FLASH NEWS

Anheuser-Busch Closes

Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) will close two of its breweries and sell another.. ABI is selling its Newark, New Jersey location to property developer Goodman Group and will end operations at its Merrimack, New Hampshire and Fairfield, California facilities next year. The shutterings will lower the beverage conglomerate’s brewery count to nine. ABI cited updates to production at other facilities as the reason for the consolidation.

The three closures will affect 475 full-time employees, and ABI claims they will offer affected workers roles at other facilities. The closest brewery still in operation to the Newark and Merrimack locations is Baldwinsville, New York — over 200 miles from each. The nearest brewery to the Fairfield location is in Los Angeles, roughly 400 miles away. Impacted employees will receive relocation stipends, and those who choose to not move will receive a severance package. ABI said the move will not significantly affect its wholesaler network. “We will be shifting production from these three facilities to our other U.S. facilities and these changes will enable us to invest even more in our remaining operations and in our portfolio of growing, industry-leading brands,” ABI says.

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BeatBox Sale Finalized

Anheuser-Busch has bought a controlling interest in “BeatBox, a rising star in the ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage category that is known for its bold, fruit-forward ‘Party Punch’ flavors,”. Supersized alcopops like BeatBox are a class of single-serving beverages popular among underage drinkers. These products contain large quantities of alcohol,” according to a new scientific study. Founded in 2012 as an MBA project at UT Austin, BeatBox gained national attention in 2014 after a game-changing appearance on ‘Shark Tank,' As one of the fastest-growing ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages in the United States, BeatBox offers more than 13 flavors served in its signature sustainable, resealable packaging.

Anheuser-Busch has acquired 85% of BeatBox for a purchase price of up to approximately $490 million, with a path to 100% ownership after five years based on a predetermined pricing formula. The research showed that college students poorly understood how a supersized alcopop would impact their blood alcohol content (BAC) compared to beer. “When asked how much alcohol they could consume before it would be unsafe to drive, students in the supersized alcopop group had 7 times the odds of estimating consumption that would generate a calculated BAC of at least 0.08 g/dl, compared to those making estimates based on beer consumption,” according to the report.

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Alcohol Levels

“Drinks like beer, wine, and distilled spirits often contain very different amounts of alcohol. This means the size of an alcohol-containing beverage alone does not determine its alcohol content. For example, many light beers have almost as much alcohol as regular beer – about 85% as much,” the NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism says in a new report..

While a 12-ounce bottle of beer at 5% alcohol by volume contains one standard drink, a 12-ounce bottle of beer at 10% alcohol by volume contains two standard drinks. That’s why it’s important to know how much alcohol your drink contains,” the federal agency stated.

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New Sales Record

Anheuser-Busch's Busch Light, is now America's #2 fastest-growing beer according to just released sales reports.  It continues to surge, growing in 46 of 50 states year-to-date. Driven by quality and consistency in brewing and marketing, Busch Light has now grown market share for 90 consecutive weeks, a new record. With more beer drinkers heading for the mountains than the beach these days, Busch Light has solidified its spot as the #6 largest beer brand in America, extending its lead over the #7 largest beer brand by selling over 8 million more cases this year.

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Miracle On Ice Revisited

Michelob ULTRA, America’s #1 top-selling beer, kicked off its support for Team USA with the announcement of “Run Back the Miracle – an immersive throwback event that will use high-definition holograms, full-surface ice projection, archival items and never-before-seen footage to recreate key moments from the ‘Miracle on Ice’ game at the Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games. 

On Thursday, January 15, Michelob ULTRA is inviting fans to the site where it all happened, the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, to “Run Back the Miracle”. Fans in attendance will have a chance to experience the enduring spirit of American competition and the way sports can rally a nation. The fan event will also include appearances from original members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team and other key figures.

Do you believe in miracles? Fans 21+ can sign up HERE to attend the activation, until capacity is reached. Seats are limited, so don’t wait. 

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Best Beer Cities

Beer and Brewing’s has just released their end of year top 9 US cities for beer for all of  2025.  Rank in parentheses is for 2024.  Beer Nexus has not contributed to and does not endorse these rankings. 

1.  Chicago, Illinois (5)
2. Austin, Texas (12)
3. Denver, Colorado (1)
4. San Diego, California (2)
5. Portland, Oregon (4)
6. Asheville, North Carolina (3)
7. Seattle, Washington (7)
8. Kansas City, Missouri (16)
9. Portland, Maine (8)

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Underrated And Cheap

A new national survey asked professional brewers what they thought were the most underrated cheap beers in America.  The just released results are: 

• Hamm’s

• Pabst Blue Ribbon

• Grain Belt Nordeast

• National Bohemian

• Warsteiner Dunkel

• Allagash White

• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

• Corona

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 Brewers Convention

The Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) & BrewExpo America will take over the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, April 20-22., 2026  The Brewers Association (BA) announced that registration is open, and industry members are encouraged to secure their attendance at America’s largest gathering for beverage alcohol producers.

Pennsylvania is home to 533 breweries, making it the third largest beer-producing state in the country, behind California and New York.  With a refreshed schedule in 2026, CBC will deliver a more streamlined program that better matches the needs of today’s beverage professionals while fostering a more structured conference experience.

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The Ozempic of Alcohol

A cheap, already available pill is being billed as the “Ozempic of alcohol” for its ability to reduce appetites for booze, the way GLP-1 drugs curb food cravings. Naltrexone — which costs about $1.60 a pill when purchased in bulk — decreases the urge for alcohol by blocking opioid receptors in the brain, reducing the dopamine-reward effect that people get from drinking.

Essentially, alcohol no longer has the same satisfying feeling, which helps diminish the desire for it.

Naltrexone has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat alcohol use disorder since 1994 and opiate dependence since 1984. Nearly 28 million Americans struggle with alcohol use disorder.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 17% of American adults binge drink, with the habit more common among men. Not only does drinking heavily take a toll on boozers’ wallets, but it can also lead to negative health consequences and tragedies.

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QUICK HITS

• Poland is facing the prospect of strict new legislation as we start 2026 that could limit or even eliminate all alcohol advertising, following a similar law on alcohol sales and advertising that went into effect this summer in Latvia.

• 5 months after placing a winning bid for Alamo Beer Company, Australia-based private equity firm SKJ Capital has finalized its acquisition of the San Antonio-based craft brewery 

• Spirited Away, the first ANA bottle shop in the U.S., has a new owner. The NYC store has been acquired by Nicholas Pelis, a longtime spirits executive and entrepreneur, who has more than 2 decades of experience across global spirits.

• Stateside Brands, the company responsible for popularizing vodka-based iced tea, is now adding vodka to another beverage: the sports drink. Super Lyte, a vodka-infused "ade" debuts this spring in flavors of Fruit Punch, Orange, Lemon Lime and Blue Magic. The new 4.5% ABV drink contains 0 carbs 0 sugar and is 90 calories per serving. 

• Constellation Brands’ Modelo returned to growth in the December 2025 and A-B’s Michelob Ultra, Mark Anthony’s White Claw and Constellation’s Pacifico all saw modest upswings.

• A new report says that Tmainstream, legal hemp-based beverages, has been a major boon for adult beverage retailers. This should lead to a major expansion as we enter 2026.

• Beer (+100%), wine (+102%) and spirits (+139%) each recorded triple-digit growth in on-premise sales on Christmas Day 2025, compared to the average Thursday during the year. That was in spite of only 1-in-4 on-premise establishments remaining open during the holiday, However it was not indicative of another declining sales year.

• Athletic Brewing, the national leader in NA beer,announced it has partnered with dining reservation app OpenTable to allow patrons to search an interactive map for bars and restaurants across the U.S. and Canada that carry Athletic offerings when planning nights out during January.  

• President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the U.S. Attorney General to move cannabis from a Schedule I to Schedule III controlled substance, marking a watershed moment in the history of U.S. marijuana policy and a significant step forward for the nascent THC-infused beverage industry.

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FLASH NEWS

Price Rise

A new report lists popular beers with the biggest price increase from 2015 to now., Dec. 1, 2025.  Sam Adams Summer Ale is up 71% the past decade, from $13 to $23 for a 6-pack, and Dos Eqquis is up 58% from $11 to $18. Even cheap beer like Miller High Life and PBR are up 44%.

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Pre-Travel Beer

According to a new survey  of 2,000 British tourists “three-quarters (76%) of Brits have a pre-travel beer and 60% say it’s never too early to have that first sip when on your holiday (read vacation but with a British accent).  Two thirds of tourists believe having an airport or travel beer before holiday was a specific British tradition, and a highlight of their getaway, with around half (47%) happy to pay more than £7 for the privilege.

When ranking top beer tasting moments, many travelers said a first beer of the holidays was a “British Tradition” and “a moment that couldn’t be missed”.-

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NA Record

Athletic Brewing is on the verge of a significant company milestone to close out 2025: The brewery will finish the year with 500,000 barrels of NA (non-alcoholic) beer produced. They have  plans to go national with 2 new brands in January 2026. 

Even amid the “most competitive year” yet for NA beer, with hundreds of brand families and new entrants from major brewers such as Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Michelob Ultra Zero, Athletic held share as the category leader and brand family, with a 19% market share, Athletic co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt shared with Beer Nexus 

“With all the distribution earned around the category, holding share in the leadership position was a big win this year. And then with significant double-digit growth, we expect to be able to build share again next year,” he added.

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Under The Radar But #4

Tilray Brands may be the most overlooked craft brewer in the US and there’s a reason for that… Over the last five year Tilray Brands, a Canadian-headquartered pioneer in cannabis research, cultivation, and distribution has expanded its portfolio of U.S. craft breweries through a series of acquisitions from major beverage companies. As a result of these deals, which include brands from Molson Coors and Anheuser-Busch, Tilray has significantly increased its position in the US craft beer market. According to a just released report from the Brewers Association, Tilray’s beer division was ranked #4 among the top 50 craft brewing companies in the US based on beer sales volume.

Acquisitions from Molson Coors and Anheuser-Busch include:

·   From Molson Coors (acquired August 2024): Hop Valley Brewing Company, Terrapin Beer Co., Revolver Brewing, and Atwater Brewery.

·   From Anheuser-Busch (acquired August 2023): Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, Blue Point Brewing Company, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing, and Square Mile Cider Company.

Other brands in Tilray’s portfolio include:

·   SweetWater Brewing Company (acquired 2021)

·   Montauk Brewing Co. (acquired 2022)

·   Alpine Beer Company

·   Green Flash Brewing Company

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Big Jobs Cut 

Beer maker Molson Coors Beverage Company will slash roughly 400 jobs, or 9% of its North American salaried workforce, by the end of the year as part of a corporate restructuring plan, the company announced in a just released statement.

The mass layoffs across the region, which includes the US, Canada and Latin America, come as the Chicago-based brewing company announced in August that it expected net sales to tumble between 3% and 4% this year — blaming weaker beer demand and “indirect tariff impacts” on aluminum.

The company’s earnings before taxes were also projected to dramatically plummet between 12% to 15%, creating a bleak forecast for investors. Molson Coors will reinvest in its core category of beer and expand its arsenal of premium mixers, non-alcoholic beverages, and energy drinks in the restructuring.

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Illegal Beer

If you're a beer fanatic and have about $240 to spare, you might think about snagging Samuel Adams' newest and strongest ale. The dark, blended beer has a whopping 30% alcohol by volume. The Boston brewing company just announced the 14th rendition of Utopias, a barrel-aged blend of vintage beer that has gotten more potent with each release. And since the beer is so strong, it is illegal to sell in 15 states, Sam Adams said in a statement.

The ale "blurs the line between beer and fine spirit," according to the brewery, and is meant to be served at room temperature.

Utopias 2025 is sold in individually numbered ceramic vessels and has proven difficult to find in stores. caramel, and slight citrus notes into the mix.

Also used in the aging process are Ruby Port, Carcavelos, Cognac, and Scotch casks. The drink is non-carbonated and "behaves as a spirit," Sam Adams said. Sam Adams' new beer is illegal to sell in 15 states, including New Hampshire and Vermont, as the company said the 30% ABV drink is "one of the strongest beers ever brewed."

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Who Really is #1?

Michelob Ultra is the top seller, based on volume, at bars and restaurants, and in retail stores such as supermarkets, drug stores and convenience stores, based on retail sales data over the last 52 weeks, the company said in Beer Nexs..

But Modelo Especial remains the top-selling beer by dollars spent, accounting for a 10% share of all beer sales, according to Constellation Brands, which distributes the beer in the U.S. market. However, As Michelob Ultra's sales volume increases, it has closed the gap in terms of dollar sales.

The competition between the two  crescendos amid a challenging marketplace with total beer sales down 2.2% in the 52-week period ending Nov.. 15  Ultra is indeed gaining ground due to the fact that that brand is still eking out some slight growth while Modelo continues to experience a slight decline,

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 Evolution In Craft Beer

The craft-beverage industry is undergoing a seismic shift. What was once a domain dominated by hop-forward IPAs and barrel-aged stouts is now expanding to include a new generation of drinks: low-ABV beers, nonalcoholic (NA) brews, and functional beverages infused with everything from adaptogens to electrolytes. According to a new reort from Beer Industry Times this evolution isn’t a passing trend—it’s a consumer-driven movement reshaping how, when, and why people drink.

At the end of  2025 the global NA beverage market is expected to exceed $1.65 trillion, with NA beer, wine, and spirits sales in the United States alone growing by 26 percent year-over-year. What’s driving this surge? A cultural shift toward mindful drinking, which is a lifestyle choice embraced by Gen Z, millennials, and—increasingly—older demographics.

The report said that consumers are no longer just looking to cut calories or avoid hangovers. They’re seeking beverages that align with their wellness goals, social values, and daily routines. Whether it’s a post-workout electrolyte beer, a CBD-infused hop water, or a zero-proof IPA that tastes like the real thing, the demand is clear: people want options that deliver flavor, function, and flexibility.

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Can Size Change Marks 2025

Just released statistics show that in 2025  the traditional 12- or 16-ounce can was no longer the default. Instead, there was  a dramatic rise in smaller, more intentional servings—think 50 ml shots, eight-ounce cans, and even single-serve pouches. These formats cater to consumers who want to sample, moderate, or enjoy beverages on the go.

Smaller formats also open the door to premiumization. A 50 ml adaptogenic elixir or a 100 ml barrel-aged NA stout can command a higher price point while offering a curated, elevated experience. For the brewer, this means rethinking not just what you produce, but how you package and present it.

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QUICK HITS

• Small taprooms and brewpubs, although they make up only 15% of the overall volume in the craft beer industry, represent a whopping 73% of craft businesses, the Brewers Association said in their endof the year report.

• Craft beer volume had declined about 5% in 2025 compared to 2024, and craft brewery closings were outpacing openings, with the number of operating breweries declining by 1% to 9,269, compared to 9,352 in Dec..  2024.

• Pittsburgh-area brewery Full Pint Beer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for a second time.  Full Pint Beer’s parent company Franklin Lagers filed its petition listing $500,000 to $1 million in assets and liabilities,

• Details of Molson Coors chief commercial officer Michelle St. Jacques’ separation from the company were just released. 

She will receive severance pay of $750,282 in a lump sum or installment payments through November 14, 2026. However, those payments are conditioned upon whether she accepts full-time employment,.

• Iron Hill Brewery may have another act coming.  The mid-Atlantic brewpub chain, which abruptly shuttered earlier this fall, is set to be acquired by restaurateur Jeff Crivello, according to filings in U.S. Bankruptcy for the District of New Jersey, 

• The top growth beer brand in the on- and off-premise right as of the end of  2025 isn’t an innovation product designed by an R&D team. It’s a non-Mexican import that was founded in the 18th century: Diageo-owned Guinness.

• Constellation Brands, the Rochester, NY company behind brands like Corona and Modelo beer, is trimming its workforce.  The company did confirmed to Beer Nexus that it has laid off a “portion” of its workforce but declined giving exact numbers.

• Untappd has made the “beverage company” shift equivalent for the app. The formerly beer-only rating platform has added pretty much every beverage type to its ratings, including spirits, wine,, RTDs, THC-infused seltzers, coffee and soda. 

• Madri, the most successful beer launch in UK history — sales in its first year were the highest value recorded for a new alcohol brand — the beer doesn’t even exist in Spain. It was created purely for the UK market and is brewed only in Tadcaster and Burton-on-Trent.

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FLASH NEWS

Cyber Attack

A massive cyberattack recently knocked out production at all 30 of Asahi Group’s breweries across Japan, forcing the country’s largest brewer to shut down operations. The attack, crippled the digital backbone that keeps the business moving — from ordering and shipping systems to customer service lines. While brewing equipment itself wasn’t damaged, the disruption made production impossible.

“Asahi holds an estimated one-third of Japan’s domestic beer market,” according TechRadar, “but it has a global reach through its other brands, including Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and Fuller’s. And retailers are already warning of shortages.

The company insists there’s no evidence so far that customer or employee data was compromised. But officials have yet to confirm what kind of attack it was, who might be responsible. . The financial toll could be enormous. Japan accounts for roughly half of Asahi’s global profits, meaning every day offline cuts deep. Experts say attacks like this expose just how vulnerable modern manufacturing is: one breach in digital infrastructure, and an entire supply chain grinds to a halt.

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Asahi Returns

Asahi has partially restarted production as of NOv. 1, at all six of its breweries in Japan after it was forced to close them due to a cyber-attack.  Several major shops in Japan including 7-Eleven and FamilyMart had warned last week that they were running low on stocks of the beer after the hack affected Asahi Group's ordering and delivery systems in the country. Asahi is the biggest brewer in Japan, but it also makes soft drinks and food products, as well as supplying own-brand goods to other retailers.

The partially restarted breweries produce best-seller Asahi Super Dry, but the firm is also restarting plants that produce food and soft drinks. The cyber-attack is the latest to have affected operations at major firms, with carmaker Jaguar Land Rover still struggling to recover from an attack that shut down production. Asahi Group also owns Fullers in the UK and global brands including Peroni, Pilsner Urquell and Grolsch. However, only Asahi's operations in Japan - which account for about half its sales - have been affected by the attack.

Asahi said the re-opened beer plants in Japan were "not yet fully operational", and that two of its soft drinks factories that have partially re-opened were also not running at full capacity. It added there were a further five soft drinks factories that "will resume gradually in accordance with shipments" All seven of its food plants have resumed operations, though they are also not yet fully operational. Asahi said the production systems at the factories themselves had not been affected by the cyber-attack, but it had been forced to halt production because it could not process orders and shipments.

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Proper Can

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has released its European-inspired PILS in an all-new can format – an 8-pack of 8.4-ounce cans (MSRP $12.99) dubbed ‘proper pilsner cans.’ The size is rooted in the European tradition of a premium pilsner drinking experience, where it is common to serve pilsner beers as a small pour to maintain ideal temperature and flavor from first sip to last.

Printed on each can is a quote from Brian Grossman, Chief Brewer and second-generation brewery owner at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. that further explains the intentionality and inspiration behind the can size:

“I’ve enjoyed beers all over the world, but there’s something special about a proper pilsner at a European pub. Crisp, refreshing, and served in a smaller glass to keep it at the ideal temperature and flavor— it’s how PILS is meant to be enjoyed.”

The new 8.4-ounce cans have recently been launched in select markets with plans for a nationwide ‘proper pilsner can’ roll-out in early 2026. Additionally, distribution of draft PILS has expanded nationally as of August.

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Celly Drippins

With the brewing of the great Celebration Fresh Hop IPA comes Sierra Nevada’s rarest offering, Celly Drippins. Once a secret among brewers, this extremely rare release is a story of patience. Made from the drippings of the dry hop bags used to make Celebration Fresh Hop IPA, Celly Drippins is a more intense version of the beer. Smooth and deeply flavorful, this liquid gold brings our brewery together to enjoy the small handful of barrels produced each year.

“When we empty a tank of Celebration Fresh Hop IPA, the dry-hop bags stay behind, hanging in midair by a pulley system. We patiently wait and collect every drop of beer from those saturated bags—extreme fresh hop flavor we call Celly Drippins. Out of every 5,000 cans of regular Celebration IPA, we get the equivalent of one can of Celly Drippins.

New for 2025, Celly Drippins will be available at both the Mills River, NC and Chico, CA brewery locations for draft pours November 21 – 24. First pours of Celly Drippins will be served on November 21 at 3 pm local time in each location. A limited quantity will be poured each day until that day’s allotment runs out. This is the ultimate cult release and certainly a beer worth travelling for. And Sierra Nevada is encouraging fans to plan a visit to one or both of its locations.

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New Hop Technology

Boxes and bags of hop pellets are a familiar sight in every modern brewery, providing a long-lasting, space-saving alternative to whole-cone hops for the past several decades. As an innovator in pellet technology, Haas Co. has just announced  something that is an  evolution in brewing efficiency and consistency. Now, Haas is pushing the boundaries of brewing innovation with its introduction of LupoCORE: a new modern general purpose hop pellet engineered for consistency and performance.

Developed as a next generation T90 hop pellet solution for brewers of all sizes, LupoCORE delivers consistent sensory outcomes, reliable brewhouse performance, and scalable application across production volumes. Built on Haas’ industry-leading pellet processing and Sensory Plus-selected hops, LupoCORE enhances hop expression, reduces process loss, and preserves your brewing process, all while elevating beer quality and flavor. As of Nov. 1, they will be available in Amarillo®, Azacca®, Bru-1™, Cascade, Centennial, Citra®, Columbus, Dolcita™, Ekuanot®, El Dorado®, Krush®, Mosaic®, and Sabro®.

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Bud / Neflix  Deal

Netflix (NFLX) and Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) have signed a global co-marketing deal to promote the streaming platform's most-watched titles and the brewer's beers, the companies said..

The partnership will include campaigns tied to Netflix's shows such as UK drama "The Gentlemen" and South Korea's "Culinary Class Wars," as well as limited-edition packaging and digital promotions.

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Bomb Threat

This year’s recent Oktoberfest in Munich had its first bomb threat in nearly 2 decades when German police closed the fest fairgrounds for one morning following a threat from the suspected perpetrator of an explosion in northern Munich, city officials said. No bombs were found and the festival continued as usual.  In 1980, 

Oktoberfest was the target of a deadly neo-Nazi attack The bombing on the evening of Sept. 26, 1980, claimed 13 lives, including that of three children and the attacker, student Gundolf Koehler, a supporter of a banned far-right group.  More than 200 people were wounded.

