earliest and most respected pioneers in American craft beer. Last week, the company announced that it is investing approximately $10 million to expand its Widmer Brothers brewery in Portland to a 750,000 BBL annual capacity. Together, the Kona Brewing and Widmer Brothers expansions will increase the company’s overall annual capacity by 300,000 BBLs in 2017, which will also offer more flexibility to support the continued growth of all brands within CBA.
Kona Brewing Company was started in the spring of 1994 by father and son team Cameron Healy and Spoon Khalsa, who had a dream to create fresh, local island brews made with spirit, passion and quality. It is Hawaii’s first and largest craft brewery and is best known for flagship beers Longboard Island Lager and Big Wave Golden Ale. The Hawaii born and Hawaii-based craft brewery prides itself on brewing the freshest beer of exceptional quality, closest to market. This helps to minimize its carbon footprint by reducing shipping of raw materials, finished beer and wasteful packaging materials. The brewery is headquartered where it began, in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island. For more information call 808-334-BREW or visit www.KonaBrewingCo.com.
Craft Brew Alliance (NASDAQ:BREW) is a leading craft brewing company, which brews, brands and markets some of the world’s most respected and best-loved American craft beers. The company is home to three of the earliest pioneers in craft beer: Redhook Ale Brewery, Washington’s largest craft brewery founded in 1981; Widmer Brothers Brewing, Oregon’s largest craft brewery founded in 1984; and Kona Brewing Company, Hawaii’s oldest and largest craft brewery founded in 1994. As part of Craft Brew Alliance, these craft brewing legends have expanded their reach across the U.S. and more than 15 international markets.
In addition to growing and nurturing distinctive brands rooted in local heritage, Craft Brew Alliance is committed to developing innovative new category leaders, such as Omission Beer, which is the #1 beer in the gluten free beer segment, and Square Mile Cider, a tribute to the early American settlers who purchased the first plots of land in the Pacific Northwest.
Publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BREW, Craft Brew Alliance is headquartered in Portland, OR and operates five breweries and five pub restaurants across the U.S. For more information about CBA and its brands, please visit www.craftbrew.com.
The Scottish brewing outfit BrewDog operates branded beer bars all over the world, ships beer to more than 50 countries, and even has its own American television show. Despite their success, company co-founders (and hosts of the popular “Brew Dogs” show) James Watt and Martin Dickie will tell you that they are representative not of esteemed entrepreneurs that came before them, but rather the brash youth that constantly seeks disruption. They’re punks.
Now, that pair of punks is trying to raise €25 million (roughly $26.8 million) in its fourth round of equity crowdfunding to, among other things, establish a brewing operation in the United States.
With a minimum buy in of two shares for €95 ($101.93), “Equity for Punks IV” is the first such campaign that the company has opened to all prospective investors in Europe. According to BrewDog, the company already has a community of more than 14,500 investors from the first three campaigns.
In addition to allocating €3 million ($3.2 million) to building out a small brewing facility on U.S. soil, BrewDog plans to use the money raised to expand operations in the U.K. by launching new brewing and distilling operations, introducing an import and distribution arm and opening a craft beer-centric hotel, per investor materials.
Investor benefits vary from lifetime discounts of 10 percent at BrewDog bars, to free birthday beers, to year-long memberships to beer clubs it operates.
“We’re not the Rockefellers,” the pair says in a promotional video for the campaign. “We are the Guy Fawkes’. We’re empowering the change makers, the misfits, the independents, the libertines; punks.”
Clearly, the pair has more business savvy than your average punk might admit to.
David Dupee, founder of CraftFund LLC, a craft beer focused crowdfunding platform, said he thinks BrewDog is ahead of the curve with its campaign, suggesting equity crowdfunding could play a bigger role in the future of craft beer here in the states in the years to come.
“I think you see consumers who want to connect with their craft beer brands, and mug clubs and what not only take you so far,” he told Brewbound. “So equity ownership is really that final bridge. BrewDog recognizes that and is really the first company to capitalize on it.”
Dupee said the landscape has evolved to the point to where if a consumer is going to give money to a brewery they love and patronize, they’ll be looking not just for rewards, but company stock as well. Part of the reason it hasn’t taken off the same way here yet, he noted, is simply because of the difference in federal regulations.
The question remains though: will it still be considered punk if everyone is doing it?
Friends, Romans, homebrewers! Lend me your ears… er eyes. On Saturday, our friends at Lucid Brewing Co. will host a Big Brew Day celebration from 8am-5pm. Big Brew Day takes place around the country on the first Saturday in May as a celebration of National Homebrew Day.
Saturday is your chance to celebrate the holiday at Lucid. Whether you’re a seasoned brewer or new to the hobby, you’re invited to the brewery to learn more about brewing, connect with local homebrew clubs, drink Lucid beers and more.
That’s not enough for you? How about a chance to catch Dave Okar and his film, “Crafted to Last?” Gear and prizes from Midwest Supplies? A food truck? Lots of beer nerds?
Lucid’s BFD (Brewer for a Day) will also be announced Saturday. The BFD will join the Lucid brewing team for a day and have their beer on tap at Lucid. The beer will also be entered into the Pro-Am contest at the Great American Beer Festival.
We’re pleased to announce that video playback from last week’s special edition of Brew Talks at the 2015 Craft Brewers Conference is now available for video playback.
A capacity crowd of more than 200 brewers, distributors, investors and other beer industry professionals joined the talk, held at 10 Barrel Brewing’s brand new brewpub in Portland, Ore. on Thursday, April 16.
Included below – and also available on the Brewbound YouTube Channel – are discussions with all of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s recently acquired U.S. craft beer brands, featuring:
Bisacca kicked things off with a conversation on the circumstances that led Elysian to explore a sale to A-B. During the talk, Bisacca explained the transition into the A-B portfolio, the importance of having a succession plan and his thoughts on the various types of craft brewery buyers — including private equity firms, family-offices and employee stock ownership plans.
The evening also featured discussion with Goeler, Wales, Hall and Hegedus, who described A-B’s interest in the growing craft beer category, company culture and shared their vision of craft’s future.
Prefer YouTube? Watch every Brew Talks conversation on the Brewbound channel.
Victory Brewing today announced the opening of its second brewpub in the Philadelphia area, a 7-barrel brewery and restaurant that seats 220 in more than 8,000 sq. ft. of space.
Dubbed Victory at Magnolia, the brewpub in Kennett Square, Pa. will serve a rotating lineup of both site-specific and signature Victory beers brewed on-premise. The new location will also feature a menu highlighted by traditional pub fare and newly created dishes. The brewpub will be open seven days a week and boast a retail component where consumers can purchase beer, beer-infused food products, and other merchandise.
“We are personally thrilled to be welcomed into the Kennett Square community,” Victory co-founder Bill Covaleski said in a press statement. “Our commitment and support of our local economy have created a dedicated following of fans we hope to have for generations to come.”
Victory currently operates a brewpub in Downingtown, Pa., its home market, making the Kennett Square location its second in a string of brewpub outfits it plans to open. As Brewbound reported in September, the company also plans to build out a brewpub at its second brewery in Parkesburg, Pa., as well as one in Leesburg, Va., its first such endeavor out of state. The company also operates a branded beer hall at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Live! entertainment destination.
Boston Beer Company, which produces and markets the Angry Orchard line of hard ciders, today officially announced it acquired a 60-acre orchard located in upstate Montgomery, New York.
The company also plans to build a small innovation cidery and taproom, a space that will be used primarily for experimentation and consumer education.
“From a cider makers perspective, we are excited to have an orchard where we can plant different apple varieties and get some of the traditional cider apples growing again,” said David Sipes, Angry Orchard’s cider maker. “And a big part of this project is having a place where people can come taste and learn about cider.”