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 Complimentary Beer

No longer does Air Canada’s cattle class have to pay a premium for some high-altitude hooch. The carrier has announced that it is offering coach passengers complimentary beer, wine and snacks on all of its flights moving forward. The initiative was initially rolled out on economy flights within the US and Canada, but has since been expanded to all their routes, including the US and Mexico,

On morning flights before 10 am, flyers will now have the opportunity to dine on MadeGood Mornings Cinnamon Bun Soft Baked Oat Bars, per the airline’s release.  Meanwhile, for after 10:30am, the airline has tacked on Greenhouse Ginger Defence Wellness Shots, which also appear in Air Canada’s premium snack baskets and Bistro menu.

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Arnold At Oktoberfest

Arnold Schwarzenegger took up the baton at Munich’s Oktoberfest. The former Republican governor of California, actor, world champion body builder, and beer expert, spontaneously conducted a live music band and the singing crowd in a beer tent— and clearly enjoyed himself. Afterward, the Austrian-born star of “The Terminator,” “Total Recall” and “True Lies” took selfies with the musicians, German news agency dpa reported.

Schwarzenegger, dressed in a traditional Bavarian-style leather jacket, a buttoned-down shirt and jeans, was accompanied by his partner Heather Milligan and his son, Christopher. Schwarzenegger has visited the world’s largest folk festival in Germany’s southern state of Bavaria and the Marstall tent — one of many at the festival — several times in the past.

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QUICK HITS

• A recent survey from Gallup found 54% of U.S. adults say they consume alcohol, a record low, amid growing health concerns surrounding alcohol consumption. That’s opened space for alternatives like nonalcoholic beer to grow,

• Von Ebert Brewing unveiled what it believes is the biggest and only beer can silo in Oregon and maybe the world. At 12’x26′, if the silo were filled with beer, it would hold nearly 158,000 pints.

• BevBoost just  patented two-chamber widget that delivers hop extracts into beer at the moment of consumption.  cuts dry hopping by 25% while introducing hop extract through the widget to maintain flavor and it masks oxidation. 

• The adult non-alc category is on its way to hitting $1 billion in off-premise sales as new entries shake up the top brand families and begin to drive prices down, according to market research firm NIQ.

• Nearly two weeks after closing its restaurants indefinitely, brewpub chain Iron Hill Brewery has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. The company listed assets of $164,581.02 and liabilities of $20,013,291.14 owed to between 100 and 199 creditors.

• TTwo Texas locations of Voodoo Brewery, a mostly franchise-owned brewpub chain, closed last week, bringing the chain’s number of shuttered locations to five in 2025.

• The decline in breweries last year was the fourth consecutive year that the number of new brewery openings declined, with 434 new breweries opening and 501 closing.  So far this year, closings outpaced openings through October 2025, declining 1% to 9,269 breweries currently in operation.

• According to the Guinness Book of World Records there is no other place on earth where  beer fans can find more beers to sample than at the GABF. This year’s was held in Denver, 

• Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) is attempting to terminate several distributors for allegedly not meeting the beer giant’s product turnover standards or rollout plans and for what is believed to be selling outdated products. 

• Vodka soda RTD Sprinter Spirits has secured over $4 million in new investment as part of a $12 million round it is currently raising,

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FLASH NEWS

A New #1

Michelob Ultra has overtaken Constellation Brands Modelo Especial as the best-selling beer in the United States. Michelob Ultra claimed the top spot as the best-selling beer in retail channels in the 52 weeks ended Sept. 24, parent company Anheuser-Busch announced citing data from Circana. The light lager is also the top seller in bars and restaurants, according to Nielsen IQ data  

For brewer AB InBev, Michelob Ultra’s triumph reverses the company’s struggles from two years ago. Modelo Especial unseated Bud Light in the wake of backlash over the flagship beer’s partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light had previously held the title as the top-selling beer in the U.S. for more than two decades. Modelo’s declining popularity comes as Constellation faces key challenges to its business, including tariffs on aluminum and Mexican imports and weaker demand from Hispanic consumers.

Historically, Hispanic beer drinkers have accounted for roughly half of Constellation’s customer base, although growing demand from non-Hispanic consumers helped fuel Modelo’s rise.  Earlier this month, Constellation cut its forecast for the fiscal year, citing a “challenging” economy. The company expects net beer sales will fall 2% to 4% due to lower volumes and additional tariff impacts. It previously anticipated sales would range from flat to up 3%. So far this year, AB InBev’s stock has climbed more than 16%, while shares of Constellation have tumbled 39%. 

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Heineken Expands

Dutch brewer Heineken  will buy the beverage and retail businesses of Costa Rica's Florida Ice and Farm Company  for $3.2 billion in cash, it recently said, boosting its presence across Central America. Heineken will gain ownership of Costa Rica's century-old Imperial beer brand through the deal, as well as a soft drink business with its own brands and a PepsiCo bottling license.  .South and Central American regions have become increasingly attractive for leading brewers such as Heineken and Anheuser-Busch InBev in the face of slowing sales volumes in Europe and the United States.

The deal will unlock growth opportunities and enable Heineken to enter "new profit pools" across Central America, said Chief Executive Dolf van den Brink. Heineken will buy the 75% of Distribuidora La Florida - FIFCO's beverage, food and retail division - that it does not already own, including more than 300 outlets in Costa Rica, as well as operations in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras..  The deal also includes 75% of Nicaragua Brewing Holding, the 25% of Heineken Panama it did not already own plus full ownership of FIFCO's non-beer business in Mexico kl.The company began its partnership with FIFCO in 1986 and has held a 25% stake in Distribuidora La Florida since 2002. "This is a strategically sensible acquisition to us, though the price paid seems high," said RBC Capital analyst James Edwardes Jones.

The transaction, which is expected to complete in the first half of 2026, will provide an immediate boost to Heineken's operating margin and earnings per share before exceptional items, the company said. Heineken expects its net debt to increase by 3.2 billion euros ($3.77 billion) after the deal. Net debt stood at almost 15.5 billion euros

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Iron Hill Closes All Locations

A popular, nearly three-decade-old East Coast brewery chain has abruptly shuttered its doors for good. "It’s been our pleasure to serve you, and we are deeply grateful for your support, friendship, and loyalty over the years," Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant announced in social media post.  The business had 16 locations spread across South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Georgia,  The abrupt closings come two weeks after the business shut down its original Newark, Delaware, location, as well as two additional locations in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, and Voorhees, New Jersey. Founded nearly 29 years ago in Newark on Main Street by Mark Edelson, Kevin Finn and Kevin Davies, portions of the company have been sold to outside investors over the years. Despite this, founders Edelson, Finn and Davies all remained as board members. The company’s closure was made public after an anonymous employee shared a screenshot from Iron Hill leadership with The Philadelphia Inquirer announcing the chain would file for bankruptcy and immediately.  The decision was communicated to employees through an email citing financial challenges and to the public through notices on restaurant doors and on the company's websit

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Colorado Top State

According to the new quarterly numbers so far in 2025, Colorado produced just over 18 million barrels of beer — the most of any other state. Coming in at number two was Ohio, which produced 17 million barrels, while the state of Texas was third at 14 million barrels. Surprisingly, some states known for big beer brands, like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, didn't even make the top five.

Not only do two of America's top five most popular beer brands call the Rockies home, but there are also many iconic Colorado craft beer brands. The state's largest craft brewery is actually Monster. The energy drink brand, purchased Colorado's Oskar Blues Brewery in 2022, which makes the popular Dale's Pale Ale. Other iconic Colorado craft beer names include Odell and Left Hand, which is known for its popular stout beer. There are also the unique cases of Colorado craft beers that are now owned by larger conglomerates. The most well known is New Belgium, which still operates its brewery in Fort Collins, but was acquired by the Japanese brand Kirin in 2019. Colorado brand Avery was also sold to the Spanish Mahou Group, also known as the makers of San Miguel. Long story short, Colorado has a stake in every part of the beer market — big, medium, and small.

Colorado used to be known as the home of Coors. But, Molson Coors — which also owns Miller, Foster's, and Blue Moon among other brands — moved its headquarters to Chicago, Illinois in 2023. However, Coors flagship brewery in Golden, Colorado is still active — and is actually the largest brewery in the United States. Coors is not alone there, either. Anheuser-Busch also has a major brewing facility in Fort Collins, Colorado.

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Charlie Sheen Beer

Charlie Sheen is the latest celebrity wading into the NA beer business.  The Hollywood star has teamed up with Barrel One Collective’s Harpoon Brewery and “innovation brand shop” The Silent Group to create Wild AF Brewing. Pre-orders for Cold Gold lager are now open on the Wild AF website. The beer is available in 6- ($13.99), 12- ($26.99) and 24-pack cans ($51.99) with shipping costs varying by region. Orders are slated to ship in mid- to late-November.

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White Noise Helps Beer

Playing white noise can shorten the beer-making process by more than a day, according to a just released paper published in Food Research International.

Researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that, using a submersible speaker, playing white noise can shorten fermentation by 21 to 31 hours without significantly impacting the flavor.

Fermentation is the process by which yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. “The vibration keeps more yeast in suspension… and by consuming more sugar, that’s speeding the fermentation,” Parise Adadi, lead author of the study, told Beer Nexus

Fermentation typically takes weeks and is one of the most important steps in the beer-making process.

These findings could not only result in faster beer production but also “pave the way for innovative research directions, benefitting breweries, yeast manufacturers, and the broader food industry,” Adadi said.

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Vermont In The Lead

A new report says that on a per capita basis, Vermont takes the crown for the most number of breweries per 100,000 adults over 21 with 15.4 breweries. In second place is Maine, which has 14.4 breweries per capita, despite only having 158 total. Taking the bronze is Montana with 12.8 breweries per 100,000 adult residents.

Conversely, Mississippi, which has fewer than two dozen craft breweries in total, has just 1 craft brewery per capita. Alabama and Louisiana, which respectively have 53 and 52 craft breweries in total, have just 1.4 and 1.6 craft breweries per capita, respectively.

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 Gallup Poll

Only 54% of drinking-age Americans consume alcohol today, according to a new poll from Gallup, the lowest proportion since the survey began in 1939. Even those who do drink are partaking less, by a factor of nearly half.

The US is drinking less, and cultural connotations around alcohol consumption have shifted. The number of Americans who see drinking as bad for their health has increased every year since 2016, according to Gallup.

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Latest Sales Numbers

Draft gained share of total on-premise beer over the last year and, on current trends, could overtake packaged by value per outlet in the near term. The just released report also shows distribution gains. More beverage alcohol venues now carry beer, with growth led by neighborhood bars, sports bars, casual dining, and even QSRs (quick service restaurants). Draft is present in most beer-selling venues, but packaged-only outlets still outnumber draft accounts.

Draft captured a larger slice of on-premise beer by volume year over year. The report reveals draft beer attracted 52.3% of total beer sales (by volume) in the year to early 2025 — 0.9 percentage points more than in the previous 12 months. That gain came while many categories faced softer sales

Imports on draft posted strong value growth while packaged imports slipped. Draft sales for imports by value soared by 13.7% in the last 12 months, while packaged imports slipped 1.0%. Consumers exploring imported brands are increasingly choosing them on tap. Craft remains the largest draft segment, though it edged down year over year. Craft sales dropped 4% year-on-year as some consumers turned to domestic super premium (up 7.1%) brands instead. The mix shift isn’t a retreat from draft; it’s a reminder to right-size the tap list by segment and style.

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QUICK HITS

• Dogfish Head’s founder Sam Calagione told Beer Nexus that the 5-year partnership between the brewery and the Grateful Dead band already been extended fr the next year and more is on the way. 

• Tickets still available for the Great American Beer Festival in Denver from October 9-11. In the past the festival was an instant sellout. 

• Feeling the seasonal creep? Great Lakes is one-upping everyone with their vaunted Christmas Ale seasonal, with a “First Pour” set for October 16.

• Bev-alc remained in decline in the latest week (data ending September 30), recording “predicted post-holiday results,” according to the most recent weekly report from market research firm Circana 

• Molson Coors named long-time chief strategy officer Rahul Goyal as the company’s new president and CEO, succeeding Gavin Hattersley who announced in April plans to retire at the end of the year. 

• The Boston Beer Company-owned, Milton, Delaware-based craft brewery reported that its canned cocktail portfolio grew 22% in the 13-week period ending September 30. The company added that the addition of Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale continues to drive the beer portfolio’s growth.

• The Brewers Association (BA) has asked the U.S. DOJ to examine state-level regulations governing franchise law, 3-tier mandates and territory exclusivity. No response yet from the DOJ

• Hard Italian soda brand Bravazzi is on schedule to reach the 100,000-case milestone to close 2025 making it one of the fastest growing in the world.

• New Mexico ranks 10th in the nation for breweries per capita. Still, until recently, the industry’s hops have come almost exclusively from out of state. And, currently, the state has only six to eight acres in hops production. 

• Barclays warned that weak beer demand and economic strain will weigh on volumes and investor sentiment on the U.S. beer sector for some time as it downgraded Constellation Brands and Molson Coors.

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FLASH NEWS

Single Can Surge

The Brewers Association has just reported that single-can sales of craft beer are catching up to sales of 4-packs. The increase in single-can sales is occurring despite overall craft beer sales being flat, against a backdrop of overall beer sales declining. The Brewers Association measures beer sales by craft brewers, which it defines as brewers having annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3% of U.S. annual sales) and having less than 25% or control (or equivalent economic interest) by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.

“Consumers are making more shopping trips and buying only what they need at that time, rather than stocking up,” said Kate Bernot, lead analyst with Sightlines, a beverage alcohol insights platform.“The big weekly trip to grocery store that used to be the norm requires planning and organization,” said Bernot. “Meanwhile, savings rates are low and loan defaults are ticking up. So, consumers are shopping for what they need right now. It’s psychologically easier to spend $40 three times than $120 once, even though it’s the same amount of money.”

A shift toward single-can purchases can lower the cost barrier to try new breweries and brands as there is risk in buying one can versus a 12-pack. Still, Bernot suggests that tight budgets and quick shopping favors trusted brands. “When budgets are tight, shoppers stick with something safer,” said Bernot. “If they’re buying one can of beer, consumers are less likely to take a risk on something they don’t know, so there’s a move back to trusted brands.”

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Brunch Beer

A new report says that 39% of 21-24-year-olds now go out for brunch, making it the top daypart for Gen Z. Parents love it even more: “It’s the most popular daypart for parents as well, with 47% of them choosing this time to dine out.” Consumers are willing to spend more at this time too — $13.49 on average for a standard cocktail — the highest of any part of the day. 

But brunch isn’t just about mimosas and Bloody Marys anymore. Beer also has a strong presence during this time of day. Forty-seven percent of consumers say their drink choice is influenced by alcohol content, while 35% consider calorie information. This aligns well with packaged beer and non-alcoholic options. This matters for breweries. Brunch-friendly beer styles, sessionable IPAs, fruit-forward sours, and low-ABV options, can help taprooms become brunch destinations.

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George Washington's Favorite

"Patience is a noble virtue," President George Washington once wrote in a letter to Commodore John Rodgers in June of 1783. "And when rightly exercised, does not fail of its reward." Were these wise words written about George Washington's favorite cherry treat? No. But they could have been. George Washington’s favorite drink, according o jus discovered documents, takes a lot of patience—several months, in fact.   

The historic beverage is still popular today, and makes the perfect holiday gift for friends and family. But you have to start now. Cherry Bounce is a common drink, especially around the holidays. It’s prepared in the summer during peak cherry season, and is stored for several months while the flavor deepens and sweetens—resulting in an incredibly strong, somewhat syrupy cherry liqueur. It can be sipped by itself, served over ice, or (most commonly) paired with a lemon-lime soda for a tasty but strong cocktail.

. To make Cherry Bounce, add fresh, pitted cherries to a 1-quart jar or bottle with an air-tight lid. Next, add sugar and then an alcohol of your choice—making sure to cover the cherries entirely.

Seal and set aside in a cool, dark place for at least a couple of weeks—but a couple of months is even better. Occasionally, shake the jar gently. Serve at room temperature and refrigerate once opened.

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90 Year Low 

Fewer Americans are reporting that they drink alcohol amid a growing belief that even moderate alcohol consumption is a health risk, according to a Gallup poll just released.

The survey finds that 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer — "the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup's nearly 90-year trend," the analytics company says.

And a record high percentage of U.S. adults, 53%, now say moderate drinking is bad for their health, up from 28% in 2015. The uptick in doubt about alcohol's benefits is largely driven by young adults — the age group that is most likely to believe drinking "one or two drinks a day" can cause health hazards — but older adults are also now increasingly likely to think moderate drinking carries risks.

The findings of the poll, which was conducted in July, indicate that after years of many believing that moderate drinking was harmless — or even beneficial — worries about alcohol consumption are taking hold. According to Gallup's data, even those who consume alcohol are drinking less.

The federal government is updating new dietary guidelines, including those around alcohol. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed U.S. alcohol consumption was trending up. But other government surveys have shown a decline in certain types of drinking, particularly among teenagers and young adults.

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Busch Light Scores

Two years removed from the Bud Light fiasco, the country’s largest macrobrewer has clawed its way back into a solid position thanks in no small part to the strong performance of its Busch Light brand. The bottom-shelf workhorse has been doing more than its fair share pulling the big red beer cart lately, and is up year-over-year 4.5 percent in dollars and 2.8 percent in volume year-to-date through mid-August 2025 in multi-outlet grocery, mass retail, and convenience stores tracked by market research firm Circana. Pretty darn good, given the category is down 3.1 and 4.7 percent (dollars/volume) by the same measure.

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Triumphant Return

Busch Light Apple’s return to shelves this year has been nothing short of triumphant. The line extension, introduced in 2020, bizarrely discontinued in 2023, then reintroduced in May, has been going absolutely berserk for ABI. Owing to the discontinuation, “Bapple” sales are up meaninglessly cartoonish amounts in Circana scans; Beer Business Daily reported that the brand has sold 1.7 million cases year-to-date. On the firm’s second-quarter earnings call late last month, chief executive Michel Doukeris touted it as “the No. 1 innovation in the industry, driven primarily by 21- to 24-year-old consumers.” Those customers, he added, are purchasing the fruit-flavored beer at a rate six times higher than the industry average. Virtually any way you slice it (ahem), Bapple’s comeback tour has been a big hit for a company that really needed one.

But over a month before the official start of fall — the traditional selling season for apple-oriented foodstuffs — ABI once again stopped shipping the brand. In fact, it’s already been replaced by Busch Light Lime, a beer with neither the cult following, sales data, nor seasonal appeal to support its rollout. Rather than let Bapple ride, ABI slammed on the brakes — leaving an open lane for competitors to court the American drinking public with apple-flavored beers of their own.

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More Bad News

The Brewers Association (BA) tjust released insights from its midyear survey, offering a perspective on the state of the craft beer industry and providing members with the most up-to-date data.

With closings continuing to outpace openings, the number of craft breweries operating in July 2025 (9,269) was down 1% from the number operating in July 2024 (9,352). By business type, the smaller distribution-focused microbreweries experienced the largest drop-off at -3%, followed by taprooms at -1%, and brewpubs and regional breweries with no change year-over-year.

This decline in the number of breweries is accompanied by a somewhat larger drop in volume produced as well. The Brewers Association estimates craft volume down 5% year-over-year compared to 2024. Although the sample in the survey outperformed this estimate, the result represents an adjustment for response bias and triangulation with other supporting data.

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 Carlsberg Declines

Beermakers have been battling several consecutive quarters of declining volume growth, as consumers have pushed back against higher prices and veered toward alternatives. Carlsberg, the world’s third-largest brewer, became the latest to report lower second-quarter volume growth. Organic volumes dipped 1.7% over the three-month period, including the recent loss of its San Miguel brand, even as demand for its premium and alcohol-free products grew. That comes after Budweiser-maker, the world’s largest brewer, last month posted a worse-than-feared 1.9% year-on-year decline in second-quarter volumes and Heineken’s volumes dipped 0.4% over the period.

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Carlsberg Declines

Beermakers have been battling several consecutive quarters of declining volume growth, as consumers have pushed back against higher prices and veered toward alternatives.

Carlsberg, the world’s third-largest brewer, became the latest to report lower second-quarter volume growth. Organic volumes dipped 1.7% over the three-month period, including the recent loss of its San Miguel brand, even as demand for its premium and alcohol-free products grew. That comes after Budweiser-maker, the world’s largest brewer, last month posted a worse-than-feared 1.9% year-on-year decline in second-quarter volumes and Heineken’s volumes dipped 0.4% over the period 

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QUICK HITS

• At-home consumption is gaining more ground as ongoing hikes in the price of a pint are making boozing in bars and restaurants less palatable.

• The Beer Institute’s June 2025 Taxable Removals Estimate shows a rare positive note for U.S. beer shipments this year. Domestic brewers removed 14.4 million barrels for consumption in July, up 0.3% compared to July 2024’s 14.35 million barrels. This modest gain breaks a streak of consecutive year-over-year monthly declines in 2025. However, year-to-date totals remain well below last year’s pace.

• Through the first eight months of 2025, taxable removals total 72.59 million barrels. That’s a 5.2% drop — or nearly 4 million fewer barrels — compared to the same period in 2024 

• Sales of Non-Alcohol beer are a soaring’, AB InBev, Budweiser’s parent company, projecting a $2 billion market in the next five yon ears.

• A new Minnesota state law now requires out-of-state breweries to pay a $1,000 permit fee to serve in Wisconsin.  The law as discouraged many out-of-state breweries from participating in Minnesota fests.

• Monster Beverage Corp. surpassed the $2 billion quarterly net sales milestone for the first time in the company’s history, reporting an 11.1% YoY increase However, Monster’s alcohol ambitions have faltered.

• The Ball Corporation is making beer a smaller part of its mix after over-indexing in the category, CEO Daniel Fisher shared during the company’s Q2 earnings report 

• Boston Beer Company is winding down its own-premise operations in Los Angeles. The company plans to close its Truly LA and Angel City taprooms at the end of their respective leases   

• Sierra Nevada (Chico, CA) has hired Angela Bloomer as its new VP of national accounts. Bloomer will be tasked with working closely with the craft brewery’s wholesaler partners and national retail customers.

• Craft brewery operating numbers decline: U.S. craft breweries operating in July 2025: 9,268 U.S. craft breweries operating in July 2024: 9,352.

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FLASH NEWS

Women In UK Beer 

The first Women in Beer Awards is being launched to recognize and celebrate the women who shape the beer industry. With recent SIBA figures showing that only 23% of management roles in craft beer are filled by women and just 8% of all brewers are female, the importance of representation and visibility for women who work within the beer industry has become essential.  Amélie Tassin, founder of Women in Beer said: “With the many awards for women in business, in tech or even in science that exist in the UK, I was very surprised that nobody ever thought of celebrating and awarding the women who work in the beer industry.”

The mission for Women in Beer, the organisation behind the awards, is to assist in creating role models and show young women that a career in beer can be something for them, too.

With 10 categories across all parts of the industry, the Women in Beer Awards will be open to anyone who identifies as a woman, regardless of background, age, or role within the beer world, and includes those working professionally, independently, or as a volunteer. The awards are set to take place in London on the 28 October 2025 and are being positioned as a celebration as well as a networking opportunity and a platform to promote excellence.

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Bad Report

The BofA analysts new report says the U.S. beer industry continues to decline below historic trends and lose market share. They added the industry faces threats from ”sheep, parasites and wolves,” a reference to the way former Coca-Cola Co. Chief Executive Doug Ivester once described competition in the soft-drink industry in the early 1990s.

“For the beer industry, spirits are wolves, winning share of throat and now pushing more directly into beer occasions with ready to drink,” the analysts said. “Energy drinks are parasites, successfully using beer distribution as a platform to sell to soft drink companies. Beer players are sheep, ceding customers and attention while beer consumption continues to decline.”

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The winners Are.....

The International Beer and Cider Awards handed out bragging rights for the world’s best lager and many other beer categories in late July.  Judges assessed 1,426 entries in Idaho Falls for this year's competition. Lagers were spread across more than a dozen categories, not including pilsners, which were assessed in their own categories.

Winners included:

American-Style Light (Low-Calorie) Lager

Gold Clubhaus Lager, Von Ebert Brewing Portland, Oregon

American-Style Standard or Premium Lager

307, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, Wyoming

Latin American or Tropical-Style Lager or Ale

Helper Beer, Mexican Lager from Helper Beer, Helper, Utah

Asian-Style Lager

Saru Zen Japanese-style Rice Lager, Bozeman Brewing Co., Bozeman, Montana

Helles Lager

Helles Good, Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Albuquerque, New Mexico

American Black Lager

Templin Family Capenfluegan, Templin Family Brewing Salt Lake City, Utah

American-Style Amber Lager California Common

Vienna Lager, Cardinal Craft Brewing, Burlington, Washington

Vienna-Style Lager

Prost Vienna Lager, Prost Brewing Co. Northglenn, Colorado

Marzen Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest, Idaho Brewing Co., Idaho Falls, Idaho

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Lawsuit

The parent company of Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer is being sued by a licensing firm that alleges the concept for the lager brand was swiped by its former executives. 

Carma Holdco, a Chicago- and Las Vegas-based branding house, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on July 28 against its former president and board chairman Chad Bronstein; former chief legal and licensing officer Nicole Cosby; Real American Beer (RAHM Inc.); and 25 unnamed “Does.”   Carma alleges Bronstein and Cosby breached their executive agreements by taking plans developed in 2023 while working at the firm to start the Real American Beer brand The recent death of Hulk Hogan will have no bearing on h law suit according to attorneys.

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Beer Drinkers Beware Gout

A cold beer on a hot summer day may be a simple pleasure for many, but for others it can trigger debilitating pain.  A new report from American Medical Associates says that with people in their 20s to 40s making up nearly half – 48 per cent – of all gout patients, young adults are increasingly being warned to take precautions.

Gout is an inflammatory joint disease caused by the build-up of uric acid crystals in cooler parts of the body, like the toes. When the body’s white blood cells recognize these crystals as foreign invaders, they trigger an immune response. The resulting inflammation irritates the nerves and leads to gout attacks, often felt as sudden pain in the big toe, ankle or knee.

Drinking beer, which contains high levels of purines, compounds the problem. Not only does the breakdown of purines create more uric acid, but the liver’s breakdown of alcohol also produces lactic acid, which inhibits uric acid excretion. Even beers labelled “alcohol-free” are not entirely risk-free.

Some of these beverages still contain trace amounts of alcohol, and if they include fructose or artificial sweeteners, they can stimulate uric acid production 

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Beer Tax Cut

Missouri has signed a law that will cut taxes on US beer in a bid to support the state’s brewing and farming sectors. Republican Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed the bill to slash taxes on US-made beer for the state.

The law, which is called the American Beer Act, follows the Trump administration rolling out its “America First” policies and will vastly reduce Missouri’s excise tax payments for US breweries. According to local reports, the new bill outlines that although the law currently requires the Missouri Department of Revenue to collect US$1.86 per barrel for all malt liquors, after 1 January 2026, the tax payment will be lowered to just US$0.62 per barrel for all malt liquor manufactured in an American brewery. The US$1.86 tax per barrel will remain on imported malt beverages.

Missouri Craft Brewers Guild executive director Sherry Wohlgemuth insisted that the successful passage of the American Beer Act is a “win for local entrepreneurship, for Missouri’s vibrant craft beer scene, and for beer lovers everywhere.”   

 Missouri’s new lowest-in-the-nation beer excise tax rate set the excise tax rate at $0.62 per barrel for all malt-based alcoholic beverages produced at Missouri breweries, a drop from the previous rate of $1.86..

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Which Beer Is Most Healthy?

As iNA beer’s popularity grows, scientists in Germany have looked at the impact that different styles of non-alcoholic beer have on people’s health. Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum compared the effects of three styles — pilsner, mixed beer and wheat beer — on the physical health of 44 young men.

The group of study subjects were between the ages of 18 and 30, all non-smokers with a BMI below 30.

The study looked at how daily consumption of different alcohol-free beer styles impacted metabolism, health and gut microbiome. Pilsner is a style of lager originating from the Czech Republic. Mixed beer was not defined by the study researchers, but likely refers to either a mixed fermentation beer, where multiple yeast strains are used in the brewing process, or to a blended beer, where different batches or styles of beer are combined. Wheat beer is a common style used in Germany where a substantial amount of the grain used in brewing is wheat, rather than the traditional barley. Ahead of the study, subjects did not drink any alcohol for four weeks and retained their usual eating or exercise habits.

During the study, which lasted four weeks, the young men were split into four groups, each consuming 660ml of either pilsner, mixed beer, wheat beer or water on a daily basis. The volume of beer consumed daily during the study corresponds to a usual daily amount of beer or non-alcoholic beer consumed in Germany.

So what were the results? The researchers found that while mixed and wheat beer had an “unfavorable metabolic impact on glucose and fat”, pilsner and water were “more favorable from a metabolic perspective”. The study concluded that “non-alcoholic pilsner has fewer adverse effects compared to other drinks”, though it was not found to be more beneficial to people’s health than just drinking water.

While mixed and wheat beer were shown to have a more of an impact on health, the effects were in line with other sugary soft drinks.

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Garage Beer A Hit

Garage Beer – an “internet darling” turned mainstream lager brand, with the backing of Jason and Travis Kelce – is on pace to ship around 4 million CEs (around 300,000 barrels of beer) by the end of 2025. 

The brand is trending up “400% or 500%, depending on whether you’re looking at consumption or shipments,” owner Andy Sauer shared with Beer Nexus.

If the trends hold, Garage Beer would rank just outside of the Brewers Association’s top 10 craft breweries by volume. 

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Anchor To Contract Brew

In 2023, and after 127 years in operation, the Anchor Brewing company announced it would shut down, making it just one of many craft brewer to shut its doors that year. Shortly after the announcement, Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of the yogurt company Chobani, purchased Anchor Brewing's recipes, brand, and intellectual property from Sapporo and promised to "bring Anchor back the right way."

There was much hope that the brewery would get a second chance at life, but now, two years after Ulukaya's public commitment, those plans are on pause. Despite a promise to restore Anchor Steam Brewing Company's production facility and return brewing operations to the city where it began in 1896, Ulukaya's team recently told The San Francisco Standard that they have no intention of reopening the original brewery or reestablishing a physical taproom in the city — at least for now.

Instead, the beer will now be brewed by a contract partner outside the city. While the brand may live on, its deep roots in San Francisco — and its significance to the American craft beer movement — appear severed. Maintaining Anchor's adherence to old-style methods, including the use of open-air fermentation tanks and copper equipment, may require a learning curve for new employees. 

Brewing Anchor Steam the way "California common," as it is known, is brewed requires a craftsman's touch and a lot of patience. This style of brewing is the only one to have originated in the U.S. Contract brewing, where brands outsource production to third-party facilities, has become an increasingly common survival strategy. But it often comes at the expense of authenticity and community connection — two values that once defined craft beer.  Anchor's planned shift to contract production highlights that tension. While Ulukaya's team says they still intend to honor the brand's legacy, some industry observers say a beer brewed hundreds of miles away and served without a taproom presence lacks the soul of the original.

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QUICK HITS

• Palmetto Brewing’s more than 3-decade journey has come to a close, with the Charleston, SC brewery shutting The move comes less than 4 years after Palmetto was acquired by Made by the Water Inc.. 

• Half a decade after wading into distilling, Massachusetts-based Trillium Brewing is diving into the RTD segment.

Rum Punch and Margarita, the first offerings from the new RTD line, launched in 12 oz. cans.  cocktails 

• Molson Coors’ last 12 months net sales were nearly flat in 2024 (-0.6%), totaling more than $11.7 billion, while financial volumes (sales to wholesalers) declined -5%, and sales to retailers) declined -2.5%.

• Beer shipments continued to lag in June-July, according to estimates from the Beer Institute. The organization reports that U.S. brewers removed approximately 13.2 million barrels for domestic consumption during the month, representing a 2.6% decline compared to July 2024. 

• the American Cider Association is launching its first-ever capital campaign. The campaign, aptly titled “It’s Cider’s Time,” aims to raise $250,000 to elevate cider’s visibility, build advocacy and sales.

• Lawson’s Finest Liquids just released its newest Good Brew For a Cause, Cosmic Shift IPA (6.2% ABV). through the brewery’s Social Impact Program, to benefit 10 nonprofit organizations in the East.

• The Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, known for its Shiner Bock, is making a $100,000 contribution to The Community Foundation of Texas Hill Country to support flood relief efforts in Kerr County, Texas, 

• Short’s Brewing is turning 21 and celebrating the milestone with a great offer, Michigan’s largest independent craft brewery is offering a limited-edition 21-pack of their Huma Lupa for just $21.  

• Beer volumes at bars and restaurants have declined mid- to high-single digits on draft (-5.7%) and in package (-9.3%) year-over-year (YoY) during the second quarter of 2025 

• Hulk Hogan's Real American Beer is flying off shelves following the WWE star's death, and his company is hustling to restock retailers between New York, Florida and beyond. Real American Beer said it will carry forward his vision and mission 

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FLASH NEWS

Modelo NAs

NAs (Non-Alcoholic)— the fastest-growing segment in the US. AB InBev, Budweiser’s parent company, projects a $2 billion market for nonalcoholic beer in the next five years. Currently, the sector is led by brands like Athletic Brewing, with everyone from Sierra Nevada to Michelob Ultra positioning themselves to compete in beer’s next arms race.

With its first batch of NAs, Modelo looks primed to dominate it with the release of not one but two offerings: Model0% Dorada and Model0% Negra.  And unlike most NAs on the market, Modelo’s come in bottles — a similar form factor to its flagship beer — each outfitted with a slick new logo that FastCompany has already crowned the year’s best.

According to Modelo, both versions of Model0% are brewed using a propriety yeast to align with the flavor of its flagship beers. But whether or not they can match its popularity remains to be seen.

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Memorial Day Report Card

Americans bought less beer for Memorial Day weekend, and one brand fizzled more than the rest.  The Dutch beer company Heineken had the "weakest" sales among peer beer brands during the holiday weekend, a Goldman Sachs report said. Goldman surveyed about 50 distributors, who represent 230,000 retail outlets, or about 46% of US outlets that sell alcohol. Goldman's report said sales for the overall beer market were "lackluster and largely fell short of expectations" for a variety of reasons, including inflation, tariffs, and immigration.

Goldman said Heineken "underperformed," with 66% of US beer distributors surveyed saying the beer company's volumes were down this holiday compared with last year. Heineken did not respond to a request for comment from Beer Nexus. The Dutch beer company Heineken had the "weakest" sales among peer beer brands during the holiday weekend.  In the survey, top names including Bud Light, Corona Extra, and Miller Lite also saw a decline in Memorial Day sales volume compared with last year. ABI, Pacifico, and Twisted Tea were among those that saw sales volume increase year over year.

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Still Growing

Nonalcoholic beer is on track to overtake ale as the second-largest beer category by volume worldwide this year, according to a new projections from industry tracker IWSR.

While overall beer volume fell roughly 1% year o date, volume for its nonalcoholic counterpart grew 9% worldwide, according to IWSR. The category’s growth accelerated in 2018 and has continued to outstrip the broader beer market since then.

IWSR is projecting that no-alcohol beer will grow by 8% annually through 2029, while ale’s volume is expected to slide 2% annually in that same period.

Despite recent growth, no-alcohol beer is far from becoming the top-selling beer category globally and only holds about 2% of worldwide beer market share. With 92% market share, lager is far and away the largest beer category and still growing, albeit at a slower pace than nonalcoholic beer.

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Miller #1

America’s favorite brand is Miller, which ranked as the most searched beer in 30 states, representing 60% of the country. Miller ranked the highest in states on both coasts, from Washington to Maine, plus Alaska and Hawaii.

“Miller’s widespread appeal likely stems from its accessibility, consistent flavor profile and strong marketing presence,” Coffeeness wrote in the study. Coors ranks second, a favorite of eight states, including Arizona, California and Texas. Three states – Georgia, New Jersey and South Carolina – put Guinness at the top of the list. Budweiser and Bud Light only led searches in four states combined, despite massive advertising campaigns. 

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Sam Adams Profits Up

Boston Beer Co. blasts past earnings estimate and gears up for summer as light beer gains traction Boston Beer Co. said its Samuel Adams American Light beer has helped it gain shelf space, while craft beer is losing it, as it blew away Wall Street earnings expectations but said it faces an uncertain economy. American Light, as it prepares for the busy summer drinking season. The brand will be featured in its summer beer-promotion efforts, along with Samuel Adams Summer Ale.

Boston Beer's first-six months of 2025  revenue increased 6.5%, well ahead of the analysts ss’ consensus estimate of $435.6 million. The company cited growth in volumes and higher pricing. First-quarter profit more than doubled to $24.4 million, or $2.16 a share, from $12.6 million, or $1.04 a share, in the year-ago quarter. Earnings of $2.16 a share beat the analyst estimate of 56 cents a share by a wide margin.

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Help Waned

Now, one popular regional brewery has decided to ask its customers for help. That's not an easy choice, but its one that might be the brand's only chance at survival. There's no guarantee that it will work, but many people would be willing to kick in a little to help their favorite brands survive.  Long Ireland Beer Company was started by Dan Burke and Greg Martin. They are two guys that wanted to quit their day jobs and make beer for a living, so that's exactly what they did," the company shares on its website. "We've been making beer since March 1, 2009."  In addition to selling beer to go and wholesaling it to local stores and restaurants, the company also has a tap room.

Now, Long Island Beer Company has made a plea to its customers. The owners were honest and blunt about where the company stands. "We are struggling to survive like so many businesses are and our future isn’t guaranteed. Every day we see local breweries, restaurants and local businesses we love closing their doors and we don’t want that to be our fate too," it added. "We want nothing more than to keep making beer for you and throwing fun events that we’ve all come to love. But we can’t do it alone. So here’s how you can help keep the taps flowing here at Long Ireland ,"In fact it can help any brewery so follow them with your local one and help themt o keep making great beer!

·   Stop in with friends and knock back a few pints. We’re open 7 days a week!

·   Stock up on cans, or grab a keg and be the hero of your next BBQ.

·   Ask for us at your local beer store or distributor. We are now self distributed!

·   Put us on tap if you own a bar or restaurant 

·   Host your club or group in our tasting room 

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BBQ 10 Best

Just released list of the 10 best beers to bring to a BBQ, according to the Pitmaster Club. the largest membership-based BBQ and grilling community in the world, 

·   Miller High Life

·   Lone Star American-Style Lager Beer

·   Pabst Blue Ribbon

·   Duchesse de Bourgogne Flemish Red Ale

·   Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier

·   Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

·   Trumer Pilsner

·   St. Elmo Carl Kolsch

·   Saint Arnold Summer Pils

·   Cabin Boys Brewery Cast-A-Line Kolsch

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New Beer Styles Now Official

The Brewers Association just announced that it has added seven new beer styles to its Beer Styles Guidelines. I share them below. Brewers can now submit beers in those categories for judging at the Great American Beer Festival. The new guidelines provide judges with criteria for awarding medals, so the brewers have a target at which to aim. Among the newly added beer styles, a kind of beer broadly referred to as Mexican lager. Now we know what Mexican-Style Lager actually is.

Corona is a Mexican lager. So too is Modelo Negra. The two beers are vastly different in terms of appearance and flavor. And then there’s Dos Equis Amber and Bohemia Obscura, which represent a diversion in another direction. Yet, they are all Mexican lagers. The new guidelines address that.

The exact evolutionary path of Mexican lagers is not a straight line and, in truth, it might not even be entirely Mexican. 

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Best IPAs In The World

The best IPA gold medal winners in various IPA subcategories were recently announced at this year’s International Beer and Cider Awards. In late June, judges tasted 1436 entries at this year’s competition held in Idaho Falls. The competition divided IPAs into 10 categories that celebrate a diverse range of hop-forward beers ranging from English-style IPAs to experimental IPAs and the ever-popular hazy IPAs. As expected, breweries entered more IPAs in the category than other styles.

Main category winners included:

Double or Imperial India Pale Ale

Breakside Kyoto Soul, Breakside Brewery Milwaukie, Portland, OR

Best Session India Pale Ale

Helper Beer, Mindset extra Pale ale Helper Beer Helper, Utah

American-Style India Pale Ale

Citra Starburst, TapRoom Beer Co., San Diego, CA

West Coast India Pale Ale

Punk Rock Time IPA, Baerlic Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Best English Style Pale Ale/English Style India Pale Ale

Prickly Pear Lewis & Clark Brewing Company Helena, MT

New Zealand or Australian-Style India Pale Ale

Wastelandia, Grains of Wrath Camas, WA

Hazy Pale Ale/Hazy Session IPA

Take Me to the River, Meanwhile Brewing Co., Austin, Texas

Hazy or Juicy India Pale Ale

Albumurky, Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Hazy or Juicy Imperial or Double India Pale Ale

Fukiphino, Redrock Brewing, Salt Lake City, Utah

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QUICK HITS

• D. G. Yuengling & Son was founded in 1829 and is the oldest operating brewing company in the U.S.  Now, Yuengling beer will be available for the first time in Michigan as of August 11, 2025.

• Americans drink twice as much as the average Chinese citizen, at the rate of 205 standard 12-ounce cans per year — or more than one every other day.

• The current No. 1 ranked beer on BeerAdvocate is the Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout from Toppling Goliath Brewing Company in Iowa. It has a 100 rating - considered world-class by the community

• Budweiser Select 55 was named as the absolute worst in the world by BeerInternational.com. They said: "This is terrible. Fill a glass with crushed ice and shredded cardboard. Then add a Budweiser to it. Let it sit out on the counter over night and that would be close to what this tastes like," 

• Hot off the heels of Busch Light Apple’s return, Busch Light's next new flavor innovation is Busch Light Lime. Busch Light Lime is a lime-flavored lager with a touch of sweet on the front end. Busch Light is the second fastest-growing brand in the beer industry year to date1,

• In November of 2025, Goose Island will make history again with Bourbon County Stout (about 15 % ABV) will come not in the single 16.9-ounce bottle it always has, but in a four-pack of 10-ounce bottles.

• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has vetoed a bill that would have banned intoxicating hemp products in the state, sending the issue back to the Legislature  The bill would have criminalized the manufacturing, sale or possession of hemp products that contain any amount of THC or THCA 

• Schell’s Brewery is celebrating its 165th anniversary this July 14. 

• Belgian brewer Duvel Moortgat is making Chouffe beer in the United States specifically in Missouri for the American market. Is it still a “real” Belgium beer?

• Wisconsin’s 1840 Brewing announced that they were closing up shop entirely as of July 31

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FLASH NEWS

Biggest Drinkers

New statistics fro the World Beer Association say that China, the U.S., and Brazil—the three largest consumers of beer—account for more than 40% of global beer consumption.

China takes top spot, a position it has held for the last 20 consecutive years. Moreover, China stands as the world’s largest beer producer. Over 7,000 new beer-related businesses entered the market in he las 12 months.. Overall, domestic beers make up 90% of the Chinese beer industry, with the largest players being Snow Beer and Tsingtao. As the fastest growing beer market worldwide, revenues are forecast to reach $124.2 billion in 2024.

America ranks in second, consuming roughly half as much beer as China.  I’s top-selling is Modelo Especial. Across the $116.9 billion U.S. beer market, domestic beer makes up the largest share, at 63.6% of the total, followed by imported beer, at 23.2%, and craft beer, at 13.3%.

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Don' Drink There

According o new government satisfices Alaska is the most expensive state to buy Bud Light or Miller Lite, at $33.62 per case; Wyoming is second.  Beer by the case is cheapest in Illinois at $16.43 for a 24-pack. Why are Alaska and Wyoming so much more expensive than the rest of the country?  Their large size and sparse populations make distribution harder and pricier. This may result in fewer beer options as well, giving leverage to sellers to set their prices. By contrast, more populous states seem to have lower prices, suggesting brewers may accept lower margins to sell higher volumes. More populous states may also attract more competition from other brands, or microbreweries, which could force Bud Light and Miller Lite to position (and price) their beer differently.