Brewbound had originally reported on Boston Beer’s plans to purchase the orchard last September. At the time, Jeffrey Crist, the president and principal family owner of Crist Bros. Orchards, which sold the property to Boston Beer, said that about 40,000 bushels (each weighing 40 pounds each) could be grown on the orchard.
Boston Beer – which anticipates producing small scale, limited-release ciders onsite – will look to experiment with different apple varieties and yeast strains, blending and fermentation techniques as well as barrel-aging, said Sipes.
An official taproom opening, anticipated for “late fall” according to Sipes, will depend on the company’s ability to press and ferment apples currently being grown on the orchard.
Dollar sales growth in the cider category has decelerated in recent weeks, according to the latest Nielsen scan data. In the most recent 4-week period, dollar sales were up 33 percent, which is slightly below the 35 percent growth seen over the last 12 weeks and well below the 52 percent growth seen over the last 52 weeks. Angry Orchard, which leads the category, posted dollar sales growth of 32.6 percent and volume growth of 30.9 percent during the period.
A full press release with additional details is included below.
Angry Orchard today announced a new home for research and development at a historic apple orchard in Walden, New York. The cider makers at Angry Orchard have been exploring different apple varieties and crafting ciders for twenty years, and are looking forward to greatly expanding that experimentation and driving innovation at their own 60-acre orchard, located in the heart of the Hudson Valley of New York State.
This orchard is a particularly good fit for Angry Orchard due to its rich apple growing history and the region’s exciting craft cider culture. Also, the town, state and a number of local organizations have all been very enthusiastic and cooperative in helping the cider maker establish roots in the region.
“For some time now, we have been looking to establish a home for our cider research, and this orchard is perfect for us. Not only does the orchard itself have a great history, but the Hudson Valley has such a vibrant group of apple growers and craft cider makers,” said David Sipes, Angry Orchard Cider Maker. “Right now we’re focused on this year’s apple crop and also mapping out our research plan.”
This location has been a farm since at least the mid-1700s, with the first apple trees dating back at least one hundred years. The farm was completely converted to a full-time apple orchard by the 1950s. During colonial times, hard cider was a popular beverage in the US and the Hudson Valley was known for growing traditional cider apple varieties. Prohibition dealt a serious blow to hard cider production, and orchards began shifting production to culinary apple varieties out of necessity. Even today, traditional cider apples are hard to find here in the US. Angry Orchard plans to plant traditional bittersweet cider apple trees and other heirloom varieties on the orchard over the next several years. Today, the orchard grows a number of apples, including varieties like Empire and McIntosh.
Angry Orchard also intends to build a small cidery on-site with cider making equipment specifically designed for small batch experimentation. Using different ingredients, apple varieties, recipes and processes, the cider makers will develop innovative ciders to share with drinkers at the orchard that could eventually become part of Angry Orchard’s family of ciders available nationwide.
The cidery plans to be open for visitors beginning in late fall, so drinkers can visit to learn how cider is made and try samples of exclusive, handcrafted Angry Orchard ciders made on-site. While craft cider has seen explosive growth in recent years, it is still small and relatively unknown here in the US. To help continue that growth for all craft cider makers, Angry Orchard encourages drinkers to learn as much as they can about cider, and sees the orchard as a place people can come to explore.
The Crist Family, the orchard’s previous owner, has a long history of growing apples in the region, and had owned the property since 1963. The family will continue to cultivate the orchard and retain all jobs associated with caring for and harvesting the land. With the cidery, Angry Orchard plans to add new jobs in the greater Walden community. Angry Orchard recently added Ryan Burk to the team, who will be the head cider maker on-site at the orchard. Ryan grew up in Upstate New York and began working in orchards at the age of six. He brings a breadth of life-long knowledge, passion and experience in cider making to the role. Previously, Ryan served as the head cider maker at Virtue, a craft cidery in Michigan, and led a large barrel-aging program. Ryan joins the other Angry Orchard cider makers in their commitment to experimentation and development of unique and innovative Angry Orchard cider styles.
Ryan and the other Angry Orchard cider makers will focus on a list of research topics like wild fermentation processes, barrel aging and unique apple varieties, particularly those known to grow well in New York. They are also exploring opportunities to work with local universities and community organizations, as well as other cideries, on additional research projects to maximize apple harvests and test new varieties.
“There are a couple of apple varieties growing on the orchard I’m especially interested to begin experimenting with, ” said Ryan. “Most people don’t know that small tweaks to the regular harvest process of some of the more traditional household variety culinary apples– like leaving apples on the trees a bit longer than normal – can create a really interesting cider flavor profile. Actually making cider on the orchard will allow us to experiment with these options.”
First launched in 2012, Angry Orchard is the number one hard cider in the US , where cider has grown to nearly five times its size since 2010 . Hard cider is showing up on more menus than ever as a refreshing alternative to craft beer and wine.
Angry Orchard Cider Company’s cider makers have been experimenting with apple varieties and unique flavors to develop hard cider recipes for 20 years. The cider makers have travelled the world to find the best apples for cider making and chose specific varieties, like French bittersweet apples from Normandy and culinary apples from Italy and the United States, based on each cider’s flavor profile. It takes two apples to make each bottle of Angry Orchard, and some ciders are aged on oak before bottling for additional complexity and balance. Angry Orchard makes a variety of year-round craft cider styles, including Angry Orchard Crisp Apple, a crisp and refreshing fruit-forward cider that mixes the sweetness of culinary apples with a subtle dryness from bittersweet apples for a balanced taste. Angry Orchard also makes The Cider House Collection specialty ciders, as well as a variety of seasonal ciders. Despite the recent growth of hard cider in the U.S., the category is still small and relatively unknown. Angry Orchard is committed to drinker education and awareness-building to help grow the category for all craft cider makers.
New York’s The Bronx Brewery today announced it has sold a minority interest to Tenth Avenue Holdings (TAH), a family office based in New York City that will provide guidance and funding to the small 6,000-barrel brewing operation.
Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
During a phone conversation with Brewbound, Bronx Brewery co-founder Chris Gallant characterized TAH as a “strategic partner” that is focused on helping to “build the business as opposed to flipping the business.”
“They have this great long-term investment outlook and it fits with our vision,” he said.
The investment will allow the company to hire additional employees, purchase new brewing equipment and expand the brewery tasting room, Gallant said.
“We certainly want to grow the brand, in particular in the Tri-state area and the Northeast,” he said.
The company currently employs 15 people and will look to add as many as 10 more in the coming year, Gallant said.
The Bronx Brewery, which launched just four years ago, said it also plans to increase production and expand its distribution footprint throughout the U.S. as well as the United Kingdom. The company — which had been producing its beer under contract at Cottrell Brewing in Connecticut and City Brewing in Wisconsin — opened a small 4,000-barrel production facility last August.
“The partnership between Bronx Brewery and Tenth Avenue Holdings exemplifies the kind of collaboration with smart, enterprising and entrepreneurial people that is our focus,” Laurence Denihan, a managing director and co-CEO at TAH said in a press statement.
Gallant said the company plans to continue growing production via existing alternating proprietorships with Wisconsin’s City Brewing and Shmaltz Brewing, based in upstate New York.
Founded in 2009, TAH describes itself as a “diversified investment holding company with permanent equity capital in excess of $500 million.” It invests in private and public companies, real estate and also operates an independent investment management arm.
One of the biggest issues facing the craft brewing industry as it continues to evolve is that of franchise laws, the rules that contractually bind manufacturers to their wholesaler partners. Across the country, brewers are trying to find more latitude in how they bring beer to market. On the other hand, wholesalers want not to be at the flippant will of a partner who may terminate a relationship for no good reason, thereby crippling their own business.
It’s a tricky situation and the laws and solutions vary from state to state. But that didn’t stop Marc Sorini, an attorney with McDermott, Will & Emory who specializes in alcohol regulation, from tackling the subject this morning at the Craft Brewers Conference in Portland, Ore.
Before making the case for reform, Sorini explained some of the benefits of tied house laws. He brought up the example of a major soda brand essentially buying a retail franchise, keeping a major establishment stocked only with Coke or Pepsi products, for instance.
“That kind of naked, perfectly legal, ‘I’m going to buy Applebees’ can’t happen here,” he said. “That’s extremely good for you.”
That is to say, the current system comes with certain protections for brewers providing them viable routes to market. Nevertheless, he said, reform is necessary and a net good for the industry at large.
Laying out the case for brewer friendly reform, one of the main things Sorini discussed was self-distribution. He said the freedom to do business without a wholesaler in the first place alleviates some of the risks assumed by wholesalers when they take on new brands.
Sorini said self-distribution provides an incubator of sorts for smaller brands to test the market on their own before a wholesaler commits valuable resources behind selling a new and unknown product.
“How many great brands have been created by self distribution? When you think of Stone, think of Widmer,” he said. Now however? “They’re making distributors lots and lots of money.”
Sorini also spent a sizeable portion of the talk countering some of the arguments against reform. One of the oft-cited rebukes is rooted in the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While the system may not be broken, Sorini noted that more lenient laws are in place in some of the nation’s most notable craft markets. The three-tier system of brewers, distributors and retailers has not been fractured in those areas, he said.
Regardless of the contentious nature of the subject matter, Sorini said he expects to see “more reasonableness on both sides” over the next five years as industry stakeholders in all 50 states evaluate the mechanics of the three-tier system and push for reform.
“I think the logic behind it is very strong and I think the political case behind it is becoming stronger,” he said.
Oregon State University announced it will build a new research brewery thanks to a seven-figure donation from Gambrinus chief Carlos Alvarez.
Alvarez, the CEO and chairman of the Gambrinus Company – which owns BridgePort Brewing, Spoetzl Brewery, Trumer Brewery, and Tappeto Volante – has gifted the school with $1 million to build the brewery in the university’s Wiegand Hall Pilot Plant Facility.
The donation is the latest extension of a collaborative relationship the school already has with the company that dates back more than 15 years, specifically with BridgePort. Based out of Portland, BridgePort, which Gambrinus acquired in 1997, isn’t far from the school’s Corvallis campus.
“I am very pleased to support Oregon State’s fermentation science program and its outstanding students, who represent so much promise as future craft brewers,” Alvarez said in a press statement. “I am particularly excited to be able to fund this project and give back to the industry that built my business.”
Gambrinus, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is the nation’s fifth largest craft brewing company, according to the Brewers Association.
Tom Shellhammer, OSU’s Nor’Wester professor of fermentation science, said he was excited to expand the university’s “grain-to-glass” program.
“This state-of-the-art facility will allow us to provide an experiential education that is truly world-class, while also enhancing research that benefits industry,” he said.
This is the second major craft investment in a brewing education program. Earlier this month, New Belgium gifted Colorado State University with $1 million to renovate the facilities that host its own fermentation science and technology program.
When complete, OSU’s new brewery will be named in Alvarez’s honor, the school said.
Addressing thousands of beer industry professionals this morning at the convention center in Portland, Ore., Charlie Papazian, the president of the Brewers Association, detailed the significance of craft brewery self-reflection.
Kicking off this year’s Craft Brewers Conference, Papazian expressed the importance of brand development, cultivating an image and “knowing who you are and why you do the things you do” in order to succeed in a crowded marketplace that shows no imminent signs of plateauing.
“Never ever under-estimate the importance of defining yourself, your company, your brand and your uniqueness as a group of small and independent brewers,” he said. “Don’t let others define you.”
The BA, for its part, actually does define craft brewers. By their standards, a craft brewer must be small (producing less than 6 million barrels per year), independent (less than 25 percent owned by a company that is itself not a craft brewer) and traditional (the majority of a brewer’s total beverage output is comprised of traditional or innovative brewing ingredients).
While last year’s opening session focused heavily on maintaining quality, this morning, Papazian, alongside other BA executives, focused on the future, discussing not only identity building, but also legislative initiatives and the sudden influx of private equity money infiltrating the space.
Speakers during the general session also addressed legislative issues, specifically the Small BREW Act, a BA-backed tax initiative on Capitol Hill that aims to dramatically cut back the federal excise rate brewers pay on every barrel of beer they produce.
Katie Marisic, the BA’s newly appointed federal affairs manager, called for attendees to consider how such legislation would impact their businesses.
“I want you to think about what you’d do with that type of money,” she said. “Reinvest, grow your brewery, hire employees.”
Gary Fish, chair of the BA board and president of local Oregon stalwart Deschutes Brewery, reminded the audience, however, that such initiatives aren’t entirely unopposed.
“We face a barrage of opposition on Capitol Hill, all from within the beer industry,” he said.
The Beer Institute supports a competing tax cut proposal, the Fair BEER Act, which would benefit brewers of all sizes, not just those that produce fewer than 6 million barrels per year.
And then there’s increased frequency of dealmaking in the space, by global beer corporations, recognized craft breweries, and private equity firms alike. By BA director Paul Gatza’s calculus, over the past year, there’s been a deal of some sort about once per month on average.
What that all means, exactly, Gatza has yet to make heads or tails of, he said.
“When the large buys the small, there’s a bit of backlash,” he said. “But the private equity deals, I don’t really know how that’s going to play out.”
Gatza also touched on some of the other conflicts facing the industry, including intellectual property disputes, difficulties with distribution partners, and FDA labeling requirements.
Lastly, BA staff economist Bart Watson laid out some of the cold hard numbers, putting into perspective what this industry has wrought to this point:
Craft Brew Alliance today announced it would increase brewing capacity at its Widmer Brothers brewing facility in Portland, Ore. as part of a $10 million expansion project.
In addition to adding 200,000 barrels of capacity and increasing total output to 750,000 barrels at its North Russell Street brewery, CBA said it would also complete a “significant brew house enhancement” and construct a new 10-barrel innovation brewery.
“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to continue expanding in our hometown,” brewery co-founder Rob Widmer said in a statement. “For 31 years in the brewing business, Kurt and I have prided ourselves on smart growth, investing in building this great community, and always focusing on quality above all else. We feel that by keeping our expansion within our current footprint and bringing the pilot brewery to the main brewery campus, we will do just that: make more, quality beer and continue to innovate.”
The brewery expansion project is expected to be complete by early 2017, and the new innovation brewery will be operational towards the end of 2015, according to a company release.
CBA said it plans to add new fermenters, bright beer tanks, and a second filtration line while “extending existing tanks to increase cooling capacity.” Additional enhancements throughout the brew house are also being made to increase production efficiency, the company said.
CBA cited the recent “resurgence” of its flagship Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen as well as expected growth for Upheaval IPA and Replay Session IPA as the impetus for the expansion. 2014 shipments for Hefeweizen grew nearly 9 percent in Oregon last year at a time when Oregon brewers sold more than 1.6 million barrels, the company said.
This latest development marks the sixth time that Widmer has expanded its brewing operations in Portland since launching in 1984.
Additional insight into the expansion will be shared at a media roundtable with CBA executives, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon during this week’s Craft Brewers Conference, being held in Portland, Ore.
Columbia Distributing has bolstered its portfolio of craft offerings, signing agreements with two high-end beer makers from California and Colorado.
The MillerCoors-aligned wholesaler, which operates branches in Oregon and Washington, today announced it has signed distribution agreements with Almanac Beer Co. and Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project for coverage throughout the Pacific Northwest. Beginning this week (and just in time for the Craft Brewers Conference in Portland) Columbia will distribute Crooked Stave beers throughout Oregon and Almanac beers throughout both Oregon and Washington.