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Another One Bites The Dust

San Antonio craft brewery Alamo Beer Company LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 23, 2025, to restructure its debt obligations and continue as a going concern.  Award-winning La Vista, Neb., beer brand Nebraska Brewing Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 28, 2025, while award-winning La Vista, Neb., beer brand Nebraska Brewing Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 28, 2025.  Also, N.C.-based brewery, Cotton House Craft Brewers, on April18 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And  now, award-winning craft brewery The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery (NC) filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection to liquidate its assets and shut down its business permanently.

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Blame The Barley

The beer market is overflowing with companies that claim that their product is lighter or less filling and tastes better. However, if you find the popular drink still leaves you feeling full and bloated, it may be the barley, not the beer itself.

That concept has led a Massachusetts brewer to create a first of its kind of beer in the United States. The secret ingredient? Quinoa. "I think there is a real opportunity across the states because there is nothing like us," said Samara Oster, founder of Meli Beer. By brewing with a seed rather than with a traditional grain, Oster was able to bring a nutrient-rich, organic, gluten-free beverage to market.

Traditional brewing equipment is designed for barley, and barley grains are 10 times the size of quinoa seeds, and nothing in the process is designed to deal exclusively with a small seed. So, we had to really turn the process at many points along the way on its head," Oster said.

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More Bad News

The craft segment’s dollar sales and volume declines have accelerated to start the second quarter, traditionally the lead-up to beer’s all important summer selling season, according to the most recent off-premise report from market research firm Circana.

In the four-week period ending May 20 craft’s dollar sales and volume, measured in case sales, declined 6.3% and 7.2%, respectively, at multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience stores (MULO+C). Those metrics mark an acceleration from the segment’s year-to-date (YTD) trends, down 4.9% and 6%, respectively.

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Science Says Chill Beer This Way

With summer around the corner, nothing quite beats hosting a barbeque in the back garden with plenty of ice cold bevvies. But in the rush to get the meat on the grill, even the most experienced BBQ host can forget to chill the beer. And nothing ruins a summer event quite as badly as warm lager. Thankfully, a new study from Science Research Corp.  reveals the fastest way to chill a beer – and it doesn't mean putting it in the freezer.  In just half an hour, it brought the beer temperature down from 20.5°C to 1.6°C – more effective than any other. 

According to the experts, the fastest way to chill a beer is putting it in a bucket of cold water with not only ice, but also salt.  Salt water has a lower freezing point than regular water.  And while the temperature of a bucket of ice and water might hover around or slightly above 0°C, adding salt will mean that the temperature of the icy slushy solution can actually be less than zero.  These sub-zero temperatures will chill your beer faster and ultimately leave it colder. 

Using this method, researchers found the temperature of the beer dropped by 18.9°C in half an hour, leaving the beer at a frosty 1.6°C.  After an hour, researchers managed to get the temperature of the beer down to a little less than 0°C.  If you find yourself without any salt, don't worry – all is not lost.  Failing this, another good method is putting the beer in the middle shelf of a freezer – taking the temperature down to 7.8°C in half an hour. 

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Hulkster Saves Hooters

Hulk Hogan may just be saving Hooters. The iconic restaurant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in March, but going out of business never appeared to be an option. In a new press release Hooters explained that it had entered into a restructuring support agreement (RSA) with “near unanimous support from its key stakeholders.” Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection allows businesses to restructure their debts while they continue to operate.

Well, Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer is potentially set to offer an all-cash bid for the Hooters intellectual property. Pending acquisition, the brand plans to relaunch Hooters across consumer products, digital content, gaming, and experiential formats, but re-energized for today’s generations.

Hooters was founded in Hogan’s hometown of Clearwater, Fla., and was one of the first accounts to carry Real American Beer after its launch. Hooters has remained open despite the bankruptcy filing and has only now sared serving Hulk's beer.

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Cheers To The Czech Republic

Beer production in the Czech Republic reached a 15 year high in 2024 according to numbers jus provided by  the Czech Breweries and Maltsters Association, with Czech breweries producing around 4.2% more than they did in 2023. And in the first five months of 2025 the pace continues.

According to the Drinks Business publication “a new trend is taking place across the Czech Republic, driven by two key elements: exports and a rise in demand for non-alcoholic variants. While the demand for Czech exports is growing worldwide, locals are drinking less beer in general and much of that growth is in non-alcoholic beer.

For the fourth year in a row beer consumption declined Czech Republic, a country renowned for having the highest beer consumption per capita in the world, thanks to a volatile economic climate and increased taxation which soared from 15% to 21%, imposed on its draught beer products.

At the same time, Czech breweries are producing more non-alcoholic beers than ever before. Buzz-free beer production has more than doubled since before the pandemic and non-alcoholic beer now responsible for  up 10% of all beer sold on the Czech market.

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It's Back!

Ommegang’s annual ‘Belgium Comes to Cooperstown,’ one of the nation’s most unique beer festivals, is making its return to a pastoral setting in Cooperstown, NY on August 22–24, 2225

And it’s not to be missed!

It’s a one-of-a-kind festival, that American Craft Beer has named one of the best in the nation that was inspired by an historic royal celebration. The first Ommegang was a celebration welcoming Emperor Charles the Fifth to Brussels and the citywide party is still held every year.

Belgian breweries Duvel Moortgat, Affligem, and Scaldis join with importers/entrepreneurs Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield to build an authentic Belgian-style farmstead brewery in Cooperstown, NY. They locate this cultural transplant on an old 140-acre hop farm in the Susquehanna River valley, in a part of upstate New York once known as Nova Belgium. 

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QUICK HITS

• The May CPI (Consumer Price Index) for total bev-alc increased 1.8% year-over-year and was flat month-over-month ( both before seasonal adjustment, according to the report. Through the first five months of the year, March recorded the largest increases (+1.9% and, +0.2% month), with April landing ahead of February (+1.7%)

• Trumer Pils, produced in Berkeley, California has been named “Champion International Beer’ at the 2025 Australian International Beer Awards . Trumer Pils first won a Gold Medal in the German-Style Pilsner category, then was named Best Pilsner and finally  was named Champion International Beer.

• Widmer Brothers Brewing brewed its first commercial beers 40 years ago on June14   in Portland. A special series of beers will commemorate the milestone.

•  New research says that drinking in moderation is more difficult than expected. "Moderate" appears to mean "less than desired" according to research done on over 500 participants by DataPlus.org...

• Boston Beer Co. said its Samuel Adams American Light light beer has helped it gain shelf space, while craft beer is losing it, as it blew away Wall Street earnings expectations Jan - May 2025.

• Brooklyn Brewery has just expanded its core portfolio with the nationwide launch of the award-winning beer that’s made with a very special grain that some call the “Seed of the Universe.”

• The beer industry is making a substantial economic impact in North Carolina, contributing over $13.4 billion to the state's economy and supporting more than 71,800 jobs.

• Despite recent headwinds, craft beer continues to have the largest share of beer sales at Total Wine & More stores. But “it won’t stay that way” if industry trends continue, according to the chain retailer’s senior director, merchandising, Andrea Starr.

• Pabst Light has just begun rolling out across 50 states. He company expects full national saturation by the end of June. Some industry observers say that this is one of the few times a top-five domestic American macrobrewer has launched a straightaway light adjunct lager version of its flagship.

• Hog Island Beer Co. announced plans to acquire fellow Cape Cod outfit Mayflower Brewing

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FLASH NEWS

German Beer Downturn

German beer sales continued to decline so far in 2025 continuing a long-term downward trend that has seen sales drop by more than 10% in the past decade to their lowest level since at least the early 1990s.

Official figures showed that German-based breweries and distributors sold about 8.3 billion liters (nearly 2.2 billion gallons) of beer last year, which was a 1.4% decline on the previous year. The figure doesn’t include non-alcoholic beer and beer imported from outside the European Union.  Sales inside Germany — which account for more than 80% of the total — dropped 2% in the prior 12 months (YD to D) 6.8 billion liters. A 1.6% increase in exports, fueled by a 3.1% rise in sales to other countries in the EU, couldn’t compensate for that. Sales to other countries were down 0.4%.

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April Showers Brought Free Beer

In a delightfully damp nod to British meteorological unpredictability, Greene King, the venerable pub chain with over 1,300 locations across the UK, has once again proved that April showers bring… pints. Free ones, no less. On each of the 10 rainy days last month they gave one free pint to every person with a limit of one per day. Greene King solely determined what constituted a “rainy day” with several patrons complaining tyey only counted deluges and hurrricanes.

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Win An Irish Pub

A pub in Ireland with your name on it: Heineken launches global search to keep a family tradition alive. Now, one historic establishment on Ireland’s rugged west coast is at a crossroads. McLoughlin’s Bar, perched on Achill Island where the Atlantic crashes against the shore, is in danger of losing the name that has graced its door for 155 years.

Fourth-generation publican Joseph ‘Josie’ McLoughlin, who was born upstairs in the very pub he now runs, has spent 43 years behind the bar. With no family member to pass the business on to, he faces the unthinkable: seeing the McLoughlin name vanish from its signboard.

Enter Heineken, wielding its considerable marketing clout in a bid to track down someone named McLoughlin willing to take up the mantle. The search extends far beyond the shores of Ireland – to the 88 million people of Irish descent scattered across the world, from New York to Buenos Aires to Sydney.

The recruitment campaign will see McLoughlin’s name emblazoned on billboards in cities where the Irish diaspora has flourished. Digital ads, PR initiatives and a widespread outreach strategy will ensure that no McLoughlin is left unaware of the opportunity. It’s a rare chance to own not just a pub, but a legacy – and to do so with a little help from Heineken, which is offering mentorship, business support and initial investment guidance to help the new custodian get their feet behind the bar.  Could that McLoughlin be you?

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A Really Cool Can

For decades, beverage giants such as Anheuser Busch, Carlsberg, and Heineken have poured millions into the pursuit of a self-cooling can — only to meet failure. Now, against all odds, an independent entrepreneur has succeeded where they fell short. The result is the Cool Can — a self-chilling beverage can, capable of reducing its temperature from room temperature to ice-cold in under two minutes at the press of a button. No electricity. No external cooling. Fully recyclable. Full international patents for the can were just awarded to 

 Made by the London-based startup deltaH Innovations, the dubbed world-first packaging has water in the aluminum base. When users press the button, it mixes with the salt components embedded in the self-chilling Cool Can’s walls. Then, it almost instantly chills the container. The startup says that once activated, the can can stay cold for up to 45 minutes.

So far, the team shares that the self-chilling Cool Can can quickly bring down the temperature of drinks from 22 to six or seven degrees Celsius. The water in the base is separated from the actual drink inside the container, so the salt components triggering the cooling process don’t actually get into the beverage. To let the users know that the self-chilling can is cool, the snowflake symbol on the packaging design turns blue, a homage to the winter icon. As of today no major breweries have decided to use the Cool Can though it is under consideration by several major brands.  So far he cos of the can is a drawback to breweries.

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Recipe Change

Dutch brewer Heineken is making one of its most popular brands weaker starting May 1, 2025 in an effort to reduce costs. and cash in on he current low ABV craze.  Heineken has reduced the alcohol of its Sol beer brand to just 3.4% ABV down from from 4.2% ABV.

The beer, which was originally brewed in Mexico before it was acquired by Heineken from Fomento Economico Mexicana SAB (FEMSA) in 2010 in a deal worth £4.8 billion, is now produced in Zoeerwoude in the Netherlands.

According to reports increased cost pressures facing the sector have also pushed the decision for beer companies to make the move to bring the strength down on some beers.

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Parnership Ends

Many craft brewers created relationships with bigger players for distribution and production reasons. A small brewery only has so much capacity, and a local company can't affordably deliver its product outside of a very small area.  That's how the long relationship between the Craft Brew Alliance (a collection of local craft brewers) and Anheuser-Busch Inbev began. It was a long partnership that eventually led to a purchase.

"Today, Craft Brew Alliance and Anheuser-Busch jointly announce the closing of their expanded partnership agreement as of May 1 2025. At that point CBA's diverse portfolio of lifestyle brands and award-winning breweries will join Anheuser-Busch's Brewers Collective, a high-performing collection of craft partners committed to providing consumers with innovative, quality beers and investing in their local communities," the companies shared in a press release.

As part of the deal Anheuser-Busch acquired brands including Kona Brewing Co.'s mainland and international operations and regional brands Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Cisco Brewers, Omission Brewing Co., Redhook Brewery, Square Mile Cider Co., Widmer Brothers Brewing, and Wynwood Brewing Co. 

Under Anheuser-Busch, they were housed within the Brewers Collective portfolio.

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Miller Lite Potato Chips

Formed in 2005, Molson Coors is a Canadian-American multi-drink and brewing company famous for producing a variety of popular beer brands, spirits, and some non-alcoholic beverages, including Miller Lite, a premium light American lager beer known as "the original lite beer." Although Molson Coors is the world's third-largest brewer, the company was not immune to the alcoholic beverage slump. It has struggled with multiple sales declines over the last few quarters, reporting a 0.6% decline in net sales for the full year of 2024 and through April  2025.  Because of the negative results in its last reported quarter, the company felt compelled to enter alternative markets and expand its portfolio.

Hence the announcement that The Miller Lite brand and Kellanova-owned Pringles have joined forces to create two unique chip flavors emblematic of the beer's brand. The flavors include Miller Lite Beer Can Chicken and Miller Lite Grilled Beer Brat. it is expected to launch nationwide by  mid-May 2025, just in time for BBQ season. 

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Tariff Concerns

Some beer industry analysts expect the tariffs on canned beer imports to weigh most heavily on Constellation Brands. Constellation imports all of its beer from Mexico, including Modelo and Corona; beer accounted for 82% of the company’s sales in its most recent quarter. While Corona is best known for coming in glass bottles, Modelo — the bestselling beer in the U.S. — most commonly comes in cans.

For years, canned beer has been gaining market share against its bottled counterpart. Brewers can produce and transport cans more easily than glass bottles, which are heavier, leading to cheaper prices on canned beer for consumers.

The U.S. imports most of its aluminum from Canada. China and Mexico, the two other main targets of Trump’s trade ire, are also major exporters of aluminum to the U.S.

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Warning!

Heavy drinking is associated with increased risk of a type of brain injury linked with memory and thinking problems. That’s according to a new study in which researchers defined heavy drinking as eight or more alcoholic drinks per week. This study, which will be  published in the May 2025 edition of the  journal Neurology, comes when clinicians and public health advocates are raising awareness of alcohol use disorder and issues related to excessive alcohol consumption.

Heavy drinkers had a whopping 133% higher likelihood of having hyaline arteriolosclerosis compared with nondrinkers, and that’s after accounting for other factors that could affect brain health such as smoking. Former heavy drinkers had 89% higher odds of developing this lesion, and moderate drinkers had 60% higher odds.

Heavy drinkers also had a higher likelihood of developing tau tangles. Moreover, these participants were more likely to die an average of 13 years earlier compared with those who never drank. There are caveats to this study. It is important to point out that these findings are associations that are suggestive, rather than proof of cause and effect. In addition, one limitation of the study is that it didn’t measure duration of alcohol consumption or distinguish between those people who regularly consumed one or two drinks a night versus those who drank sporadically but heavily.

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QUICK HITS

• The popularity of non-alcoholic beer and mocktails has soared in the past decade, and it's still climbing. It was valued at USD $1.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% by 2030.

• Tequila continues to gain share from other spirits in U.S. bars and restaurants, according to NIQ’s on-premise marketing research arm CGA. Tequila dollar sales rose by 0.7% in the 12 months through the end of April, despite a 1.7% drop in volumes. Sales were driven by a 6.7% rise in distribution points as well as demand.

• The global craft beer market size is estimated to grow by USD 123.2 billion from 2025-2029, according to Technavio Research. The market is estimated to grow 13.7% during the forecast period. Increasing popularity of craft beer in developing countries is driving market growth 

•  The average price of a pint of beer in the UK now costs more than £5 ($6.46 USD) according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA). In the US the average price of a macro lager is just under $5.

• Heineken has just announced the launch of the first global generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) lab which is set to be based in Singapore. The move is in partnership with AI Singapore goal is to boost growth, productivity and customer engagement with beer across its operations worldwide.

• Grimm Artisan Ales of Brooklyn. Its took home the 2025 New Your  Sate Governor’s Cup, awarded to the competition’s top beer, for its Weisse (Wheat Beer). Grimm then finished in a tie for Brewery of the Year.

• Great Divide Brewing is now part of the Wilding Brands portfolio, and Left Hand Brewing has joined a new independent craft platform led by fellow Coloradan brewery Dry Dock.

• Firestone Walker Brewing recently expanded their best-selling 805 Beer lineup with their first-ever non-alcoholic blonde: 8ZERO5.

• Several St. Louis businesses have announced plans to boycott Anheuser-Busch after the beer giant pulled its 30-year sponsorship of the recent St. Louis PrideFest. Pride St. Louis President Marty Zuniga said A-B didn’t give a reason for the change. 

• While beer isn't exactly an essential grocery item, like milk, eggs or bread, it is big business in the U.S., with around $117 billion in annual sales, according to the Brewers Association May report.

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FLASH NEWS

Does Anyone Care?

Gruit or Grut (German for herb) Ale is essentially any brew that uses an herbal mixture as a flavoring or bittering agent in place of hops. Many of the original herbs used are more or less unfamiliar in name, such as sweet gale, yarrow, ground ivy, horehound, and heather, while other adjuncts, such as juniper berries, ginger, caraway seed, and aniseed, can be more easily discerned by today’s drinkers.

And on March 1st, an  international committee  of eight judges from five countries named the best “gruiteries” (Gruit beer breweries) of 2025. First place went to Brauerei Napf in Walterswil, Switzerland for its Wild Man Gruit, a 7.5% ABV Strong Ale  that was spiced with a 13ft spruce tree 

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UK Breweries Struggle

There now exists 100 fewer breweries across the UK than a year ago as the appetite for craft beer fails to offset a wall of challenges faced by producers. According to the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), the number of UK brewers had fallen to 1,715, against 1,815 in early 2024. The consumer appetite for independent beer is high but the issue for small independent breweries is lack of access to market and rising costs,” SIBA head Andy Slee commented.

These included legacy debt from the pandemic and challenges in selling to pubs on top of already tight margins. Citing discussions with so-called indie brewers, Slee added: “They can’t sell into enough of their local pubs and make enough of a profit to remain viable.

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Scotland Beer Ban

The prohibition on alcohol at Scottish football (soccer) matches dates back to the infamous 1980 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Rangers. Scenes of fans charging the Hampden pitch led to the swift and decisive introduction of the alcohol ban, enshrined in law since 1981. Today, a pint at the rugby? No problem. A beer in a hospitality box at a football ground? Perfectly legal. But a cold one on the concourse before kick-off? Absolutely not.

Across the continent, a beer in the stands is hardly revolutionary. In Germany, Italy and many other European nations, fans can enjoy a matchday beverage within the stadium without mass outbreaks of disorder. Even in England, where the ban on drinking within sight of the pitch remains in place, alcohol is freely available in concourses. Opposition to lifting the ban remains, however with public health concerns still paramount. First Minister John Swinney made it clear last year that he sees no reason to revisit the policy, citing Scotland’s relationship with alcohol and the progress made in making football a family-friendly environment.

Yet, as highlighted in the FOI documents, the government recognizes that “football in Scotland now is very different to the early 1980s” and acknowledges that a blanket approach may no longer be appropriate. The argument that football fans should be treated differently from rugby fans — who can sip a beer at games with minimal fuss — is growing ever weaker.

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Most Awarded Breweries On Untappd

In the US, 3,444 breweries brewed a beer winning an Untappd Community Award (highest rating from Untappd users)  in at least one style at the national or state level. The Top 10 US breweries that produced the highest number of award-winning brews at a state or national level include:

·   Tree House Brewing Company (Charlton, MA)

·   Sapwood Cellars Brewery (Columbia, MD)

·   Hill Farmstead Brewery (Greensboro, VT)

·   Schilling Beer Co (Littleton, NH)

·   Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, DE)

·   Anchorage Brewing Company (Anchorage, AK)

·   Boiler Brewing Co (Lincoln, NE)

·   Side Project Brewing (Saint Louis, MO)

·   Fox Farm Brewery (Salem, CT)

·   Fabled Brew Works (Erlanger, KY

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Belgium Beer Troubles

It may be hard to believe for those of us in the USA but beer sales in Belgium dropped by 5.8% in the last 12 months.. And Belgian beer exports which make up 70% of all the beer produced in Belgium were down a concerning 7.5%, according to industry association Belgian Brewers.

Belgian brewing’s modern peak came in 2022, when there were 430 physical breweries and 309 “beer companies,” which don’t own brewing equipment. Now in 2025 there are 413 and 300 brewing companies.

“Thirty-six Belgium breweries closed in 2023; 41 more have followed in 2024. It seems long revered kinds of beer is in trouble around the world.

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Is Coors Going To Feel The Schlitz Effect?

Molson Coors Beverage Company told its distributors that it had begun brewing some of its beers to stay fresher for longer. According to a memo the Chicago firm “started packaging beers with the longer shelf life” under “diligent process controls” that were “years in the making” in order to give distributors “more flexibility in how [they] manage inventory and rotate beer at retail” and avoid placement-jeopardizing out-of-stocks.

This is esoteric stuff, but even the casual observer can grasp the potential boon it represents for MC and its wholesalers. Cans and bottles of Miller Lite and Miller High Life are slated to stay in code for 26 weeks, up from 18, a full 33 percent longer. That could translate into fewer visits to more accounts to stock bigger orders using less fuel.

it’s a double-edged sword. What normies may not grasp, but what industry insiders of a certain age absolutely do, is that even the smallest brewhouse adjustments poorly managed have the potential to bleed even the biggest beer brands to death. In the American brewing business, this is known as “the Schlitz mistake.

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Big Losers

When it comes to corporations catastrophically overspending on craft breweries, it’s really a race for second place. Constellation Brands’ acquisition of Ballast Point Brewing Co. for a billion dollars set a dubious benchmark for the industry a decade ago, and no one has come close since.

On a percentage basis, Sapporo-Stone Brewing is leading this race of latter-day losers, if only by a nose. The firm, then named Sapporo USA, acquired its namesake San Diego outfit for $165 million in 2022; in January 2025, it announced that it would take a $91 million impairment charge on the investment, a 55.1 percent reduction. Its newest largest investor torched the move as yet another example of Sapporo “destroy[ing] shareholder capital through acquisition,”

In February 2025, Monster Beverage Company (MBC) reported a write-down on the craft brewery rollup formerly known as the CANarchy Collective. The purchase price in January 2022: $330 million. The total tally of impairments, including the nine-figure L Monster recorded in the most recent fiscal frame (March 2025) :$181.5 million, or 55 percent.

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Most Breweries

USA Today recognized cities around the country with over 100 breweries, brewpubs and taprooms in the area,. 

Here are the cities with the most breweries, brewpubs and taprooms in  the USA. It may be time to think of moving to one of them.

1.      Grand Rapids, Michigan

2.      St. Louis

3.      San Diego

4.      Pittsburgh

5.      Columbus, Ohio

6.      Portland, Oregon

7.      Asheville, North Carolina

8.      Milwaukee

9.      Charlotte, North Carolina

10. Denver

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World's Oldest Pub

Sean’s Bar in Athlone, Ireland, holds the prestigious title of the world's oldest pub, with a remarkable history stretching back over 1,100 years. Established around 900 AD, it has withstood the test of time and continues to operate today, offering a unique glimpse into Ireland’s long-standing tradition of hospitality.

Archaeological evidence has confirmed the pub’s ancient origins, with excavations revealing parts of its structure dating back to the 10th century. The building itself is constructed using wattle and daub, a technique that was prevalent in early medieval Ireland. Throughout its extensive history, Sean’s Bar has had an impressive record of ownership, with detailed records that chronicle its lineage of proprietors.

Not only is Sean’s Bar a living piece of history, but it also stands as a testament to the enduring nature of Irish pubs.

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QUICK HITS

• After a promising start to 2025, bev-alc off-premise sales returned to the red, declining -3.8% YoY and -1% WoW, according to the most recent weekly report from Circana (data ending March 23, 2025).

• Elysian Brewing is unveiling the latest beer in the best-selling Space Dust Series: Phaze Dust, an Imperial Hazy IPA brewed with Luminosa hops, a rare hop variety from Oregon. 

• The United States of America is the world's largest producer of hops, the flowers of female Humulus lupulus plants. The primary use of hops grown in the United States is in brewing.

•  Men will be encouraged to check whether they are at risk of developing prostate cancer while enjoying a pint in a pub as part of a campaign running through April at many of the pubs in the UK.  Beer mats highlighting the disease feature a QR code that takes customers to a website for a 30 sec. test.

• Corona, made a significant change in its advertising strategy. It has removed bottles from its advertising campaign in an effort to encourage recycling in Germany, Uruguay, and Brazil.

• AB InBev’s “mega brands” Michelob Ultra and Busch Light helped the brewer achieve sales growth in the U.S. even as the beer category overall declines, CEO Michel Doukeris said on the brewer’s earnings last month.

• While AB InBev’s sales are largely driven by their largest brews, 10% of its revenue is now derived from products that offer a different experience — including nonalcoholic, low carb and zero sugar drinks.

• O'Brien's Pub was named the best beer bar in the country for 2025 by USA Today's. Their selections are picked by experts, then voted on by readers. "O'Brien's in San Diego CA was est. in 1994 and has 28 taps f craft, 

• The maker of Budweiser is selling less beer and making more money in the fist two months of 2025 as it increased prices and operated more efficiently.

• Brewed to the original recipe since 1963, Peroni has rapidly gained market share in the US “premium” beer segment. So much so that Molson Coors is brewing it  at the company’s Albany, Georgia brewery to ensure its freshness and increase supply..

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FLASH NEWS

Spent Grain Discovery

Scientists and industry are finding unusual new uses for brewers' spent grain – the beer industry's largest waste product.  Around 200g (7oz) is produced for every litre of beer brewed. Globally some 37 million tonnes is produced each year – equivalent to the weight of around 340 double-decker buses per hour. And as we drink more beer – sales are expected to rise by a third in the next seven years – only more and more wil l be churned out Most brewers' spent grain, around 70% of it, is currently repurposed as cattle feed, while 10% is used to make biogas. Around a fifth is simply sent straight to landfill – at an additional cost to breweries – where it rots and releases methane into the atmosphere. But inside this beer by-product there are a mountain of useful chemicals to tap, including lots of protein. Researchers and companies are now beginning to explore how these could be put to better  use. 

Now f there's new important news on spent grain. Swiss company Upgrain has jut  launched a processing system to turn brewers' spent grain into protein and fiber, passed as fit for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration in the US and the European Food Safety Authority (brewers' spent grain is, after all, still just grain).  Upgrain and other producers such as Agrain in Denmark and BiaSol in Ireland are already selling brewers' spent grain protein and fibre extract to food manufacturers for inclusion in baked goods, pizzas, granola and even crisps. It's also being used in plant-based meat alternatives, Huge brewers such as the Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev and Chicago-based Molson Coors have even created their own vegan barley milk spin-offs made from spent grain. Molson Coors claims its Golden Wing product has a "rich and creamy taste" and 25% less sugar than most oat milks. 

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Smartphone App Saves Lives

A smartphone app designed to help people reduce their alcohol intake could save lives and cut hospital admissions, according to experts in Sheffield, England. The Drink Less app, developed at University College London, allows users to track their drinking and aims to help them change their attitudes towards alcohol. A just released study led by the University of Sheffield found national promotion of the app could prevent an estimated 4,500 deaths and 188,400 hospital admissions over the next 20 years.

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American Not Domestic

Anheuser-Busch is encouraging its distributors and partners to replace the term "domestic" with "American" when marketing beer, arguing that the term better reflects the industry's identity. CEO Brendan Whitworth expressed his dissatisfaction with the longstanding use of "domestic" to describe American-made beer, saying it shows up on bar menus, at beer stands, in grocery aisles and is used by syndicated data providers "too frequently." Whitworth starts the letter with six words, "I don’t like the word 'domestic.'" "I’m asking the Anheuser-Busch team and our wholesalers to make the change. Change the bar menus, change the venue boards, change the signs, change their reports, change their jargon, and insist upon American. I hope other American brewers and wholesalers will join us," he also wrote.

While domestic isn’t an incorrect adjective to use to describe American-made beer, Whitworth said, “It just doesn’t fully capture the spirit and passion that’s intrinsic to the American beer industry and its brands. It also doesn’t fully capture the pride we should all take in products made right here in this great country.”  

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Most Advertised

Mexican beer brand Modelo Especial, currently the best-selling beer in the US, having overtaken the likes of Bud Light to snatch the crown, has just become the most advertised beer brand on American TV. And to be fair, its also important to note, that even though Modelo Especial is brewed Mexico and imported into the US by Constellation Brands, which acquired the Grupo Modelo’s family of beer  from Anheuser-Busch in 2013, and has been enjoying its substantial profits ever since. And those considerable sums have been funneled into its Mexican family of beers (which also includes Corona), extensive advertising and promotional efforts.

According to new advertising spend data measurement firm iSpot, Modelo is the largest buyer of TV ads, spending an estimated $75 million as of March 1. 2025.. The imported Mexican beer,  dethroned Bud Light last year in the midst of Bud Light Dylan Mulvaney trans-influencer controversy, has held firm to its #1 position and intends to cement that lead with its biggest advertising commitment ever.

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Brewery Merger

New Hampshire-based Smuttynose Brewing and Boston’s Harpoon Brewery have merged, forming a New company called “Barrel One Collective” under the parent companies Finestkind Brewing (Smuttynose) and Mass. Bay Brewing (Harpoon), respectively; essentially combining two of the largest craft breweries in New England under one umbrella.

The Collective will house 14 total brands, operate eight brewery-taprooms across four states (MA, NH, NY, VT) and have a combined production volume of nearly 165,000 barrels, positioning it as the largest craft producer in New England and 14th largest in the country according to new Production Data.

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Impact Numbers Released

The beer industry delivered a remarkable $878 billion to the global GDP in 2024, which represented 0.8% of the global GDP, according to the latest figures revealed by the World Brewing Alliance. The study, conducted by Oxford Economics, is the largest ever undertaken on the economic impact of the brewing industry, including figures from 185 countries, 76 in detail. The study is a global overview of the industry’s contribution across the entire journey from raw materials to cold beer, revealing a sector that supports 33 million jobs, which equates to one in every 100 jobs globally. The expansive nature of the beer industry sees every $1M in GDP directly generated by the global brewing industry, its expenditure on inputs, wages, and the economic activity from the sale of beer, then go on to stimulate a further $8M in GDP across the global economy in 2024 

Molson-Coors & Fever Tree

Molson Coors Beverage Company is getting in on the mixer set with a new strategic partnership with Fever-Tree, taking an 8.5% minority stake in the business and granting the alcohol giant exclusive U.S. commercialization rights to the premium brand, beginning February 1.

The deal makes Molson Coors the second largest shareholder in Fever-Tree and it will be responsible for co-manufactured production, marketing, sales and distribution in the U.S., Fever-Tree, a British company, has gone back to the drink's roots, using cinchona-derived qui nine and cane sugar in its Premium Indian Tonic Water, which makes for an expensive mixer—$6.99 for a four-pack of 7-ounce bottles, or about 25 cents an ounce.

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Sales Still |Slide in 2025

Craft’s rolling four-week losses improved to start 2025, according to the most recent report from market research firm Circana. The segment’s off-premise dollar sales declined -3.1% and volume, measured in case sales, declined -4.6% in the four-week period ending Feb. 1 at multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience stores). That marked an improvement over the prior four-week period when craft dollars declined -5.1% and volume declined -6.5%. Bottom line – things are still getting worse but not as fast as before.

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New Discovery Hangover Cure

Dr. Neena Chandrasekaran, a pulmonary critical care physician in South Florida, says that a popular food can help prevent the sickening feeling of heavy boozing. “If you are going for a night out on the town, and you are going to drink alcohol, eating cheese before drinking alcohol can decrease your risk of having a hangover, Cheese has a lot of protein, fat and complex carbs that can coat the stomach, which decreases the absorption of alcohol,”  Her research found that cheese can help the body better metabolize beer and cocktails, potentially reducing liver damage.

A new study out of Korea indicated that probiotic cheese enriched with Lactococcus lactis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum bacteria can reduce hangover symptoms by enhancing the liver’s ability to process alcohol via the activation of specific signaling pathways. Lactococcus lactis is commonly found in cheddar, brie and Camembert cheeses while Lactiplantibacillus plantarum contributes to the ripening of cheddar and feta. Cheese can also help replenish nutrients lost to alcohol, such as B vitamins and calcium, Chandrasekaran said. Blue cheese and Camembert have particularly high levels of B vitamins, while Parmesan is rich in calcium which can be depleted through alcohol, specifically helps to improve nerve and muscle function,” she explained. “B vitamins are needed for energy and metabolism.”

Hangovers are notoriously hard to research because they are tough to replicate in a lab, so finding a cure-all has been difficult. Experts suggest alternating between water and alcohol to help prevent dehydration, a major contributor to hangover symptoms. If you’re already hungover, one New York dietitian nutritionist recommends consuming bananas, avocados, ginger or wheat toast to ease the aches and pains and avoiding fried, greasy and spicy foods, coffee and more alcohol.

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QUICK HITS

• Anheuser-Busch continues to drive momentum of the beer category with the two fastest-growing brands in the beer industry in the most recent quarter: Michelob ULTRA and Busch Light. 

• Sapporo-Stone Brewing has undergone a restructuring that has cut 1% of all roles, which affected 2% of total employees, a spokesperson confirmed to Beer Nexus. 

• The United States Beer Market was valued at USD 106.84 Billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 123.68 Billion by 2030, rising at a CAGR of 2.53%.

•  A new sales report says the South is the dominating region in the United States beer market, driven by a large population, diverse consumer preferences, and a strong beer-drinking culture.

• The beer category is in the black to start 2025, with off-premise dollar sales growing +3% and volume +0.7% year-to-date through Feb. 1 in NIQ-tracked channels 

• Ninety-nine percent of the beer that Anheuser-Busch sells in the United States is made in the U.S. and 99% of its ingredients come from American farmers according to a new AB press release..

• Even though Colorado has the fourth most breweries of any state, right behind Pennsylvania, New York, and California, it saw some of the highest number of closures last year, according to the National Brewer Association.

• Boston Beer Company just annnounced their executives will receive raises between +3% and +8%, 95% of their allocated bonus pool in 2025, and restricted stock units .

• The spirits sector held its slight share lead of total alcoholic beverage at 42.2%, but growth was flat compared to last year. Beer’s share on the other hand rose from 41.8% in Jan. 2024, to 42% in Jan. 2025, while wine saw a slight dip from 16.1%, to 15.8%. 

• Other Half began in 2014 as a little Brooklyn brewery it now just opened their seventh brewery that stretch from New York to Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.  They mainly make IPAs

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FLASH NEWS

Beer Hall of Fame

The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame is proud to announce its inaugural group of inductees, set to be revealed during a special livestream event on February 15, 2025, at 3:00 PM EST. This highly anticipated event will celebrate the trailblazers, innovators, and visionaries who have made significant contributions to the craft beer movement in the United States.

As the craft beer industry continues to grow and evolve, the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame honors those who have paved the way for future generations of brewers, consumers, and entrepreneurs. It is through these honors and recognition that the Hall hopes not only to remember the craft beer industry’s past, but to inspire and encourage its future.

The livestream will be available free of charge and can be accessed live online at https://halloffame.craftbeerprofessionals.org/, or recorded following the event on the Craft Bee Professionals YouTube page. Fans are encouraged to tune in early and join the conversation on socialmedia using the hashtag #CraftBeerHallOfFame.

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Hop Production Down

Farmers dedicated less acreage to hops this year. The hop industry has been overplanted in recent years. This led to a surplus of hops on the market. As the craft beer industry has changed, demand for hops has declined. This is not entirely due to attrition or a decline in the number of craft breweries. It is more a result of consumer habits and the end of a period of unsustainable growth in the craft beer industry.  As such, This year’s National Hop Report from the USDA shows nearly uniform reductions across the board. The declines were intentional and expected. This signifies a period of adjustment in the hop industry.

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More NA Beer

Anheuser-Busch InBev is focusing on its lineup of non-alcoholic beers, which includes Budweiser Zero, Stella Artois 0.0, O’Doul’s, Corona Cero and, rolling out this month, Michelob Ultra Zero. Although it doesn’t break out specific numbers, the company said in its 2024 annual report that its non-alcoholic beers “continued to outperform, delivering high-teens revenue growth.” Even smaller craft breweries, which have struggled in recent years, are cashing in on the non-alcoholic craze. The largest craft brewer making non-alcoholic beers is Athletic Brewing Company, which is now the top-selling beer at Whole Foods.

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Another Dire Prediction

Constellation Brands, which owns popular beer brands such as Corona and Modelo, has just shared a grim outlook on its future sales as the company recently noticed a sharp change in consumer behavior. In its latest earnings report, the company said that while net sales for its beer brands increased by 3% year-over-year during the fourh quarter of fiscal year 2025, its wine and spirits net sales declined by 14% year-over-year. In the report, Constellation Brands stated that the decline in wine and spirits sales was driven by “ongoing weaker consumer demand” and “continued retailer inventory destocking” in the U.S. wholesale market.

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the Heir

For decades, Boston Beer Company’s co-founder and chairman Jim Koch liked to tell people that his succession plan was “don’t die.” The morbid humor hits different now that the elder statesman of American craft brewing is 75 years old. Lo: On Christmas Day, The Wall Street Journal published a little Samuel Adams scoop noting that in the event of his death, Koch now plans to pass off his Class B shares — and with them, de facto control of the publicly traded firm — to his wife, health care entrepreneur Cynthia Fisher. (She’s 63, and a board member at BBC.)

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The Winners Are

Winners at the just ended European Beer Star Competition, one of the world’s biggest beer competitions, have been announced. At this competition, a panel of expert judges blind-taste tested 2360 beers from 50 countries in 75 categories at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center in Germany. Here’s a closer look at what the European Beer Star judges have deemed the current world’s best stout in various categories.

Overall Best Stout in the World

Gold: Foreign Extra Stout, from BROFAKTURA, Poland

Silver: Dolden Dark, from Riedenburger Brauhaus, Germany

Bronze: Nitro McCarthy Stout, from 49th State Brewing, Anchorage, Alaska

Best Imperial Stout

Gold: Riegele Noctus 1000, from Brauerei S. Riegele, Germany

Silver: Wrecking Ball, from No-Li Brewhouse in Spokane, Washington

Bronze: El Matador, from Juguetes Perdidos, Argentina

Best Pastry Stout

Gold: Nightmare Fuel, from River North Brewery, Denver

Silver: Sweetheart Cocoa Milk Stout, from Penguin Craft Beer, China

Bronze: Winter Kingdom, from Artmonster Brewery 

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Beer Causes Cancer?

A recently-released advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General calls for alcohol labels to include a clear and obvious statement about the correlation between alcohol consumption and cancer. Basically, beer labels and other alcohol labels would include a Surgeon General’s warning similar to the one on cigarette labels, one that more directly identifies alcohol consumption as a cause of cancer.

The number one action item suggested by the advisory involves updating the existing Surgeon General’s health warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to include a warning about the risk of cancer associated with alcohol consumption. Also, to pursue changes to label characteristics to make the warning label more visible, prominent, and effective in increasing awareness about cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption. 

The advisory outlines the correlation between alcohol consumption and cancer, noting that alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer following tobacco use and obesity. It also offers some information about the causal effects of alcohol on certain types of cancer–how alcohol consumption increases the risk.

Opposition to this view is mounting in the beer industry and scientific circles.

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Sone Wins Appeal

Back in 2018, Stone Brewing was still independent. It’s now owned by Sapporo, the Japanese beer industry behemoth. Originally, when the case was first filed six years ago, this was a David versus Goliath story. A still-independent Stone Brewing filed a lawsuit against Molson Coors. At the heart of the matter was the word stone and how Molson Coors used it so predominately in branding Keystone Light. In August 2022, the courts awarded Stone Brewing a $56 million settlement.

As you’d expect, Molson Coors challenged the ruling. Now (Jan. 2025), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld the decision. In simple terms, Stone Brewing won. The $56 million award fell short of the $174 million Stone originality sought, but $56 million is no paltry sum. This should mark the final, final word on the matter. This should lay the matter to rest (pending more appeals),

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Leinenkugel Wants to Buy Back Brewery

Brothers Jake and Dick Leinenkugel attempted to buy back the original Leinenkugel’s brewery in Chippewa, Wis. from Molson Coors to save it from its impending closure. Molson Coors declined their offer to purchase the brewery on January 16. The Leinenkugels followed up two days later with a request to further pursue negotiations, however the Chicago-based brewing company has yet to respond. “As of today, January 25, we have not received a response to our follow-up email,” the statement reads. “Despite this, we remain optimistic that Molson Coors’ leadership will reconsider our proposal and engage in meaningful discussions about safeguarding this important part of our heritage.”

In November 2024, Molson Coors announced its plans to close both the Chippewa Falls brewery and Lenenkugel’s Milwaukee-based 10th Street Brewery on January 17, 2025, and move all production to the brewing giant’s main facility in Milwaukee. According to a statement from Dick Leinenkugel at the time, “none of [his] family members were aware or counseled ahead of the decision.” The closure of the 157-year-old brewery will affect 56 employees. Molson Coors did not provide a reason for declining Leinenkugel’s offer.

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QUICK HITS

• On-premise sales velocity declined -6% for the two-week period ending Dec. 28 and was flat through the New Year’s holiday for the week ending January 4, according to CGA, NIQ’s on-premise division. 

• The Mindful Drinking Fest returned to Washington, D.C., with over 1,200 attendees and nearly 220 adult non-alcoholic (NA) products. It has grown 10 times since i2022 and +40% since just last year. 

• Dozens of liquor stores are shutting down and hundreds of additional closures are expected now that wine and beer is available at Colorado grocery stores, The new law ttook effect on Jan. 1, 2025

•  UK-based NA brewery is currently making a splash in America.  Mash Gang has launched four new non-alcoholic beers in Wisconsin with Pilot Project Brewing. With names like Chug, Glug, and Journey Juice.

• Governor Wes Moore of MD is backing a law to allow customers to buy beer and wine at grocery stores.  the Maryland General Assembly will vote on it in the legislative session beginning Feb. 1 2025

• the international alcohol-free beer Holsten 0.0% have surged more than 20% in the past 12 months to become th fastest growing beer in Australia.  

• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for beer at home increased +2.5% year-over-yea in December 2024, increasing below total inflation, but outpacing the rest of the bev-alc industry. 

• Four craft breweries closed this month in Milwaukee, a city known for its rich history with beer, due to fewer young people drinking beer and people drinking beer less often.

• Three-fifths (60 percent) of Americans participating in Dry January believe low- and no-alcohol beer helps them achieve their moderation goals, a year-over-year increase of two percent 

• Citing a challenging beer market, Sapporo-Stone Brewing has undergone a restructuring that has cut 1% of all roles, which affected 2% of total employees, and eliminated its DTC e-commerce business.

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FLASH NEWS

RateBeer.Com Shuts Down

RateBeer.com  is throwing in he towel. The news not surprising surprising. It was an old platform with a mission that has grown obsolete. At the turn of the century, a few years after the birth of the internet, it helped beer fans locate and sort good beer, a task that became ever more hopeless with the proliferation of breweries and beer. Moreover, it was one of those strange acquisitions Anheuser-Busch was making as it was casting around for new opportunities—one that was a head-scratcher even at the time. Of course, once it went into ABI’s hands, its identity as a plucky crowd-sourced community site (sort of the Reddit of Untappd) vanished. It was losing eyeballs to Untappd already—ABI purchased about six years ago—but one imagines it surviving as a message board for beer.

Communities have a great capacity for self-perpetuation in the face of change, but ABI was pretty clear it was purchasing the RateBeer community to transform its passion into sales. That, of course, could only destroy the community. So here we are. (Organizers are trying to buy the site back, and we at Beer Nexus have no idea whether that’s viable. The site is a decent repository of data, and for that reason alone we would welcome its preservation.