Crooked Stave and Almanac, which both specialize in small-batch, barrel-aged, and sour offerings, are located in Denver, Colo. and San Francisco, Calif. respectively.
Though the two companies have established themselves as smaller, niche-players, Columbia – which currently sells craft brands from the likes of Lagunitas, Stone, and Boston Beer – serves more than 20,000 retail accounts across more than 135,000 sq. miles in Oregon and Washington.
Nevertheless, Almanac co-founder and brewmaster Jesse Friedman wasn’t deterred by the size of his company’s newest wholesale partner.
“There aren’t a lot of other breweries focusing on the same things we are and we know there is demand for Almanac,” he said. “We wanted someone who really understands the local beer market, sells other great brands, and above all else, respects quality and customer service. We found that in Columbia.”
For Crooked Stave, the launch was made possible by a recent expansion with the installation of six new 50-hectoliter fermenters at its Barrel Cellar, which allowed the company to begin focusing on extending its reach out of state.
Blue Moon Brewing, the preeminent brand of Tenth & Blake, MillerCoors’ craft division, has announced plans to build a new brewery in Denver’s emerging River North Art District.
A spokesman with the company said the new facility would have projected capacity to produce about 10,000 barrels per year. Slated for a 2016 opening, the “innovation and pilot brewery,” as the company describes it, will also come equipped with a tasting room and space for both indoor and outdoor events.
The company would not disclose how much the project is expected to cost, nor would it reveal 2014 sales volumes.
However, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research company, sales of Blue Moon’s flagship Belgian White were up 4.9 percent in 2014, totaling 7.3 million cases across multi-outlet and convenience channels. The entire Tenth & Blake portfolio — which also includes offerings from Leinenkugel’s and Pilsner Urquell among others — was down 1.2 percent, per IRI.
Blue Moon’s original Sandlot brewery at Coors Field will remain operational, the company said.
Additional information can be found in the press release below:
– In 1995 a young brewer released a cloudy, Belgian-style wheat beer from Blue Moon Brewing Company at the SandLot , a small brewery inside Coors Field. Since then, beer drinkers around the world have fallen in love with BlueMoon’s artistic approach to brewing. This year marks Blue Moon Brewing Company’s 20th anniversary and it’s marking that milestone by building another brewery.
“We just locked-down a prime location in the heart of Denver’s rapidly growing RiNo Art District,” said Keith Villa, founder and head brewmaster at Blue Moon Brewing Company. “We founded Blue Moon on a belief that brewing is equal parts art and science. So it’s pretty cool that 20 years later we get to design a new brewery in an area where we’ll be surrounded by fellow artists.”
This innovation and pilot brewery will include a tasting room, tours and plenty of indoor and outdoor space for events. The new Blue Moon brewery in RiNo is tentatively slated to open its doors in 2016. As the birthplace of Blue Moon, the Blue Moon Brewing Company at the SandLot will continue to serve its loyal fans as it has for the last two decades in the ballpark neighborhood in Denver. When the new brewery opens, it will join Blue Moon Brewing Company at the SandLot as the brewing team’s canvas for creating, testing and perfecting new Blue Moon beers.
A Denver native, Villa founded Blue Moon Brewing Company after earning his Ph.D. in brewing from the University of Brussels in Belgium, an honor only a handful of brewers have achieved. Since then the brewing team at Blue Moon Brewing Company and the SandLot Brewery have won a combined 54 medals at the Great American Beer Festival®.
For more information about Blue Moon Brewing Company visit www.BlueMoonBrewingCompany.com.
At Blue Moon Brewing Company, everything we do flows from our artistic approach to brewing. We craft our broad array of beers with flavorful ingredients for an inviting taste, perfect for enjoying the moment with friends. It’s been that way since we added our first flavorful twist back in 1995 in Denver, and that’s why we say our beer and everything we do is artfully crafted. More information is available atwww.BlueMoonBrewingCompany.com.
Blue Moon Brewing, the preeminent brand of Tenth & Blake, MillerCoors’ craft division, has announced plans to build a new brewery in Denver’s emerging River North Art District.
A spokesman with the company said the new facility would have projected capacity to produce about 10,000 barrels per year. Slated for a 2016 opening, the “innovation and pilot brewery,” as the company describes it, will also come equipped with a tasting room and space for both indoor and outdoor events.
The company would not disclose how much the project is expected to cost, nor would it reveal 2014 sales volumes.
However, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research company, sales of Blue Moon’s flagship Belgian White were up 4.9 percent in 2014, totaling 7.3 million cases across multi-outlet and convenience channels. The entire Tenth & Blake portfolio — which also includes offerings from Leinenkugel’s and Pilsner Urquell among others — was down 1.2 percent, per IRI.
Blue Moon’s original Sandlot brewery at Coors Field will remain operational, the company said.
Additional information can be found in the press release below:
– In 1995 a young brewer released a cloudy, Belgian-style wheat beer from Blue Moon Brewing Company at the SandLot , a small brewery inside Coors Field. Since then, beer drinkers around the world have fallen in love with BlueMoon’s artistic approach to brewing. This year marks Blue Moon Brewing Company’s 20th anniversary and it’s marking that milestone by building another brewery.
“We just locked-down a prime location in the heart of Denver’s rapidly growing RiNo Art District,” said Keith Villa, founder and head brewmaster at Blue Moon Brewing Company. “We founded Blue Moon on a belief that brewing is equal parts art and science. So it’s pretty cool that 20 years later we get to design a new brewery in an area where we’ll be surrounded by fellow artists.”
This innovation and pilot brewery will include a tasting room, tours and plenty of indoor and outdoor space for events. The new Blue Moon brewery in RiNo is tentatively slated to open its doors in 2016. As the birthplace of Blue Moon, the Blue Moon Brewing Company at the SandLot will continue to serve its loyal fans as it has for the last two decades in the ballpark neighborhood in Denver. When the new brewery opens, it will join Blue Moon Brewing Company at the SandLot as the brewing team’s canvas for creating, testing and perfecting new Blue Moon beers.
A Denver native, Villa founded Blue Moon Brewing Company after earning his Ph.D. in brewing from the University of Brussels in Belgium, an honor only a handful of brewers have achieved. Since then the brewing team at Blue Moon Brewing Company and the SandLot Brewery have won a combined 54 medals at the Great American Beer Festival®.
For more information about Blue Moon Brewing Company visit www.BlueMoonBrewingCompany.com.
At Blue Moon Brewing Company, everything we do flows from our artistic approach to brewing. We craft our broad array of beers with flavorful ingredients for an inviting taste, perfect for enjoying the moment with friends. It’s been that way since we added our first flavorful twist back in 1995 in Denver, and that’s why we say our beer and everything we do is artfully crafted. More information is available atwww.BlueMoonBrewingCompany.com.
Brew Hub has again added to its roster of contract partners, bringing Iowa’s Toppling Goliath into its brewing network, the company announced today.
Per an agreement between the two companies, Toppling Goliath will soon begin producing a number of its beers – including Golden Nugget IPA and Rover Truck Oatmeal Stout – at Brew Hub’s facility in Lakeland, Fla. Finished product will then be shipped back for distribution throughout Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota, a new market for the brand, according to a company statement.
“It’s been really gratifying to brew craft beer that people love, but we have been unable to meet consumer demand for several years, which has really been frustrating for us, retailers and consumers,” said Clark Lewey, CEO and co-founder of Toppling Goliath in a news release. “Our partnership with Brew Hub will allow us to grow Toppling Goliath the way we always dreamed, and we could not be more excited.”