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World of Beer Is Back

World of Beer Bar & Kitchen has emerged from Chapter 11, less than five months after it filed to restructure.

In its bankruptcy filing, the Tampa, Fla.-based company reported assets of $10 million to $50 million, liabilities of $10 million to $50 million, and 49 or fewer creditors. It cited rising interest rates and rent costs, as well as higher operating costs and a slow recovery from the pandemic as reasons for the filing.  The company this week said it has restructured its legacy debt since that filing in August and is now “bullish on its future,” while seeking inquiries about future franchise development. WOB Bar & Kitchen expects to open four to five franchise locations annually over the next five years.

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New Dietary Guidelines

The first of two major reports that will inform the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ alcohol consumption recommendations has found that moderate drinking is better than not drinking for certain health issues.

Headlines have already proclaimed the study a win for the bev-alc industry, but that doesn’t mean anyone (specifically women) should be taking a victory lap. The study, which analyzed existing studies to answer eight key questions, “concluded with moderate certainty that consuming a moderate amount of alcohol is associated with a higher risk of female breast cancer compared to never consuming alcohol,” according to a press release.

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Hangovers

The only surefire way to prevent a hangover is to abstain from drinking, according to medical experts. And once you have a hangover, the only thing that will get you over it is time.  But, the symptoms and severity of your hangover — like your alcohol tolerance — depends on many factors, that includes age, weight, gender, ethnicity, family history, nutritional status, smoker status, mood, health conditions or whether you're taking any medications.  In fact, some people may not experience any symptoms. According to one study, about 25% of people who drink to intoxication don't have hangovers at all.

The length of hangovers can also vary. They can last 24 hours or longer depending on how much you drank, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.  in general, it's not the order of alcohol that determines the severity of your hangover. It's how much you consume.

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Take that France

Molson Coors owned Miller High Life is taking its lead, from the Champagne region of France, which has been “officially” designated as the only place where true champagne is made. And now Miller High Life, which has been marketing itself as the “Champagne of Beers” for decades, is petitioning Milwaukee to have its brewery grounds designated as an “official” beer region.

“To protect its name and the quality it stands for, Champagne has a region in France,” says Anne Pando, senior marketing manager for the Miller family of brands.  “We feel it should be no different for Miller High Life.

rm, adjust a strategy to promoting more expensive brands, marketed as premium beers, to offset falling volumes.

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"Premiumisation"

Growth in the premium-and-above tiers is coming to the cost of all lower price segments, driving down beer’s total volumes in the country for the entire 2024 year. Most major states are seeing significant declines in the value price tier. California, Illinois, Florida and Wisconsin are amongst the largest markets that saw double-digit volume declines in the value segment.

The key difference between California, which experienced a larger overall loss, and states like Florida and Texas, with smaller losses, is that the latter pair also saw growth in the premium price tier, which California did not. This premium-and-above performance helped Florida and Texas offset losses from their rapidly-declining standard and value segments. Part of this is due to ongoing "premiumisation", not just within beer but across alcohol more widely, and is also likely driven by consumers downtrading from more expensive categories into beer.

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Baltika

Carlsberg’s long-running attempt to extract itself from the Russian market appears to be finally reaching a conclusion.

Baltika Breweries, which accounted for around a third of all beer sales in the country, will be withdrawn from its temporary state-ownership status and removed from Carlsberg’s roster “by the middle of January 2025”. The multinational’s previously-majority holding in the Baltika brand owner will be purchased for an unspecified sum by a company “owned equally by two longstanding Baltika employees, currently holding leading positions in the company”.

The news comes almost 18 months after Carlsberg had secured an unnamed purchaser for its shareholding, an arrangement that was undone less than a month later by an “unexpected” presidential decree regarding Baltika Breweries. This exit will also see Carlsberg Azerbaijan and Carlsberg Kazakhstan come under the group’s full control.

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Guinness Shortage

Gen Z’s new obsession with Guinness might run taps dry in the U.K. The Guardian has just reported that Diageo — the beer brand’s parent company — was forced to ration orders of Guinness to British pubs after an astronomic rise in consumer demand. According to the article, the Dublin brewery is already working at full capacity to fulfill orders. “We have maximalized supply and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible,” a spokesperson for Diageo said. 

The sudden rise in interest can be attributed to several viral trends surrounding the iconic Irish brew that have made it the drink of choice for many members of Gen Z. The internet’s obsession with “Splitting the G” — a challenge where drinkers try to drink enough beer on their first sip that the line between liquid and foam ends up halfway through the “G” of the Guinness brand on the glass — has reached a fever pitch. Meanwhile, influencer accounts about the beer are blowing up As of now, the rationing of Guinness is only affecting U.K. establishments, so U.S. drinkers in search of the perfect pour (or try their hand at Splitting the G) are safe from the shortage.

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Drippings

Sierra Nevada isn’t engineering artificial scarcity with Celly Drippins. It’s simply the nature of the beast. The beer is made with the leftover drippings collected after dry-hopping Celebration, which uses fresh Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops packaged into large nylon bags and suspended into fermentation tanks by a wire. According to the brewery, it takes 5,000 cans of Celebration to make a single serving of Celly Drippins, hence the beer’s elusive nature. The result, however, is a uniquely concentrated IPA. 

“The flavors and aromas of fresh hops in Celly Drippins are intensified by the beer’s extra contact with the hops during the dry-hopping process,” says Brian Grossman, the owner and chief brewer at Sierra Nevada. “Beer lovers lucky enough to get their hands on it should expect all the complex floral, rose, and piney notes they love about Celebration,” Grossman adds, “but with a more pronounced depth of flavor and aroma.” 

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QUICK HITS

• Consuming just one alcoholic drink a day with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil, Aleve or aspirin can increase your risk of gastrointestinal bleeding by 37%, according to the NIAAA.

• When you combine alcohol with drugs containing acetaminophen, like Tylenol, you run the risk of liver damage, according to the NIAAA. Ingesting too much of one or both substances can be toxic to the liver says a  new study.

• Dennis Peek, the CEO of Heineken-owned Lagunitas Brewing Company, will end his term leading the craft brewery as of Jan. 2025, the company announced. 

• Empresas Polar, the renowned Venezuelan food and beverage company, has officially launched its new Polar Premium Beer in the United States. Brewed at its plant in Auburndale, Florida,

• With ABV-related duty changes due to kick in from 1 February 2025 many producers in the UK have resorted to lowering the alcohol content of their drinks in order to save pennies. There has already been significant backlash. Consumers are complaining bitterly about the lowering of ABVs, 

• Ninety-five percent of bev-alc brand launches fail, according to Gustavo Aguirre, VP of brand innovation at investment firm InvestBev.

• The Beverage Testing Institute has announce their selection as the Best Beer of 2024.  It’s  Revolution Brewing Straight Jacket Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barleywine.

• The best adjunct lagers of 2024 selected by The Brewing Beer Group are Westbound & Down’s  The Coloradoan, Coors Banquet, Tecate Original,  and The Brew Kettle’s  Major Lager.

• Michelob Ultra — which, like Bud Light, is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev — recently overtook Bud Light in terms of the “number of tap handles” operating at U.S venues with beer systems.

• A pint of Guinness contains only around 170 calories, making it a light option compared to other popular beers like Bud Light, which has almost 150 calories, and Corona and Heineken, both of which contain nearly 200 calories.

• For the first refresh in seven years, the Keystone Light logo has been tweaked, looking bolder and more modern. The two biggest imaging change are the prominent use of gold and a bigger focus on the mountain scene. 

• Ahe man many would consider to be ‘the Godfather of Australian craft’, Chuck Hahn has come out of retirement to launch Chuck and Son’s Brewing Company with his son Scott Hahn.

• Craft beer ended its four-month streak of off-premise dollar sales improvement during the four-week period (L4W) that ended December 21. In the period, craft dollar sales declined -2.5%, an acceleration from the previous L4W 

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FLASH NEWS

$9.99 Costco Stout Shocks Craft World

It's a bourbon-barrel-aged imperial stout with a subtle white label, packaged in a classy box. And one of he best selling in all of craft.  The beer in question: Kirkland Signature Vintage Ale, Costco’s $9.99 release that has taken the internet by storm.  Costco is no stranger to the alcohol game, nor to receiving plaudits for its releases. Many of them have medaled at top spirits competitions, like Costco’s bourbon, which claimed a top prize at 2017’s New York World Wine & Spirits Competition. They are all released under the Kirkland Signature label, the same house brand that appears on the retailer’s coffee, canned tuna, bottled water, and, yes, beers.

Since 2008, Costco has also offered a full line of Kirkland Signature beers, initially kicking things off with a pale ale, hefeweizen, amber ale, and German lager. Each was initially brewed by California’s Gordon Biersch Brew Co., but by 2011 New York’s FX Matt Brewing also began to produce the releases for East Coast distribution. Kirkland has produced everything from IPAs, pilsners, and a summer ale to more-of-the-moment beers like a Citra Hop Session Ale, And yet, Costco had avoided a higher-end beer offering until now.  Deschutes was tasked with helping create the recipe along with Costco’s team. Both collaborators have now created their highest rated and best selling one ever.

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Brewery Shutdown

The Molson Coors Beverage Company said that it will shut down a more than 150-year-old Wisconsin brewery early next year. The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls, which has been in operation since 1857, will close up shop on January 17, 2025. The plant reportedly employs about 120 people and produces around 185,000 barrels of beer per year. Molson Coors’ plans to close two of its brewing facilities were shared on the eve of the company’s third-quarter earnings report, which was marked by a 7.8% decline in net sales. The company blamed the slowdown of its U.S. sales on the “macroeconomic environment along with anticipated unfavorable shipment timing and the wind down of a contract brewing agreement.”

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Another Shutdown

Elysian Brewing, which is owned by Anheuser-Busch, will shut down its Seattle production brewery effective December 31,2024. The taproom at that location is now closed permanently. All of Elysian Brewing’s beers, like Space Dust IPA, will now be brewed at other Anheuser-Busch facilities. The Brewmaster and Lead Brewer were let go along with nearly 90 employees. About a year ago, Elysian’s employees at the production facility voted to join the Teamsters Union. Since then, the Union (Elysian’s employees) and Anheuser-Busch have failed to reach a labor agreement. Was the decision to close the facility related to the unionization?

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Declines Everywhere

Earnings from some of the world’s biggest alcohol makers — including Remy Cointreau, Absolut vodka maker Pernod Ricard, Jose Cuervo tequila producer Proximo Spirits and beer conglomerate Anheuser-Busch — have all recently reported declines in volumes or sales amid a push back from customers over higher prices. Overall volumes fell 3% for the first ten months of 2024, which was more than forecasted, according to a report from drink analysis firm IWSR. All major categories were affected including tequila, American whiskey, beer and wine. The only bright spot was the canned cocktails category, which grew slightly at 2%.

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World's Biggest Breweries Struggling

Two of the biggest brewers, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Carlsberg, sold less than forecast in the third quarter as consumers, particularly in China, cut their spending by drinking less or choosing cheaper beer.  The world leader AB InBev's profits and revenues fell short of analyst expectations, sending its shares almost 4% lower as a $2 billion share buyback and a guidance raise failed to win over investors.  Its volumes and revenues slipped by double digits in China, with other large territories the United States, Mexico and Europe also seeing volume declines. AB InBev cited lower consumer demand, and said sales in bars and restaurants in China were particularly slow. 

Beer makers had anticipated a rebound in margins and volumes this year, but sluggish economies and high inflation and interest rates have held customers back. Adverse weather and competition from cheaper, local rivals has added to the impact.The world's third biggest brewer Carlsberg, which makes beers including Kronenbourg 1664 and Tuborg as well as its namesake brand, saw volumes fall 1.3%, citing factors including a "very weak" consumer in China. 

CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen told Beer Nexus the company would, in the short term, adjust a strategy to promoting more expensive brands, marketed as premium beers, to offset falling volumes.

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Beer Institute On THC

As intoxicating hemp beverages proliferate, the Beer Institute has just  clarified its positions on the segment. This is their just released statement: “The legalization of consumable cannabis products is for American voters, state Legislatures and Congress to decide. The Beer Institute supports efforts underway by lawmakers to close an unintended federal loophole that is enabling the proliferation of unregulated intoxicating hemp products across the country, including those containing synthetically derived THC.”

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Narragansett Comeback

Now operating in its third century, Providence, Rhode Island-headquartered Narragansett Brewing is proof that it’s possible to stay afloat on the industry’s changing tides and remain resonant with drinkers. Dollar sales of the 134-year-old brand have increased +8.3% year-over-year (YoY) in the 52-week period ending November 2 at off-premise retailers tracked by NIQ, according to data provided by 3 Tier Beverages. Volume, measured in case sales, is up +5.5% YoY in the latest 4-week period. And that doesn’t include the on-premise channel, where Narragansett has a robust draft business. Last year, Narragansett’s volume increased +10%, to nearly 110,000 barrels, according to data from the Brewers Association (BA).

Narragansett has had several owners since its founding in 1890. CEO Mark Hellendrung led a group of investors to acquire the brand in 2005, after several decades in the proverbial wilderness. Since then, the brand has come roaring back to life, and began brewing beer in Rhode Island again in 2020.

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New Style Officially Recognized

The Brewers Association has just released their 2024.  It's and early December release, instead of the traditional Spring release, to allow for the most up-to-date feedback from judges at the Great American Beer Festival® Competition to be considered and implemented before the opening of registration for the World Beer Cup®Opens in new window.  The 2024 guidelines feature one newly added style, Italian-Style Pilsener. Originating in northern Italy, the beer combines what is considered a traditional German-Style Pilsener with a significant addition of noble- variety dry hops. The result is a light, refreshing lager-style beer with a more subtle, herbal hop aroma than the aggressively fruity or tropical aromas found in many dry-hopped American- or West Coast-Style India Pale Ales. The unique combination of Old World tradition and New World innovation makes the beer stand out as a singular style.

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Exports Grow

The Brewers Association (BA) Export Development Program (EDP) will mark a significant milestone this year in December, celebrating its 20th anniversary at the Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival (SBWF), one of Scandinavia’s largest beer festivals. Launched in 2004 in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the EDP emerged during a resurgence in beer drinker interest in craft beer not only in the U.S. but internationally as well. Sweden was among the first markets to embrace American-brewed beers, and the SBWF served as a pivotal platform for the EDP in helping U.S. brewers establish a foothold in the region and fostering a relationship with Systembolaget, Sweden’s government-owned alcohol retailer. Fast-forward two decades, American craft beer exports have grown 1,800%, and Sweden ranks among the top five global markets for small U.S. brewers.

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QUICK HITS

• Cans accounted for 64.1% of beer volume in the first three quarters of 2024, after a slight dip to 62.9% in 2022. The +1.2% share change for cans came from bottles, which declined from 28.1% in 2022 to 26.9% so far this year.

• Nonalcoholic beer is the fastest growing part of the beer industry, and Athletic Brewing is on top. So far in 2024, Athletic has outsold its nonalcoholic beer competitors Heineken, Budweiser, Guinness and Corona in the U.S. 

• Shoppers will be able to purchase craft beer and craft spirits at farmers markets, aas part of a provision in the $4 billion economic development bill just approved by the Massachusetts State Legislature.

• Metal cans have regained the share of beer volume they lost in the prior year, according to the Beer Institute’s (BI) new packaging mix report.

• Cans accounted for 64.1% of beer volume in 2024, marking a return to the same share they held in 2021 after a slight dip to 62.9% in 2022. The +1.2% share change for cans came from bottles, which declined from 28.1% 

• Lucio Co, the owner of The Keepers group, is on track to acquire Booze Online which will make him the largest distributor of imported beers in the Philippines and is larges onine retailor.

• The Brewers Association (BA) the trade organization representing small and independent craft breweries just announced has restructured its leadership team and eliminated six positions,

• New evidence just discovered verifies earlier finds that the laborers who built the Egyptian pyramids were paid in beer,. Also discovered were beer recipes recorded on ancient Mesopotamian tablets. 

• Boston Beer blamed softer-than-expected trends, as its volumes fell in the third quarter. The brewer of Sam Adams and Twisted Tea reported a profit of $33.5 million, compared with $45.3 million, in last year's quarter. 

• Anheuser-Busch is announcing a retooling of the footprints of two of their largest craft brands — Golden Road and Elysian. Golden Road will see a $1.6 million investment the largest investment” ever made in that facility,

• Top 25 craft brewer Narragansett Beer is further expanding its presence on the West Coast, just announcing it is hitting Northern California markets  California marks ‘Gansett’s 27th state where its flagship lager will be sold,

• Low Tide Brewing, a small craft brewer in South Carolina, is making a huge leap, investing $22.2 million in a new brewing system and nearly three dozen new jobs.  

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FLASH NEWS

Split the "G"

A new drinking phenomenon is sweeping the word.  It is called “splitting the G,” in which drinkers try to swallow enough beer on their first drink that the line between liquid and foam ends up halfway through the “G” of the Guinness brand on the glass.  It sometimes shows up in the form of a bar bet, in which a bartender might offer to pay for the pint if a drinker can split the G perfectly on the first try, or as a competition between friends to see who pays for the round, or just as a bit of fun. And that fun seems to be building steam globally this year after a quiet, unclear origin.

Ironically, the brewery seems to be keeping the trend at arm’s length, decidedly not pushing it in its own marketing. Connoisseurs tend to look down at it for various reasons. And apparently, no one is entirely sure how it all got started.

as an internet trend, splitting the G is arguably part of Irish drinking culture now, especially among younger drinkers.

A more demanding version of the game calls for the line of liquid after the first drink to land precisely on the typographical “bar” in the middle of the letter G.  pub owners have promoted the trend, with some even offering a free pint to drinkers who can pull it off. With its connection to drinking in large volumes, at least for the initial sip, Guinness seems reluctant to embrace splitting the G.

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Craft's Decline Continues

Despite predictions that the beer market would level out slightly in 2024, volume decline persisted across categories from January to October 2024. According to new data beer sales volume declined by  3.5 percent. Nationwide, almost every beer market is in decline, with Indiana the only state to experience any growth (1 percent) so far this year.  The situation also wasn’t as bleak in Tennessee, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, all of which remained flat year-over-year. And while some of the largest beer markets in the country — Florida, Texas, New York, and Illinois — all reported losses, they were contained between one and three percent, notably lower than the national average of 3.5 percent. Other large markets like Georgia, Ohio, and California saw beer volumes dip further from 4 to 6 percent. New Hampshire experienced the largest decline of any state, with beer volumes down a whopping 13 percent. Hawaii and Maine weren’t far behind, both reporting 12 percent losses. Tied for third place with a decline of 11 percent are Wisconsin, Kansas, and Vermont.

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Bad and Good

Constellation Brands, Inc. reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $4.32, beating the analyst consensus of $4.08. Quarterly revenues of $2.92 billion beat the street view of $2.90 billion. The company reported a loss per share of $6.59, including a non-cash goodwill impairment loss for the Wine and Spirits business of $2.25 billion.  Constellation makes Corona Extra, Modelo Especial and the flavorful lineup of Modelo Cheladas, Pacifico, and Victoria

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Beer Washed Jeans

Coors Banquet and Wrangler® have crossed paths for years. Now, genuine Western beer meets authentic Western apparel as the two venerable brands officially collaborate for the first time to introduce Beer Wash Jeans: the first and only Wrangler denim washed in CoorsThe result? A comfy, stylish pair of jeans with a backstory as good as your favorite brew. These limited-edition Wrangler Cowboy Cut jeans go through a special process that uses repurposed brewing resources from Coors. The beer-wash gives the denim a soft, broken-in feel and a vintage vibe. the denim comes with a tag that features a bottle opener. It also comes with a variety of patches for people who want to customize their pants.

Wrangler says these jeans were indeed washed in Coors (well, repurposed brewing resources from the beer), noting that “everyone has spilled a little beer on their jeans before; leave it to two trusted friends to take it to a new level.”

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Celebrity NA Beer

Hollywood star Tom Holland’s new non-alcoholic (NA) beer brand Bero has just been released with three styles, backed by consumer product-centric investment firm Imaginary Ventures and led by CEO John Herman, an energy drink veteran with 20 years of experience. As for specific styles, that means a pilsner, citrus wheat beer and hazy IPA, each arriving in 12-ounce cans and available for purchase online ($16 per 6-pack). A mixed variety pack costs $34 and comes with four cans of each style.

Holland has been openly transparent about his journey with sobriety over the last two years, citing improved mental health and overall well-being as reasons for quitting booze for good.

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More States Coming

Real American Beer, co-founded by WWE legend Hulk Hogan, has rolled into Nebraska, marking the 14th state to join the brand’s explosive national expansion witht many more states coming soon. Following record-breaking sales in key markets like Wisconsin and Ohio—where it ranked among the top-selling beers in August—Real American Beer has quickly become a fan favorite. Already securing a spot in the top 10 of its category out of 166 U.S. beer brands, the momentum shows no signs of slowing. Hogan, an avid home brewer, says he helped create the recipe and he has won numerous awards for it in homebrew competitions.  He added it was "difficult to scale up from my original recipe but once we got it we knew it was going to be very good one.".

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BB Bracket Beer

Coors Light announced it's launching a 21-day "advent-inspired" calendar just in time for March Madness 2025 for all the college basketball fans to enjoy. And this advent calendar has a specific goal: To chill you out when your bracket inevitably falls apart.  Coors Light noted, basketball fans have about a 1 in 120.2 billion chance of filling out a perfect bracket, meaning, yes, there are plenty of upsets to come. But its advent calendar is filled with all the tools you need to stay calm, including Chill Tea for you to sip, some Press-On Nails by Dashing Diva for "all those nail-biting moments," a Glass Slipper Charm for the moment "when some team's fairy tale season is starting, and “A Little Help Please” Candle, a miracle candle for you to light to help you cast a winning spell for your team. The calendars are available for purchase starting now for $21 each (in honor of the 21-day tournament at shop.coorslight.com.  Suoolies are limited.