Brew Hub is currently building a network of five breweries throughout the country, targeting established breweries with capacity constraints that are looking to shift production.
Today’s announcement follows a string of developments for the two-year-old company. In March, Brew Hub introduced two original brands — Pool Hop All Season IPA and Diver Down imperial red ale. And last October, it launched GolfBeer Brewing, a partnership with professional golfers Keegan Bradley, Freddie Jacobson and Graeme McDowell.
Brew Hub is also currently producing beer for B.J’s Restaurants and Cigar City Brewing, among others.
A full release detailing Brew Hub’s latest partnership with Toppling Goliath is below.
Brew Hub, a company led by a team of beer industry executives and craft-brewing experts, has signed an agreement with Toppling Goliath that will allow the Decorah, Iowa-based craft brewery to immediately expand distribution and grow volume.
With this partnership, Toppling Goliath will brew its award-winning craft beers, including PseudoSue, Dorothy’s New World Lager, Golden Nugget IPA and Rover Truck Oatmeal Stout, in Brew Hub’s Lakeland, Florida, brewery. Toppling Goliath then will ship the beer back to its brewery in Iowa to be distributed throughout Iowa and Wisconsin, where the company has been unable to meet to consumer demand for some time. Toppling Goliath also will immediately expand distribution to Minnesota where the demand for high-quality craft beer has been growing in recent years.
Toppling Goliath produced approximately 3,200 barrels (45,000 cases) of beer in 2014. The partnership with Brew Hub will allow the company to increase its volume to nearly 20,000 barrels (275,000 cases) annually. Brew Hub will package the beer in cans, bottles and kegs.
“Toppling Goliath is one of the most exciting and cutting-edge craft breweries in the country, and this agreement will allow them to almost immediately grow their business exponentially,” said Tim Schoen, CEO of Brew Hub. “Over the past few years, craft beer drinkers throughout the country have heard about the legendary beers these guys brew in Decorah, Iowa, but acquiring the beers has been very difficult. All of that is about to change, which is great news for craft beer consumers and the overall craft beer industry.”
“We began brewing our beer in 2009, and the positive response from consumers was almost immediate, but it has been overwhelming,” said Clark Lewey, CEO and co-founder of Toppling Goliath. “It’s been really gratifying to brew craft beer that people love, but we have been unable to meet consumer demand for several years, which has really been frustrating for us, retailers and consumers. Our partnership with Brew Hub will allow us to grow Toppling Goliath the way we always dreamed, and we could not be more excited.”
Toppling Goliath was invited to participate in Cigar City Brewing’s annual Hunahpu’s Day craft beer festival in Tampa in 2014. Attending Brew Hub team members noticed the lines for Toppling Goliath beers were some of the longest at the festival. A week later Toppling Goliath and Brew Hub team members began discussing a potential partnership.
Clark Lewey and other members of the Toppling Goliath team returned in early 2015 to tour Brew Hub’s Lakeland, Florida, brewery and discuss a potential partnership. During that meeting, Toppling Goliath asked Brew Hub to brew their two flagship brands, PseudoSue and Dorothy’s New World Lager. Lewey wanted to see for himself how well Brew Hub could brew their beer.
“Once I tasted our beers brewed by the Brew Hub team, I got really excited,” said Lewey. “Brew Hub’s brewing team led by Dr. Paul Farnsworth and Jim “Otto” Ottolini is second to none in the craft beer industry, and they brewed PseudoSue and Dorothy’s New World Lager flawlessly. That was the proof I needed to know this partnership was the way forward for Toppling Goliath.”
“Once we brewed PseudoSue and Dorothy’s New World Lager, we wanted to take the next step and see how craft beer drinkers in Florida would respond, so, without announcing it, we put the beers on draft in the Tasting Room of our Florida brewery,” said Schoen. “Keep in mind, our tasting room features roughly 30 of the best craft beers in the country, but the Toppling Goliath beers almost immediately became best sellers, which was the last piece of evidence we needed to know this was a perfect fit for Brew Hub.”
This summer Brew Hub will begin brewing the Toppling Goliath brands for distribution throughout Florida, and negotiating distribution agreements with wholesalers. Toppling Goliath beers will be available at retailers in Florida beginning in September. This move follows similar partnerships Brew Hub has established with other craft brewers, which has allowed them to expand distribution in Florida and eventually will allow them to expand throughout the Southeast.
In 2016 Toppling Goliath will be the inaugural brewing partner at Brew Hub’s second brewery, which is scheduled to open just west of St. Louis in 2016. This agreement will give Toppling Goliath and other Brew Hub partners the capacity to expand their distribution throughout Missouri and eventually throughout the Midwest.
Brew Hub was founded in 2012 in St. Louis. The company is building a network of five new, state-of-the-art craft breweries across the country. The St. Louis brewery will feature a 3,000-square-foot tasting room and biergarten. The company will employ approximately 55 people at its St. Louis brewery in brewing, operations, front office and the tasting room.
Beer industry supplier MicroStar Logistics has acquired a keg repair and maintenance operation from Tosca, a national supply chain management company that facilitates the delivery of perishable food and drink items.
MicroStar, a prior customer of Tosca’s services, will leverage the acquisition to create a new division under its umbrella dubbed MicroStar Quality Services. MicroStar would not disclose the financial terms of the deal, but described the investment as “significant” in a phone conversation with Brewbound.
“We view their capabilities as core to our business and critical to the entire beer-supply chain,” said Michael Hranicka, president and CEO of MicroStar, in a news release detailing the acquisition. “Our scale will allow us to expand Tosca’s capabilities to local markets and make their leading-edge services accessible to more brewers who own their own kegs.”
MicroStar owns two million kegs and leases its fleet to many of the nation’s largest craft breweries.
“What this acquisition allows us to do is focus on the quality of that pool of kegs and help these brewers service their kegging lines,” Dan Vorlage, vice president of marketing and business development at MicroStar, told Brewbound.
Vorlage added that employees in Tosca’s beer division will join MicroStar’s staff. As a result, MicroStar will more than double in size.
Just three months after the brewery he helped start was acquired, Dick Cantwell has resigned from Elysian Brewing and Anheuser-Busch InBev, Brewbound has learned.
“I am a craft brewer, however you cut it,” he wrote to Brewbound in an email. “A-B has been extremely courteous through all of this, presenting exciting opportunities to me and my brewing folks, but I can’t do it.”
It makes for a quick end to a union that had been shaky from the start: when the acquisition of the 20-year-old Seattle based brewery was announced in January, Cantwell expressed his opposition to striking a deal with the world’s largest brewer.
“This is not the outcome I had hoped for, but I am trying to make the best of it,” he said at the time.
In the months since the deal was announced, the relationship between Cantwell and Elysian’s two other founding partners — Joe Bisacca and David Buhler — deteriorated to the point where there was little, if any, communication, Cantwell said.
“Working with them into a future of any duration is an intolerable prospect for me,” he told Brewbound.
In prior conversations with Brewbound, Cantwell said the decision to sell to A-B was “contentious,” and described his partnership with Bisacca and Buhler as “dysfunctional.”
Anheuser-Busch completed its acquisition of Elysian Brewing earlier this month and had already sent Cantwell on trips to its Elk Mountain Hop Farm as well as Argentina, where he was asked to consult on a brewpub project.
“I feel fortunate that I was able to get to know and work with Dick over the past couple of months, he is a true pioneer within the craft beer industry,” said Andy Goeler, A-B’s CEO of Craft. “His input and opinions have been incredibly valuable to both me and Anheuser-Busch. I both wish him all of the best and hope that we are able to work with him again down the road.”
“A-B has been very considerate throughout the whole process and they have done a very good job of presenting what could be some very exciting possibilities,” Cantwell added.