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Hot Dog And Beer

Now that the NFL season is aboutt 1/3 through we thought it might be interesting to see what a hot dog and beer costs att a stadium.   The two teams in Los Angeles, the Rams and the Chargers, both play their home games at SoFi Stadium, where a beer and a hot dog costs $19.49. That is followed by the Chicago Bears’ home, Soldier Field, which charges $19, and the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, where it’ll run Saints fans $18.99.  Other than Mercedez Benz Stadium, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium is the only other place you can get a beer and a hot dog for less than $10. (At $9.98, it slides right under the wire in Miami.) The next most affordable stadiums are Houston’s NRG Stadium ($11.75), Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium ($11.93), and Detroit’s Ford Field ($11.98).  The most expensive “basic” beers are found in New Orleans and San Francisco, where both stadium’s cheapest brews still cost $12. Nine other teams charge between $11 and $11.99 for one beer. The least expensive beers are in Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, and at the New York Jets’ MetLife Stadium, where the bargain brews are $5.49 each. 

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Brand Loyalty

Local craft beer consumers don't seem to like it when their favorite brands are acquired, showing displeasure through spending habits, according to a new study on brand loyalty and craft beers. The study found that there is a 15% drop in baseline product demand in local craft beer markets following the acquisition of specific craft beers by larger companies. "There is a strong emotional connection between consumer and brand, which can induce a sense of psychological ownership of the brand itself on the part of the consumer," says the report. "The consumer sees the brand as part of their extended self. So, when a local craft beer brand is acquired, the acquisition can impact that sense of ownership on the part of the consumer."  Itt went on to say, "We found that the decline in brand loyalty begins immediately following the acquisition and manifests itself in both sales and product ratings. In conjunction with these findings, we found that there is a more pronounced reaction when the acquiring firm is perceived as 'big business.' Competing brands that remain locally owned are likely to benefit." 

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Latest Statistics

Regional craft brands continue to underperform compared to the beer category due to a lot of swapping on shelf and net shelf space lost at retail. Overall, the U.S. craft beer business remained soft for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 15, noting that the dollar trend was down 3.1% and the three-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) was down 3.5%, losing 0.3 points of the beer category dollar share.

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QUICK HITS

• Founders All Day IPA,  the first Session IPA t has gotten its first package and image design in 12 years. Working with Trinity Branding Founders is hoping to  recapture the line’s dominance in the Session IPA segment.

• The 19-ounce single can is seeing significant growth with a plus 26.5% dollar trend in the last 52 weeks. Key brands driving this are New Belgium, Goose Island and Sierra Nevada

• IPA styles are dominating the craft beer market again this year with a 51% share of craft beer dollars.  IPA style drove the largest absolute growth at $48.5 million in the segment or a plus 2.1%-dollar trend

• Four of the Top 10 [non-alcohol] (NA) growth brands have craft roots and they account for 55% of NA beer net dollar growth in the last 52 weeks.

• The 4 hardest beer styles to find on draft in he USA according to a new bar survey are: English Mild, Roggenbier, Bière de Garde, Eisbock,

• Hungary, Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Slovenia, Poland, Slovakia and Estonia all in the top 10 list of countries with the highest rates of alcohol-use disorder and alcoholism, according to the World Healtth Organizaiton.

• The UK is down in 28th in the global league of the biggest beer drinkers, with 66.8 litres consumed per capita annually. The Czech Republic is in front, at 140.1 litres, while Spain is up in eighth (81.2 litres).

• At this year’s Great American Beer Festival approximately 9,200 beers and ciders were judged. Beers were entered from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

• O’Fallon Brewery, in Maryland was especially known for its pumpkin beer, quietly closed shop earlier this month after filing for bankruptcy

• Detroit Public Radio is partnering with Batch Brewing Company to release a limited-edition beer to celebrate its 75th anniversary. If successful, other public stations are expected to create beers for fundraisers. 

• Abita Brewing announced plans to open a second brewing facility in New Orleans next year.

• MolsonCoors is finishing up a modernization project at the 150-year-old Coors Brewery in Arvada, CO.

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FLASH NEWS

It's Back! (Did you know it was gone?)

Miller High Life Light is back after a three-year hiatus. The brand has announced the official resurrection of Miller High Life Light. The news comes just a few months after the Molson Coors-owned brand brought back its iconic “Great Taste, Less Filling” ad campaign as well as the recent rebrand of its low-calorie Miller64. Miller High Life Light debuted in 1994, but fell out of favor through the following decades amidst the rise of Miller Lite and Miller High Life. Molson Coors pulled the line from its portfolio in the summer of 2021. Sales of premium light beers like Miller Lite have taken a dip as of late, but the “below-premium category,” which includes Miller High Life Light, has been booming. This suggests inflation and rising prices across the beer industry could be pushing customers to opt for more budget-friendly brews.

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#1 Gluten Free

Jersey City’s Departed Soles Brewery’s “Birdie Juice” won. It was named the number one gluten-free beer in America by USA Today following a month-long consumer vote.  Birdie Juice, a 5.2 percent Kolsch, which is a beer originating from Cologne, Germany, topped the leader board. Gluten-free grains used in beers include millet, quinoa, rice, buckwheat and sorghum among others.  Departed Soles is Jersey City’s first modern craft brewery, and New Jersey’s only brewery to offer options brewed with 100 percent certified gluten-free ingredients.

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Smaller Beer Glasses = More Wine

Pubs that experimented with reducing the size of glassware saw a drop in beer and cider sales but an increase in wine revenue, according to a new UK study.  The findings from a just released study by Cambridge University showed that reducing the size of glassware from a pint would cut beer consumption but also boost wine sales. The research looked at buying behavior across 13 English pubs over a month when owners switched from serving pints to two-thirds of a pint. Despite beer and cider sales dropping by nearly 9.7%, the data showed there was an overall increase in wine sales by 7.2%. The researchers went on to suggest that smaller measures for beer could potentially be an effective way to reduce alcohol consumption across Britain.  However, despite these claims, what the study does not take into account is that reducing beer drinking volume is not the same as reducing alcohol intake overall. Noted by the evidence that showed that the pubs saw an uptick in wine sales instead of beers and ciders, illustrating how the consumer may be reducing their glassware size, but still migrating to higher alcohol products.

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GABF Tickets

The Great American Beer Festival returns to Denver on Thursday, October 10, through Saturday, October 12, and tickets are still available starting at $85.  With three sessions of beer mayhem and over 1,000 beers from hundreds of breweries, expect to find something for everyone here. GABF is a major festival that attracts a wide variety of attendees, and the additions of new experience areas reflect a desire to appeal to even more people. Also new this year is the number of sessions — three rather than four. The former Saturday night session has been eliminated; given that it was widely seen as the weakest of the four sessions, this will probably not be much of a loss. The three remaining sessions will increase capacity so overall, there should be a similar number of attendees as last year. The availability of tickets might reflect the decline in craft beer sales.  In the past the festival sold out within hours. of ticket release.  Will this be the first year in it's history it didn't sell out?

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Barley Glut

U.S. Plains states face a huge glut of barley. Americans are buying less beer, and frequenting fewer craft breweries that buy malt. The exploding popularity of hard seltzers and lower alcohol consumption in general have led to plummeting barley demand from beer makers according to a new report from the Brewers Association. Multiple years of excellent barley crops have further depressed prices and taken away a once high-value option in a year where farmers are struggling to break even with any crops, farmers, agronomists, and beer industry experts said.

The most-recent U.S. crop report showed the number of acres planted with barley have fallen by 22% compared with a year ago. In North Dakota, the No. 2 producing state behind Idaho, acres nearly halved from a year ago. Supplies of barley that farmers have in storage on farms are up 51% from last year and are the highest since 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  U.S. malt barley prices, which farmers arrange before planting, were around $7 per bushel last year and under $5 per bushel this year depending on location, farmers said.

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Brewery For Sale

Pioneering California craft brewery Anderson Valley Brewing Co. has been listed for sale. The Mendocino County brewery, founded 37 years ago, is listed at $7.9 million which includes the 47,600 square foot production facility and the 29-acre parcel of land the brewery sits on. The brewery was founded by Ken Allen in 1987 in the town of Boonville with a 10-barrel brewhouse located in the Buckhorn Saloon. The company expanded to its present location which now includes a brewhouse with separate 100-barrel and 85-barrel boil kettles as well a 9-barrel pilot system. Annual capacity is listed as 100,000 barrels.  Allen sold the business in 2010 to HMB Holdings, an investment group.  In 2019 the brewery was then sold to local industry veteran Kevin McGee and Michael McGee.  It is said to be the world’s first solar powered brewery with a 125kWh solar array that offsets about 50% of the power needs of the brewery and has a self-contained and managed water system. The brewery is being listed by BizQuest and states that gross revenue is $4.2 million. The real estate itself if valued at $5.4 million.

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North Korean Beer

A Russian company registered in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur has just been cleared to import beer produced in North Korea, Russian media reported, in the latest sign of warming ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. North Korea has recently ramped up beer production in an effort to earn foreign currency through exports, Daily NK, a Seoul-based website said. The shipments come as other North Korean trade restricted by United Nations sanctions for its weapons programs comes under international scrutiny.  

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A New University Beer

Just in time for the Homecoming celebration on campus, Illinois State University is partnering with DESTIHL Brewery to launch two new officially licensed beers, Redbird Ale and Battle Bird Lager.  The beers will be available at Hancock Stadium and CEFCU Arena for Redbird Athletics events served by Sodexo Live, and at DESTIHL Brewery’s Beer Hall and DESTIHL Restaurant. The beers will also be made available through local retailers, bars and restaurants who want to join in support of ISU and Redbird Athletics. 

DESTIHL has received numerous national and international awards for its beers and has now grown to be a top 100+/- regional brewery by volume out of nearly 10,000 breweries in the U.S., with distribution in nearly 40 states and internationally.

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Big Drinkers

PA drinkers in Connecticut and Delaware have boosted the style to have the largest share of craft off-premise dollars in the country, according to a recent report from Brewers Association (BA) staff economist Matt Gacioch. The geographically tiny East Coast states both boast a 69% share of craft dollars spent on IPA in the 52-week period ending September 20, according to NIQ data cited by Gacioch. This is a higher dollar share for the style than in the home states of some of the best-selling IPAs nationwide. 

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QUICK HITS

• Several new high ABV offerings are on their way to convenience store doors in 2025. The latest is a slate of from Molson Coors - Blue Moon Extra, Topo Chico Max and Simply Spiked Bold. 

• Craft spirit volume decreased for the first time since the data project launched in 2016, down -3.6% so far this year. Sales topped $7.8 billion, but dipped -1.1%. U.S. craft market share of the total U.S. spirits category 

• Molson Coors is moving the production of its licensed Italian beer brand Peroni Nastro Azzurro to the US. n-house at its Albany brewery. Brewing of the non-alcoholic Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0 brand will remain in Italy. 

• Seasonal trends for onsite brewery sales have remained relatively consistent since January 2021, but “in real terms” – i.e. accounting for inflation – onsite sales continue to decline so far in 2024. 

• Pennsylvania’s governor may be proud of recently opening the state’s gas stations and grocery stores to spirits-based canned cocktails, but its breweries probably aren’t.

• The sales numbers are declining for beer, but discount grocery chain Aldi is bucking those trends with its private label beer biz. Beer sales at Aldi have “been growing over 100% almost across the board. 

• Aldi's beer is actually brewed by Brouwerij Martens, which is an established brewery in the Netherlands. 

• Anheuser-Busch InBev 's next non-alcoholic (NA) beer play: Michelob Ultra Zero. It will roll out to retail stores across the country in 12 oz. can 12-packs starting January 2025. 

• Amid challenging industry headwinds, two New York-based craft breweries are merging..

• New York City-based The Bronx Brewery and Elmsford NY -based Captain Lawrence Brewing “have signed a merger agreement.  They are laying off the entire bronx production staff and moving all production up to Elmsofrd.

• Ready-to-drink (RTD) mimosa and sangria producer Ohza has been acquired by FX Mat Brewing,The acquisition brings a wine-based offering to FX Matt’s growing stable of RTD and beyond beer brands, 

• Last year’s overall craft volume decline was felt more acutely in the Midwest than other regions, according to a new report from Brewers Association 

• Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails Hard Tea is now available nationwide, following a six-month test period in select markets. 

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FLASH NEWS

Boston Beer Wins

The Boston Beer Company’s Samuel Adams brand, one of the originators of the craft beer movement, dominated the podium at the recet World Beer Awards in the U.K. with four of its entries winning both Gold and Best in Country awards. These award-winning beers are distributed nationally and likey available at a store near you.

Samuel Adams American Light – Gold & Best in Country – Light Lager

Samuel Adams Just the Haze – Gold & Best in Country – No & Low Alcohol IPA

Samuel Adams Boston Lager – Gold, Best in Country – Amber Lager

Samuel Adams Summer Ale – Gold, Best in Country – Pale Ale Seasonal

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Tilray - 5th Largest Beer Producer

Tilray Brands recently adding four craft labels to its growing portfolio. However, what’s notable in this case isn’t just who it’s buying — Hop Valley Brewing Company, Terrapin Beer Co., Revolver Brewing and Atwater Brewery — but from whom. The seller was none other than Molson Coors, Tilray Brands. Like many of the big guys, Molson Coors started purchasing craft brewers in the 2010s, starting with the San Diego brewery Saint Archer (which ceased production in 2022).

The “definitive agreement” makes Tilray one of the 5h largest craft producers in country, as defined by the Brewers Association (BA). It will now brew more than 15 million cases per year across its expanded network of facilities; Terrapin is the largest addition of the bunch, producing around 80,000 barrels per year. ilray has been on something of a spree. A year ago, it acquired eight other beer and beverage brands from Anheuser-Busch, including Shock Top and 10 Barrel Brewing Company. The company also owns Montauk Brewing Company and the iconic Green Flash Brewing Company, both acquired in 2023

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New Belgium To Make Kirin

New Belgium will take over production of Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light in the U.S. when the Japanese lager brand’s contract brewing agreement with Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) expires later this year, announced New Belgium, which is a subsidiary of Kirin-owned, Australian-based Lion.

A-B will continue to brew and distribute the Kirin brands through the end of 2024. Starting in January 2025, New Belgium will begin marketing, sales and production of Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light at its facilities in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Asheville, North Carolina. The company is working to “identify any potential distributor alignment needs that may arise in early 2025,” according to a New Belgium spokesperson.

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Hall of Fame

The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame has just been established to honor, celebrate, and commit to history those people who are responsible for initiating, sustaining, and promoting the American craft beer industry. This Hall is to ensure that the memories of their contributions and achievements will not fade with time.  While the ACBHOF is not yet a bricks-and-mortar location, it will reside online for all to visit and to enjoy. In addition to biographical information about the inductees, the website will provide historical perspectives of the industry, details about the key events that helped form it, and the greater significance that craft beer brings to other areas of American life.  The inaugural class of inductees to The Hall will be announced in the late Fall of 2024. 

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Athletic & Arsenal

English Premier League’s Arsenal Football Club has named the US non-alcoholic brewery Athletic Brewing Co as its first official non-alcoholic beer partner. The brewery’s 0.5% ABV Run Wild IPA will be served at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London for all men’s and women’s matches. Athletic will also invest in a marketing campaign featuring the team’s players and stage promotions such as in-stadium sampling, social media giveaways and VIP experiences for supporters.

The brewer highlighted the propitious timing of the deal citing Kantar Insights data that indicated sales of alcohol-free beer in the UK had surged 38% on matchdays this summer.

The US Brewing Association ranks Athletic as the tenth-largest craft brewer in the country and the 20th-largest overall. Arsenal’s only alcoholic drinks partner is the London-based Camden Town Brewery.

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Hulkster Beer Expands

Following Real American Beer’s successful launches in Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, Rhode Island, Colorado, Michigan, Idaho, and Montana, the premium American-made light lager co-founded by WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Hulk Hogan is now set to make its highly-anticipated debut today in Wisconsin. Wisconsin marks the ninth market to launch in Real American Beer's high-impact summer rollout. With its Wisconsin launch, Real American Beer continues its unprecedented momentum in a state renowned for its brewing heritage and beer-loving culture.  Real American Beer is a premium American-style light lager meticulously brewed with 100% North American ingredients. At 4.2% ABV, it provides an easy-drinking experience, a light body, and a crisp, clean finish. The malt gives it a rich golden hue, while the hops ensure a well-balanced flavor.

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NA Beer Danger

Just three words from the Brewers Association were enough to tank what had been a booming business for several local nonalcoholic beer suppliers around the country. “Is it safe?” More than half of taprooms surveyed had a zero-proof brew to order at the start of this year. But the association’s decree — that without pasteurization, brewers were putting drinkers at risk — reversed that momentum. While brewers quickly came up with a more affordable pasteurization method for NA kegs and cans right on the pallet that helped sales recover in recent months, it’s clear that there are more challenges to push NA beyond the “tip of the iceberg.” Today, NA options remain a tiny fraction of sales for most breweries, but they bring people in the door amid dwindling thirst for regular beer. The taproom is extremely important to breweries and is just over half of many local breweries’ business. 

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Brewery Sues Pennsylvania

Cincinnati, Ohio-based Urban Artifact Brewing has filed a lawsuit against Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) chairman Tim Holden and Pennsylvania State Police commissioner Col. Christopher Paris alleging the state “enforce[s] cost-prohibitive trade barriers on out-of-state breweries” and those barriers “prevent out-of-state breweries from competing freely with in-state breweries in violation of the dormant Commerce Clause.” In-state breweries can “sell and ship beer directly to Pennsylvania consumers in unlimited quantities” under their brewery license using third-party carriers such as UPS or FedEx while out of state breweries cannot.

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Job Wih Free Beer

Here's a buzzy side gig for you: chief beer officer at the Yard House. The Orlando, Florida-based restaurant chain, with 88 locations across the U.S., is taking applications for the position. Among the perks: free beer for a year (one beer daily) and you get to help select beers for your local Yard House.  With nearly 22,000 kegs under our roof, it’s safe to say our love of beer runs deep, so we’re thrilled to welcome one lucky beer lover into the Yard House family in this special way,” Jennifer White, director of marketing at Yard House, said in a statement.  If you are interested, apply online on the Yard House website.

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QUICK HITS

• Sierra Nevada has added a wet-hop IPA with cryogenically frozen hops to its Little Thing line and plans to introduce a West Coast IPA in the near future.

• New Trail’s Brewing’s major innovation for winter is Trail Marker West Coast IPA, a departure from the hazy IPAs that helped tthe Pennsylvania-based New Trail rocket to 40,000 barrels in annual output since opening in 2018.

• USAToday reported on the ten best beers they tried at lhe recent Great Taste of the Midwest, including a cask marzen from Surly, a Zwickel from New Glarus and a Brandy Old Fashioned seltzer from Hop Butcher 

• An Indiana brewery is making a new beer to honor Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady, who led the Boilermakers for 25 seasons.  Sun King Brewery — which distributes to 12 states — is producing the brew.

• The Cicerone Certification Program has just introduced a fresh round of updates to its syllabi. This comes two years after the last updates.  Beer Nexus is working on its own certification program for 2025.

• Danish brewer Carlsberg has partially attributed its declining UK market share to the rise of so-called ‘faux Spanish’ lager Madrí, which has exploded in popularity. It's made by Molson Coors Beverage Co.

• Brewers Association (BA) CEO Bob Pease will retire next year after more than three decades with the trade association. Pease will step down from his role in early 2025 “once his successor is in place,

• Molson Coors will shut down its in-house craft brand AC Golden by the end of September. The brewery operated out of Coors Brewery in Golden, Colorado. It looks like Molson Coors plans to step away from craft completely,

• Citing “considerable distress” in the restaurant industry, the parent company of craft-centric on-premise chain World of Beer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

• WOB Holdings and 11 affiliates, some of which have already closed, filed a petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida’s Tampa Division. In it, World of Beer claimed that it has between $0 and $50,000 in assets and between $10 million and $50 million in liabilities owed to between one and 49 creditors.

• Regional craft beer chain Melt Bar & Grilled filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio suffering financial difficulties from increased costs.

• After a month in the black, domestic tax paid shipments of beer recorded a -4.8% year-over-year (YoY) decline in July /Augus according to the Beer Institute (BI), which cited several government sources for its monthly report.

• Deschutes Founder/Owner Gary Fish said “For the last 35 years, Black Butte Porter has been the best-selling porter in the nation" as he accepted an award from the Brewing Associattion of the US.

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FLASH NEWS

World Champs!

The World Beer Cup is commonly referred to as the “Olympics of Beer Competitions.” Originally conceived in 1996, it is an annual extravaganza organized by the Brewers Association—a trade group comprising over 5,400 beer makers. This spring its expert panel of judges, from 26 different countries, convened in Las Vegas to award bronze, silver and gold medals across 103 separate styles of suds.  there were a total of eight subcategories of India Pale Ale in total at the 2024 World Beer Cup. When looking at the most entered styles, three of the top four wore IPA in the title. Hazy India Pale Ale reigned supreme with 326 offerings, followed by West-Coast Style India Pale Ale with 281. American-Style India Pale Ale boasted some 213 expressions.  The winners were:

Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: Beezer — Old Irving Brewing Company, Chicago, Illinois.

Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale: Jimmy Buffet Ruined My Life — Swells'a Brewing, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.

American-Style India Pale Ale: High 6 — Highland Park Brewery, Los Angeles, California.

Imperial India Pale Ale: Chance Favors the Prepared Mind — Green Cheek Beer Company, Orange, California.

New Zealand-Style India Pale Ale: Wannabe Wallaby — Riip Beer Company, Huntington Beach, California.

Session India Pale Ale: Micro Blaster — Shred Beer Company, Rocklin, California.

West-Coast Style India Pale Ale: Western Standard Time — ISM Brewing & Kitchen, Long Beach, California.

Editor's note: Is it more than coincidence that four of the winners are from Southern California specifically and most of the then are regional offerings absent of any meaningful national distribution?

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NFL Stadium Beer Prices

How much will beer cost at NJF stadiums this upcoming season?  For the 3034-25 season the average price for a 16 ounce beer in NFL Stadiums stands at $9.56 with the most popular price standing at $11.00 with four teams charging that price (Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets and Washington Commander.  The most expensive beer in the NFL? That belongs to the Eagles with a price tag of $14.67, nearly a dollar per ounce. The cheapest teams in the NFL? That would be a tie at $6.25 between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons.  