But international excursions weren’t enough for Cantwell to overcome his own personal conflict with competing directly against other independent craft brewers whom he still felt connected to.
“I find it hard to move into a different realm,” he said. “I have spent quite a few years of my career on the Brewers Association board and I think there is a difference.”
After Elysian was sold, Cantwell signed an employment contract with A-B and agreed to remain with the company for two years, he said. That contract also contained a non-compete clause, which restricts Cantwell from starting a new brewing operation in the Pacific Northwest.
Although Cantwell wouldn’t disclose the specific length of the non-compete – it’s longer than 12 months – he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of starting a new brewing operation with his girlfriend, New Belgium co-founder Kim Jordan.
“That’s the main reason I try to keep this possibility open,” he said.
In the short term, Cantwell plans to complete a book about wood and barrel-aged beers that he is co-authoring with New Belgium Brewmaster Peter Bouckaert.
One of the most exciting parts of being an actress (and musician) is increasingly embody different characters with costumes, makeup and hairstyles. Unlike the rest of us for whom the dramatic changes in appearance a lot of effort to produce frequently needed, celebrities have access to teams of professionals that can totally change your appearance for a role or a particular event. There is always more natural look effect. However, women under 12 years have not come up with a hair color that does not flatter them. See if you can pick a favorite!
Emma Stone
Rachel McAdams
In Mean Girls was mistaken in thinking she was a natural blonde, and then did the same with red hair in the notebook. To date, rolled Wedding Crashers, perceive Rachel is naturally beautiful with any hair color.
Amber Heard
The star of The Rum Diary has recently changed her blonde hair and signature red lips for a smoky eye and almost black hair. Not surprisingly, she is so beautiful.
Scarlett Johansson
We always knew better blonde, but instead of Scarlett with red hair in The Avengers started a trend that we are really good with. Regardless hair, Scarlett is always exquisite.
Lana Del Rey
West Coast singer, known for his gravelly voice and vintage style has another unique feature: changing hair colors. She began her career as a blonde, and since then, the transition slowly deep braids, black.
Beyonce
While everyone seems to focus on their modes, Beyonce hair should not be overlooked. His change in tone may not be as dramatic as some, but certainly it's as perfect as a blonde as she is brown..
For the uninitiated, take note. Art-A-Whirl is the largest open studio tour in the country. Cool, eh? Art-A-Whirl is your opportunity to tour tons of studios and galleries, connect with artists and of course buy their work. Breweries and craft beer bars have been stepping up their game as well, and you really don’t want to miss this.
Bauhaus Brew Labs is hosting an event dubbed The Liquid Zoo as part of Art-A-Whirl. They begin with music, casks and games Friday night with host Barb Abney. Bauhaus follows this up with a music-filled Saturday in their parking lot with lots of great bands and host Jason Nagel. Sunday wraps up with lots of art and artistry ranging from jewelry and ceramics to tattoos. Good times.
Saturday music line-up: BBGUN Pho Night Lights (90s R&B Cover Band)
Indeed is throwing another big bash this year, dubbed Whirlygig. Whirlygig will feature three days of music, food trucks, beer and other fun things. This may well be the largest and most-ambitious collection of music of the weekend.
Friday music line-up 6:00pm Driftwood Pyre 7:00pm Little Man 8:00pm Slim Cessna’s Auto Club
Saturday music line-up 1:00pm The Ventures Cover Band 2:00pm Mike Gunther 3:00pm Rich Mattson & The Northstars 4:00pm Sam Cassidy 5:00pm Erik Koskinen Band 6:00pm American Scarecrows 7:00pm Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band 8:00pm Rupert Angeleyes 9:00pm Mark Mallman
Sunday music line-up 1:00pm Steve Palmer 2:00pm Peter Lang 3:00pm Ben Weaver 4:00pm Paul Metzger 5:00pm Grant Hart
Brewbound is pleased to announce an initial roster of speakers for Brewbound Session Summer ’15, taking place on June 11 at Moonlight Studios (1446 W. Kinzie) in Chicago.
Our first group of speakers features a wide-range of craft brewery executives, entrepreneurs, marketers and investors who will discuss growth strategies for emerging companies in the beer industry’s most competitive and dynamic category.
The full-day conference will feature dozens of presentations and panel discussions, including two conversations with the chiefs of both Anheuser-Busch’s and MillerCoors’ craft divisions. A-B’s and Tenth & Blake’s will provide insight into their respective company’s craft portfolios and explain their growing interest in the segment.
Other notable speakers, panelists and topics include:
Stay tuned for complete session descriptions and additional speaker announcements, which will be made in the coming weeks.
Those interested in attending Brewbound Chicago are encouraged to take advantage of early registration pricing, which will continue through May 8.
Sponsorship opportunities also still remain — please contact John McKenna at (617) 231-8825 or jmckenna@bevnet.com to learn more.
We look forward to seeing you in the Windy City!
Combining the best in business information and networking, the Brewbound Session offers an unmatched strategic learning opportunity for craft brewers and wholesalers. Focused on the business side of craft brewing, the event will take place in Chicago, IL on Thursday, June 11.
The Brewbound Session provides an excellent opportunity to learn marketing, investment, and distribution strategies, as well as hear case studies of successful brands in a highly collaborative atmosphere. The upcoming conference aims to address the topics that most directly impact craft brewers as they look to grow their brands.
The governor of Maine yesterday vetoed a bill passed by lawmakers that would have required businesses that advertise the sale of pints to serve the beer in a glass of at least 16 oz. Dubbed the Fair Pint Bill, supporters had contended consumers weren’t always getting what they were paying for, claiming many establishments serve advertised pints in shorter glasses. In a letter explaining the veto, Gov. Paul LePage wrote that the bill failed the test of whether it “truly helps the people of Maine.” “If any restaurants in our state provide unsatisfactory service or serve smaller than expected portions to the public, then I trust the people of Maine will vote with their feet – and their wallets – to frequent the establishments that serve them well and to avoid those that do not,” he wrote. “Additional government intervention into the free market is not required to address this issue.” According to the Bangor Daily News, the Senate voted Thursday to uphold the veto.
Peddler Brewing of Seattle is changing the name of one of its beers in response to a cease and desist letter it received from Lost Coast Brewing of Eureka, Calif., according to a report from Komo News. According to the report, Peddler renamed its Tangerine Wheat, changing it to Tangerine Hefeweizen, after Lost Coast informed the company that it was infringing on one of its trademarks. “It was almost a little bit of validation to what we were doing that this large brewery from down in California decided we were threatening in some way and needed to send us this letter,” Dave Keller, co-owner of Peddler, told Komo. “They shouldn’t have been granted that trademark, I don’t think, but they were and it’s within their right to do that. I’m not bitter about it.”
Iowa lawmakers have passed a bill allowing for the sale of 72 oz. growlers at local convenience stores, according to the Quad City Times. State Rep. Mike Sexton (R-Rockwell City) said the bill was less about boosting the state’s beer industry and more a general shot in the arm to the economy. “This bill is more about helping small businesses flourish in the state of Iowa than it is about selling beer,” he told the website. Indeed, some brewers in the state have bemoaned the measure, saying it doesn’t go far enough. “I’d like to see a bill that allows brewpubs to be just able to fill a growler, smaller one, larger, fill it off the tap, hand it to the customers and be gone with it,” Steve Zuidema, owner of Front Street Brewery, told KWQC TV. The bill is currently awaiting signature from Gov. Terry Branstad.
If Iron Triangle Brewing has one thing going for it before it even opens, it’s that it won’t be strapped for space. The company is scheduled to open in Los Angeles’ Arts District this summer with more than 40,000 sq. ft. of space at its disposal, according to Eater. According to the website, Iron Triangle has lofty ambitions with plans to outpace Golden Road to become the city’s largest brewery as well as open an onsite distillery.
Sun King Brewing has announced plans to open a small taproom and brewery in Fishers, Ind. this summer about a half mile away from where the company eventually plans to build out a larger scale production facility.
Construction is currently underway on the 6,000 sq. ft. space inside a shopping center, which the company said would be complete with a 3-barrel brewing system, taproom and event space for community and private events by this June.
Located about 20 minutes from the company’s flagship brewery in Indianapolis, the new brewery will enable it to produce more small batch, one-off and experimental beers, according to Sun King co-founder Clay Robinson.
The expansion is a dramatically scaled back version of the company’s initial plan to invest $8.8 million to build out a 40,000 sq. ft. destination brewery in the town with capacity to brew nearly 30,000 barrels per year.
As Brewbound reported last summer, the Fishers Town Council had approved a $2.5 million economic development deal to capture property taxes for 25 years to help offset the larger project’s costs, while the Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered to provide $450,000 in grants and tax credits based on the proposed facility’s potential to create jobs.
Sun King reevaluated that plan, however, in light of Indiana law that prohibits breweries that produce in excess of 30,000 barrels per year from self-distributing or operating on-site tasting rooms. In December, the brewery went as far as to sever ties with its wholesale partners in the state to rein in production to stay under the cap. From there, it launched a public awareness campaign in collaboration with another Indiana brewing stalwart, 3 Floyds Brewing, to try and change the law.
On April 1, Indiana lawmakers passed Senate Bill 297, which, pending Gov. Mike Pence’s signature, will triple the cap to 90,000 barrels.
John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.”
The established craft breweries of the 90s face this dilemma on a daily basis. With new breweries entering the space every day and consumer preferences changing faster than a rotating draft line, older beer companies that aren’t evolving risk losing the interest of today’s promiscuous craft drinker.
Thus change has come to Michigan’s New Holland Brewing and after 18 years, the company is making some dramatic alterations to the its flagship IPA and its overall go-to-market strategies.
In an effort to appeal to a larger set of craft consumers with broader palates, New Holland today announced a number of modifications to its Mad Hatter IPA. The new recipe calls for the addition of Michigan-grown Cascade hops, Citra hops and an adjusted grain bill that will increase the alcohol by volume from 5.25 percent ABV to 7 percent ABV.
“The craft landscape and the craft drinker have both changed quite a bit since our early days,” vice president Fred Bueltmann said in a release. “Our team is inspired by the change we’ve been witness to, and we’re excited to offer a fresh, dynamic interpretation that integrates Michigan-grown hops as a true Midwest IPA.”
The company has also refreshed the brand’s look, calling greater attention to the words “India Pale Ale,” and “craft brewed,” on its new packaging.
But Mad Hatter’s own metamorphosis underscores a number of key changes the Michigan craft brewery has made over the last five months, beginning last October with the hiring of former Dogfish Head vice president of sales, Adam Lambert.
Lambert officially took over as New Holland’s own VP of Sales in December, and after just one quarter, his impact on the company’s sales and marketing efforts was clear: Total sales were up 52 percent over Q1 2014.
And much like his days at Dogfish, Lambert immediately placed an emphasis on improving sales in New Holland’s home markets and he even restructured the company’s sales divisions to allow for increased brand ambassador support at the state level. The result? Sales in Michigan were up 33 percent through the first three months and now account for 46 percent of the company’s total business. New Holland’s Midwest division is growing at a 22 percent clip, accounting for 74 percent of total sales.
But was it all Lambert’s magic touch?
“I think we were poised,” he said. “I think there are a bunch of brands out there that have heritage and I think people are looking for heritage, story and a consumer connection. New Holland has had that for a long time but now were’ just starting to reap the benefits.”
Lambert chalks most of the growth up to improved “sales mechanics.”
“We changed the way we are procuring orders, asking our distributors to order further out,” he said. “Out of stocks can cripple a brewery. We are trying to be a more reliable source of revenue for our distributors and that means getting orders out the door in a fashion that is more orderly and has a rhythm.”
Those aren’t the only changes being made, however. The company also recently added new markets in Texas, signing with Andrews Distributing in Dallas, and Tennessee, signing with AS Barboro in Memphis. It also changed wholesalers in Traverse City, Mich., signing with H. Cox & Son after Wicksall Distributors was sold to Great Lakes Wine & Spirits.
Next week, New Holland will send its first shipment of beer to Sweden, its second international market (the company sold beer in Canada last year).
New Holland is also in the process of modifying its physical brewery layout as it looks to grow capacity to 100,000 barrels.
“We are moving the jigsaw around,” Lambert said. “We are making some investments and restructuring the facility to maximize our space.”
So what does Lambert and New Holland have in store for the remainder of 2015? In an effort to continue improving how the brand goes to market, Lambert has tapped retail consultant Bump Williams, who will help New Holland fine tune its chain strategy.
“I realized that we have some incredible chain business and we want to capitalize on it,” he said.
To help support that business, the company plans on hiring additional sales reps in its most important markets. New Holland is currently sold in 27 markets and Washington D.C., a number that will also likely grow before the end of the year.
“We are looking at some additional markets,” Lambert said. “I’d really like to get my foot in the door with some great partners and align with distributors what will grow with us as we grow.”
New Holland is also building a new brewpub in Grand Rapids, Mich., which is scheduled to open in early 2016, and it recently hired Grey Matter Group, a design and marketing firm that is spearheading social media initiatives
In an effort to diversity its portfolio of beverage offerings, American Brewing, a Washington-based, publicly traded craft beer company, has announced the acquisition of a fast-growing kombucha brand.
As reported earlier this week by BevNET (the sister site of Brewbound), the brewery purchased Búcha, a brand of certified organic sparkling kombucha drinks, from B&R Liquid Adventure, LLC for a combination of $260,000 cash, a $140,000 note payable and $500,000 in American Brewing restricted stock.
In a news release, American Brewing CEO Neil Fallon said the acquisition “falls in line perfectly with our strategy of acquiring profitable, existing assets and revenue streams with large footprints and merging them into the American Brewing Company family of beers and beverages.”
Búcha is currently sold in major health and grocery chains on the West Coast, including Safeway, Kroger, Whole Foods and PCC, according a release detailing the acquisition.
Like craft beer, sales of kombucha, a fermented tea beverage, are growing rapidly.
“The commercial Kombucha industry continues to expand quickly via double digit growth each year,” according to Hannah Crum, head of the Kombucha Brewers International trade association. “The entire category is on pace to surpass $500 million in yearly sales by 2015.”
The acquisition was a way for American Brewing to play in the space, said Fallon, but he also expects the purchase to help boost the primary beer business.
“They currently have about three times our annual sales, so this does a lot of things in terms of moving our company forward as a whole,” Fallon told Brewbound. “It’s a little bit of a complex issue, but it is our intention to leverage the success of one to help the other, if you will.”
Beyond bringing in a product that already has a strong distribution footprint, Fallon said the company is interested in blending its beer and kombucha products as an innovative way to expand its sour program.
“It’s not currently being done, so this has the potential, the possibility of being something that can be really popular,” added Fallon. “It could also fall flat on itself and go nowhere. But hey, we want to try to be innovators.”
While kombucha-beer hybrids remain niche, there are a handful of companies exploring such offerings. Michigan’s Unity Vibration and New York’s Beyond Brewing Co., are two companies exclusively focused on creating low-strength kombucha and kombucha-beer products.
American Brewing sold approximately 3,500 barrels of beer in 2014, primarily in Washington State but also in South Carolina and internationally in Canada and Japan.
According to BevNET, American plans to retain a “handful” of Búcha employees, most notably, technical director and brewmaster, Frank Commanday, who has in the past worked for craft beer companies including Sierra Nevada and Widmer Brothers.
American Brewing will also look to remain an active acquirer of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage companies, Fallon said.
Deschutes Brewery will expand its presence in Michigan this summer with new distribution in south Detroit, the company announced this afternoon.
The Oregon-based craft brewery will expand its existing partnership with West Side Beer Distributing, and Deschutes beers – including Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Fresh Squeezed IPA and the seasonal Twilight Summer Ale – will be available on draft throughout Detroit’s Wayne County beginning the first of June. Packaged product is expected to be available later in the fall.
“We’ve been preparing to expand our distribution area in Michigan over the past couple of years, but we always want to make sure we can provide adequate supply to our fans and partner with wholesalers that share our core values,” said Stacy Denbow, business development director at Deschutes, in a news release. “We’re hoping to soon open more of the Detroit Metro area, and eventually move into the rest of the state. It’s important to us to take our time, assess the situation thoroughly and do what is best for our customers there.”
The company first launched distribution in the state with West Side last fall throughout Grand Rapids, E. Lansing, and Kalamazoo.
The brewery has been focused on expanding its footprint in the eastern half of the country of late, last year launching not only in Michigan, but also in Ohio, Kentucky, central and western Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Deschutes, the nation’s eighth largest craft brewery by sales volume per the Brewers Association, produced approximately 335,000 barrels in 2014, according to a company spokesperson.
Less than nine months after selling at least a 40 percent stake in Harpoon Brewery, the country’s 15th largest craft beer company, co-founder and former CEO Rich Doyle is back in the game.
Backed by an investment from San Francisco-based private equity firm Friedman, Fleisher & Lowe (FFL), Doyle has launched Enjoy Beer LLC, a consortium aimed at providing back-office support to independent craft brewers.
According to a company statement, “Enjoy Beer will create partnerships with additional top craft brewers who wish to preserve their local independence, while gaining shared resources in areas such as marketing, sales, purchasing, logistics, and finance in order to compete with large-scale corporate competitors.”
Louisiana’s Abita Brewing is the group’s founding brewery partner. The brewery has reportedly sold a stake in the company to join the new enterprise, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights.
A more in-depth feature will follow this afternoon. In the meantime, Enjoy Beers’ official statement is below.
Enjoy Beer LLC is a new enterprise created to provide resources on a national scale to a select group of top independent U.S. craft brewers. Abita Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewer in the Southeast, is the company’s Founding Brewery Partner.
Enjoy Beer partners will share their collective wisdom and resources, and those of craft industry experts, in order to bring competitive strength to their individual craft breweries in an ever more competitive marketplace. The company was created and is headed by craft brewing veteran Richard Doyle, and its investors include FFL, a private investment firm.
According to Doyle, Enjoy Beer President and Founder, “As the craft brewing industry continues to evolve, there is enormous pressure on brewers to compete against the big breweries. Local brewers like David Blossman at Abita, have been committed to innovation and finding new opportunities to compete while ensuring the company’s independence and local roots.”
Enjoy Beer will create partnerships with additional top craft brewers who wish to preserve their local independence, while gaining shared resources in areas such as marketing, sales, purchasing, logistics, and finance in order to compete with large-scale corporate competitors.
“As a local brewer, I’ve always dreamed of an opportunity to help develop something like Enjoy Beer,” says David Blossman, President of Abita Beer and Board Member of Enjoy Beer. He contin- ues, “Enjoy Beer is an innovative concept that’s going to give Abita the resources and expertise we need for a successful long-term, national growth strategy, while keeping our local roots in Louisiana.”
Adds Doyle, “Enjoy Beer will pioneer a new model in the industry, and together, we will help these independent companies compete at the next level by expanding their resources and their reach.”
An industry veteran with nearly thirty years of experience, Richard Doyle co-founded and was the CEO of the Harpoon Brewery in Boston, Mass., before selling his interest to Harpoon employees. He is also a former Chairman of the Brewers Association.
FFL has more than fifteen years of experience supporting growing businesses by partnering with strong management teams, providing capital and offering operational expertise. The firm, which manages more than $4.5 billion in assets, has made investments in more than 30 businesses to support their growth strategies.
Abita Brewing, which produces 160,000 barrels annually, recently completed a three-year, $30 million state-of-the-art expansion that will increase its brewing capacity to 400,000 barrels. Currently, the company produces eight year-round beers, five seasonal brews, four harvest, seven big beers, a select series, and a root beer. With products sold in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and in a limited number of foreign countries, Abita was ranked the 21st largest craft brewer in the country by the Brewers Association in 2014.
Less than nine months after selling at least a 40 percent stake in Harpoon Brewery, the country’s 15th largest craft beer company, co-founder and former CEO Rich Doyle is back in the game.
Backed by an investment from San Francisco-based private equity firm Friedman, Fleisher & Lowe (FFL), Doyle has launched Enjoy Beer LLC, a consortium aimed at providing back-office support to independent craft brewers.
According to a company statement, “Enjoy Beer will create partnerships with additional top craft brewers who wish to preserve their local independence, while gaining shared resources in areas such as marketing, sales, purchasing, logistics, and finance in order to compete with large-scale corporate competitors.”
Louisiana’s Abita Brewing is the group’s founding brewery partner. The brewery has reportedly sold a stake in the company to join the new enterprise, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights.
A more in-depth feature will follow this afternoon. In the meantime, Enjoy Beers’ official statement is below.
Enjoy Beer LLC is a new enterprise created to provide resources on a national scale to a select group of top independent U.S. craft brewers. Abita Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewer in the Southeast, is the company’s Founding Brewery Partner.
Enjoy Beer partners will share their collective wisdom and resources, and those of craft industry experts, in order to bring competitive strength to their individual craft breweries in an ever more competitive marketplace. The company was created and is headed by craft brewing veteran Richard Doyle, and its investors include FFL, a private investment firm.
According to Doyle, Enjoy Beer President and Founder, “As the craft brewing industry continues to evolve, there is enormous pressure on brewers to compete against the big breweries. Local brewers like David Blossman at Abita, have been committed to innovation and finding new opportunities to compete while ensuring the company’s independence and local roots.”
Enjoy Beer will create partnerships with additional top craft brewers who wish to preserve their local independence, while gaining shared resources in areas such as marketing, sales, purchasing, logistics, and finance in order to compete with large-scale corporate competitors.
“As a local brewer, I’ve always dreamed of an opportunity to help develop something like Enjoy Beer,” says David Blossman, President of Abita Beer and Board Member of Enjoy Beer. He contin- ues, “Enjoy Beer is an innovative concept that’s going to give Abita the resources and expertise we need for a successful long-term, national growth strategy, while keeping our local roots in Louisiana.”
Adds Doyle, “Enjoy Beer will pioneer a new model in the industry, and together, we will help these independent companies compete at the next level by expanding their resources and their reach.”
An industry veteran with nearly thirty years of experience, Richard Doyle co-founded and was the CEO of the Harpoon Brewery in Boston, Mass., before selling his interest to Harpoon employees. He is also a former Chairman of the Brewers Association.
FFL has more than fifteen years of experience supporting growing businesses by partnering with strong management teams, providing capital and offering operational expertise. The firm, which manages more than $4.5 billion in assets, has made investments in more than 30 businesses to support their growth strategies.
Abita Brewing, which produces 160,000 barrels annually, recently completed a three-year, $30 million state-of-the-art expansion that will increase its brewing capacity to 400,000 barrels. Currently, the company produces eight year-round beers, five seasonal brews, four harvest, seven big beers, a select series, and a root beer. With products sold in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and in a limited number of foreign countries, Abita was ranked the 21st largest craft brewer in the country by the Brewers Association in 2014.
Friends, Romans, homebrewers! Lend me your 