Now, the team that could be making the most money? The Green Bay Packers who charge $9.50, just under the league average, but cater to the fanbase that drinks the most beer.  The average Packer fan drinks 6.3 beers on game day, topping the second place team the Chicago Bears by more than a beer on average (5.2). Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers, holds just over 81,000. So even if you only include half of that crowd size drinking an average load of beers, that would be more than $2.4 million for beer on one Packers game day.

Anyone else miss football? Don’t worry, training camp starts soon.

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Who Loves Beer The Most?

The top five states that love beer the most according to a report Innerbody Research Corp are Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Arizona. Michigan, Indiana and Ohio are also in the top 10, suggesting that the upper Midwest really loves its brew. The least beer-loving states are Alaska, Vermont, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho, according to the report.

The report also looked at the most popular beers in each state and it appears that Miller has a trifecta in Wisconsin with High Life, MGD and Lite.  Although macros rule nationally, there are some exceptions, with Fat Tire tops in Colorado, and Sam Adams in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire (where it’s tied with Corona Light). Interestingly, Guinness is the most popular beer in Illinois and appears to be tied with Bud Light in Maryland.

The most popular beer nationwide is Corona, according to innerbody’s research. Dos Equis is tops in Texas and Modelo is big in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada.

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Kelce Brothers

The craft beer industry is going back to basics. At least that’s what Andrew Sauer is betting, pinning an entire company on the idea that more beer drinkers today are looking for the familiar, not the exotic. Sauer’s Garage Beer Co., a spin-off company built around a product originally made by Braxton Brewing Company near Cincinnati, has exploded recently. A little more than a year after a pivotal rebrand that Sauer said immediately doubled sales, it’s now available in 13 states, including widely in Ohio. It recently made headlines by inking a sponsorship / ownership deal with Travis and Jason Kelce, the Cleveland Heights natives who went on to star in the NFL. The product’s label bills itself as “small batch” but not explicitly “craft” beer and is available in grocery store and gas station refrigerators next to more established domestic light beers like Budweiser and Coors.

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New From Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada has a new trick up its sleeve. And it goes by the name Cool Little Thing, the fifth and newest installment of its Limited Hazy Series dedicated to exploring the limits of the hazy IPA style.  Cool Little Thing utilizes cryogenically frozen Mosaic hops from Yakima Chief Hops for a wet beer that’s truly evergreen. It also utilizes a trio of kiln-dried Crystal, Comet and El Dorado hops to round out the profile. The result is a beer that balances “juicy, pillowy characteristics” with “nuanced complexity of hop flavors that come from cryogenically frozen fresh hops,” said Brian Grossman, the chief brewer at Sierra Nevada.   Cool Little Thing clocks in with an ABV of 7.5 percent and very approachable 32 IBU (the beer’s bitterness level). Sierra Nevada’s famous Pale Ale has an IBU of 38, while it’s flagship IPA, Torpedo, has an IBU of 65. According to Sierra Nevada, the beer will be available until the October 

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$50 Million Investment 

Athletic Brewing Company, America's largest non-alcoholic brewery, today announced it has closed a $50 million equity financing round led by General Atlantic, a leading global growth investor, with participation from multiple existing investors. Athletic plans to use the new capital to drive continued long-term growth, including through the recently announced purchase of a third U.S. brewing facility and the ongoing expansion of its world-class non-alcoholic beer at retailers across the globe. With the closing of the transaction, General Atlantic has assumed a seat on the company's Board of Managers. According to recent polling, 41% of Americans are actively trying to moderate their alcohol consumption in 2024, a 7% increase from 20232. Meanwhile, 58% of consumers say that low- and non-alcoholic beer is a good alternative for anyone looking to moderate their alcohol consumption long-term3.

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Yuengling - Molson Swap

D.G Yuengling and Son (DGY) has agreed to swap territories with its joint venture with Molson Coors (TYC). In a letter to distributor partners last week, chief administrative officer Wendy Yuengling wrote that the brewery would trade its Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi territories to the JV for the yet-to-be-opened market in Michigan. 

Yuengling wrote that Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi would be “more efficiently serviced” by the JV with production coming from Molson Coors’ production facilities in Fort Worth, Texas, instead of Yuengling’s brewery in Tampa, Florida. The transition will take place in the fourth quarter this year.

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Happy Hour Returns

For the past 40 years, happy hour pricing has been illegal in every bar and restaurant in the state  of Indiana.. But state legislators repealed that law in the most recent session, bringing happy hour back.  owners are optimistic that the legalization of happy hour will bring in additional business and attract customers during traditionally slow hours.  The legislation, signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb in March, allows businesses to hold happy hour before 10 p.m. up to 15 hours a week or up to four hours in one day. Lobbyists for the restaurant industry celebrated the move as a moderation of Indiana’s liquor laws. The bill also legalizes to-go cocktails

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Germany Tops In Hops

Germany has just regained its position as the top hop-producing nation on earth. The U.S. held that distinction for the past nine years. Some other regions of the world produce hops, like New Zealand and South Africa, but the overwhelming majority of the world’s hop supply comes from Germany and the USA.

So how did Germany regain the lead? It is because of a decline in overall hop acreage in both countries, with the U.S. showing a greater decrease in acreage. In Germany, acreage decreased by 340 hectares to 20,300 hectares. In the U.S., acreage decreased by 4,500 hectares to 17,850 hectares. Those numbers were provided by the German Hop Growers Association. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hop acreage strung in the U.S. for 2024 is forecast at 44,543 acres, down 18 percent from last year’s total of 54,318 acres. In Washington, the nation’s top hop-growing state, 32,982 acres were strung for harvest, down 15 percent from the previous season. In Idaho, down 31 percent from 2023. In Oregon, down 18 percent compared to last season.

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QUICK HITS

• Of the top 25 growth brands at total U.S. off-premise outlets year-to-date through July 21, thirteen were “flavor-centric” or ready-to-drink offerings, 

• Constellation posted a strong first haf, increasing net sales +6% to $2.662 billion, led by the company’s Mexican beer import portfolio of Modelo, Corona, Pacifico and Victoria, which increased net sales +8%, to $2.272 billion.

• The Beer Purchasers’ Index just reached a three-year high for July, and five of the seven beer segments recording flat or increased readings year-over-year. 

• TikTok has opened an ad platform for bev-alc brands in the U.S., after reaching the 73.8% threshold of users who are at or above legal drinking age . The percentage is based on the number of 21+ adults in the country, according to the census, and is enforced by industry trade groups’ marketing and advertising guidelines. 

• Kirin is moving its U.S. production from Anheuser-Busch to New Belgium. Starting in January 2025, New Belgium’s Fort Collins, Colorado and Asheville, North Carolina, facilities will produce Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light. 

• A new report says that craft beer, on average, uses about five times the amount of hops than macro industrial-type brews do. And so in the past 10 years, farmers doubled their acreage.  Unfortunately we're now starting to see market saturation thanks to oversupply and a dip in demand for craft beer. 

• The popular X account Wall Street Silver posted a nearly 30-second video on Wednesday, which shows a man on a boat using an alligator to open a beer can. The video has gone viral and has since been viewed nearly two million times.

• Athletic Brewing. since its launch in 2018, it has catapulted to grab 19 percent of the non-alcoholic beer market, Meanwhile, the Brewers Association already ranks Athletic as the 10th largest craft brewer in the nation.

• The Vietnam craft beer scene is booming, having welcomed more than a dozen micro-breweries in the past year.  Vietnam is one of the biggest beer consumers in Asia drinking 4.2 billion liters a year in 2023, 

• Deal for Samuel Adams owner, which has a market value around $3 billion, is in early stages  Japanese whisky-maker Suntory is in talks to acquire Boston Beer

• Non-alcoholic beer — also called near beer — is defined as any malt beverage with 0.5% or less alcohol by volume (ABV). This threshold was established by law during the prohibition era of the 1920s and remains the standard for non-alcoholic adult beverages to this day. 

• The silver lining from a rough mid-year update from the Brewers Association is that more people are drinking craft beer (albeit less of it)… Beer is having a generally tough go in the on-premise, but non-alcoholic brew sales are  up almost 34 percent on the year through mid-July 2024

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FLASH NEWS

Relaxed Drinking Laws

Sweden and Finland have moved to relax strict laws that govern the sale of alcohol, while preserving wider state monopolies. The government in Stockholm intends to allow what it calls "farm sales", in which alcohol producers offer beverages directly to visiting customers. Meanwhile, Finland's parliament has approved the sale of fermented drinks such as beer, wine and cider with an alcohol content of up to 8% in supermarkets, up from the current 5.5% limit.

In Sweden and Finland, alcohol can generally only be bought in state-owned shops, or at licensed bars and restaurants.

They are the only EU countries to have alcohol monopolies. The long-standing practice is part of a wider Nordic tradition, and aims to limit consumption in the interests of public health.

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Beer Heist

Eight men allegedly operated a beer heist ring that swiped cases of Corona and Modelo Especial valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars from distribution centers and rail cars in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Seven of the men were arrested. The man who prosecutors believe was the ringleader, Jose Cesari, turned himself in to federal authorities Between July 2022 and May 2024, the men allegedly carried out dozens of heists, waiting until night to cut holes in the fences of distribution facilities or to snip the locks off rail cars to gain access to pallets of beer, according to an unsealed indictment. They then allegedly used a moving truck to transport the stolen beer to the Bronx, where it was inspected and then sold. "Train heists harken back to the days of the Wild West and gunslingers riding horses, stealing loot from rail cars," FBI special agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said in the statement. The alcohol valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, prosecutors allege. 

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Stocks Up

Shares of Belgium’s AB InBev have risen recently after the company posted higher revenue and profit in the first quarter, as analysts said it had escaped the drag from a year-long boycott of its Bud Light brand relatively unscathed. The world’s biggest brewer, whose brands include Corona and Stella Artois, notched a 2.6% revenue increase year-on-year to $14.55 billion in the first and second quarters, narrowly ahead of analyst estimates. That was despite a 0.6% drop in volumes that the brewer sold.

Underlying profit attributable to shareholders was higher at $1.5 billion, also above an LSEG-compiled consensus.

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Osama Bin Laden Beer

A beer named after Osama Bin Laden has sold out after going viral on social media. Staff at Mitchell Brewing Co had to unplug phones and close their website temporarily because of demand for Osama Bin Lager. The company, of Billinghay, Lincolnshire (UK), also brews Kim Jong Ale and Putin Porter. "They're all tongue-in-cheek names – a nicer outlook on some horrible dictators," co-owner Luke Mitchell said. Millions of people have seen a picture of the beer – named after the former al-Qaeda leader who died in 2011 – posted on social media.

Husband and wife Luke and Catherine Mitchell run the brewery and a pub. "We've woken up the last couple of mornings with thousands and thousands and thousands of notifications," Mr Mitchell said. The brewery donates £10 from each barrel of Osama Bin Lager to a charity that supports victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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Another Closing

Heineken Internal subsidiary Lagunitas announced it would close its 300,000-square-foot Chicago facility on August 1, shutting down operations in the brewery as well as the taproom. It’s the latest sign that all is not well for the pioneering craft brewery, which saw production volumes decline -20% from 2019-2022, from 1.07 million barrels to 860,000 barrels, according to Brewers Association data. The Chicago plant opened in 2014, when Lagunitas was on track to brew about 600,000 BBLs annually, at a reported cost of $26 million. 

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3,000 Years Old

Using recipes from ancient Egyptian papyrus and a master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies, a Utah man brewed a beer based on recipes nearly 3,000 years old. Dylan McDonnell, a self-described avid beer brewer, recently used yeast from ancient pottery to recreate what he called an authentic ancient Egyptian beer recipe.  Brewing such a drink allowed him to taste history and become “connected to that era,” he said.  McDonnell derived the recipe for his beer from the Ebers Papyrus, a text of medicinal herbal knowledge dating back to around 1550 BC.

“What I did was I took every recipe that mentioned beer … and took the top eight ingredients from that recipe and used them to make the beer,” McDonnell said. Among the ingredients he needed were purple Egyptian barley, emmer wheat, Egyptian balsam fruit, Israeli golden raisins, and frankincense. The yeast used in brewing beer was also ancient. A group of scientists in Israel were able to extract the yeast from a jar that dates back to the 9th Century BC.

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NA Growth Continues

No-alcohol beer, or beer with alcohol content under 0.5%, is a tiny corner of the market, its 31.4 million hectoliters a year dwarfed by the 1.93 billion hectoliters of alcoholic beer, according to GlobalData Plc.  But it’s had an annual compound growth rate of 3.6% since 2018 to today, versus 0.3% for alcoholic beer. In the U.S., adults age 18 to 34 who say they drink has dropped from 72% in the early 2000s to 62%, according to Gallup.

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The Winner Is...

Crowns & Hops Brewing Company has been selected as the winner of the 13th annual Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Brewing & Business Experienceship. The Black-, woman- and veteran-owned, Inglewood, California-based craft brewery will receive support and mentorship from Boston Beer Company leaders, including founder Jim Koch. Crowns & Hops will also have the opportunity to co-create a specialty beer with Boston Beer’s brewing team and receive a trip to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

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Stone Expansion

San Diego-based Sapporo-Stone Brewing has unveiled the near completion of phase one of its expansion project at its Escondido brewery, two years following the announcement of its acquisition by Sapporo U.S.A.,

The $20 million investment in the Escondido, CA facility is one of two significant investments for growth with $40 million invested in the company’s Richmond, VA operation. These investments, the company said. will result in the doubling of the company’s capacity to about 700,000 barrels a year across its bi-coastal breweries. The brewing of Sapporo beers in Escondido, CA and Richmond, VA is now underway.

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Sustainable IPA

Charlotte Water and Town Brewing company — with the help of Xylem and a local brewer in Town Brewing — developed and brewed an IPA with sustainable recycled water from the city's wastewater plant using advanced treatment technologies. Not only was the beer safe to drink, it was also well loved by beer drinkers and judges alike as it took home the award for Best in Show at the Queen City North Carolina Brewers Festival. 

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QUICK HITS

• Only 14% of women in the UK drink beer weekly (compared to 50% of men).  That's a 3% drop since 2018, a new report shows.  No reasons were given.

• For thousands of years, alcohol has been used as a social lubricant. In Japan, it is known as nommunication - a combination of the Japanese word for drink, nomu, and communication. A new survey says 70 % of Japanese businessmen drink at least once a day.

• Cave Direct has partnered with Sierra Nevada to bring the US brewery’s beers to  the U.K.  Cave Direct will launch with a select core range of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, California IPA and Crisp Little 

• Corona, owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, began at a brewery in   exico City in 1922. It's now sold in 180 countries and is one of the top selling beers in the U.S. Modelo Especial, a pilsner-style lager that began nearly 100 years ago in Mexico, was bought by Constellation Brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2013. 

• Over the last four-week period, Bud Light sales are down 27.1% from a year ago, whereas Miller Lite is up 7.8% and Coors Light grew 15.3%, according to new data. Molson Coors is the primary beneficiary of the Bud fallout.

• Molson Coors's Q1 results, CEO Gavin Hattersley said grocery shelf space is expected to increase 13% for both Miller Lite and Coors Light, and roughly 20% for Coors Banquet by the end of summer 2024.

• Ohio's famed Hop Tree Brewing Co. has permanently closed.  It joins a long list of other Ohio brewery closures.  Currently in 2024 there have been more closures in Ohio than brewery openings.

• In the April – May 2024, Bud Light sales are down 27.1% from a year ago, whereas Miller Lite is up 7.8% and Coors Light grew 15.3%. Molson Coors was the "primary beneficiary of the fallout. Grocery shelf space is expected to increase 13% for both Miller Lite and Coors Light, and roughly 20% for Coors Banquet.

• Finlay's Brewing, a small brewery based in Kalbarri – almost 600km north of Perth, Australia – have won Champion Beer at the 2024 Perth Royal Beer Awards.

• Deal for Samuel Adams owner, which has a market value around $3 billion, is in early stages  Japanese whisky-maker Suntory is in talks to acquire Boston Beer

• Trappist beers are traditionally sold in bottles because they undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle, a process that is ideal in glass.  It means the beer matures in flavour for the first three years, and because of the inert nature of glass it can have a much longer shelf life than that if the bottle isn’t opened.

• The world’s best double or imperial IPAs were crowned recently at the World Beer Cup. The competition is arguably craft beer’s most prestigious. Gold: Chance Favors The Prepared Mind, Green Cheek Beer Co., CA. Silver: Rabbit Habit, Docent Brewing, CA, Bronze: Nose Goblin, Ghost Town Brewing, Oakland, CA

• Craft beer pioneer Anchor Brewing Co. — maker of its famous Anchor Steam — has been purchased by Chobani yogurt founder and billionaire Hamdi Ulukaya. The purchase price was not disclosed. 

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FLASH NEWS

Even In Denver

Alcohol-free beverage options have skyrocketed over the past few years, and that trend has especially picked up in the form of nonalcoholic beer in Denver, an epicenter for craft breweries. Nonalcoholic options on menus increased more than 55% from the first quarter of 2023 to the same period in 2024, according to data from Technomic, a food service research and consulting firm.

Though nonalcoholic beers have been around since Anheuser-Busch launched O’Doul’s in 1990, recent surges in interest driven primarily by younger and more health-conscious consumers have caused an explosion in the sector, Technomic found.

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City Out  Of Beer

Seattle,(WA) is out of draft Rainier. Though bottles and cans of Vitamin R  beer remain as plentiful as starlings, kegs of Rainier have been unavailable since late March according to proprietors and customers of sundry Seattle-area watering holes.  Just how long that might take is far from clear.

In a terse email Sean McKillop, a spokesperson for Rainier’s Los Angeles-based parent, Pabst Brewing, said that “our intention is to be at full supply of Rainier as soon as possible,” but offered no time frame.  Also unclear are the reasons for the shortage, with various explanations pointing to a strike at a Texas beer brewery, hiccups in the supply chain and strains on the system of contract brewing that produces a lot of today’s “macro” brews, including Rainier.

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Pliny Bring Big $

Russian River Brewing’s 20th annual Pliny the Younger release contributed $8.6 million in economic impact to the local economy in Sonoma County, according to the California-based brewery and the Sonoma County Economic Development Board (EDB).

The total impact of this year's release is a +36.5% increase versus the 2023 release, and double the impact of 2019, the last release before the COVID-19 pandemic, Russian River co-founder Natalie Cilurzo tsaid in a release.  Previous economic impacts from the release in recent years were $6.3 million in 2023, $6.1 million in 2022, $5.1 million in 2020, $4.2 million in 2019 and $3.4 million in 2018.

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Way Past Best By Date

At a 9,000-year-old burial site in China called Qiaotou, archaeologists recently unearthed a number of ceramic vessels. Some of the vessels were shaped like the long-necked, round-bellied bronze pots that people used for alcoholic drinks millennia later. And that made Dartmouth College anthropologist Jiajing Wang and his colleagues wonder whether these earlier clay versions might have once held beer, too.

Bits of the residue left inside eight of the 13 pots turned out to contain phytoliths (fossilized plant remains) from rice, tubers, and a plant called Job’s tears. Starch molecules in the residue showed signs of being heated and fermented. Wang and his colleagues also found yeast and mold, key ingredients in fermentation.

“Our results revealed that the pottery vessels were used to hold beer, in the most general sense—a fermented beverage made of rice, a grain called Job’s tears, and unidentified tubers,” said Wang. “This ancient beer, though, would not have been like the IPA that we have today. Instead, it was likely a slightly fermented and sweet beverage, which was probably cloudy in color.”

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Revenues UP

Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) shrugged off the ongoing Bud Light boycott to cruise past market estimates as higher prices meant record revenues in a score of markets. Shares in the Budweiser and Stella Artois brewer jumped up recently as revenues rose by 2.6% while underlying profits climbed by 5.4% as cost pressures eased.

Brazil and South Africa both saw record numbers said the brewer, making up for the ongoing problems in the US, where the Bud Light boycott meant sales dropped by more than 9%. AB InBev reported normalized profits of US $5 billion, adding it expects growth over the full year to be between 4% and 8%. "ABI has got its (likely) hardest quarter of 2024 out of the way with little to no bruises," said investment firm Barclays analyst Laurence Whyatt.

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First Tank Bar

A well known Seattle WA chef and restaurateur, is jumping headfirst into the craft beer biz and is already making waves. The intention is to create, what they say, is the nation’s first 100% brewery tank bar. The new new business is Lowlander Brewing, in an iconic and historic Seattle location,  The whole plan is expected to come to fruition in early 2025. 

A tank bar is a sustainable way for a brewery to serve beer. Some say it is the best way for a brewery to serve beer. The beer is poured, by the bartender, directly from specialized conditioning tanks into your glass. There are no tap lines. Tank beer, as they call it, focuses on freshness and integrity.

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Sales Reports

In the April – May 2024, Bud Light sales are down 27.1% from a year ago, whereas Miller Lite is up 7.8% and Coors Light grew 15.3%. Molson Coors was the "primary beneficiary of the fallout. In Molson Coors's results, CEO Gavin Hattersley said grocery shelf space is expected to increase 13% for both Miller Lite and Coors Light, and roughly 20% for Coors Banquet.

Hattersley believes that will lead to higher sales, especially ahead of the critical summer season. "I don't believe any of us have seen such a dramatic shift in shelf space before ... more space equals more volume," he said.

Boston Beer has seen a fall in demand, the company said, with depletions, which tracks sales by distributors to retailers, declining by 9% so far in 2024. The reduction was “primarily due to declines in Truly Hard Seltzer, partially offset by increases in Twisted Tea and growth in Samuel Adams Non-Alcoholic styles and Dogfish Head Canned cocktails,” the company said.

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Expansion

Sapporo-Stone Brewing Co. has just unveiled a $60 million expansion plan that will double the company’s annual capacity to about 700,000 barrels. The news comes less than two years after Japanese beer giant Sapporo acquired Stone Brewing, then the seventh-largest independent craft brewery in the country, for $165 million. Post-integration, the joint company has 850 employees, 600 of whom are based in San Diego County, CA. 

The new capacity will be spread across the company’s breweries in Escondido, California and Richmond, Virginia. The first phase of the expansion, valued at $20 million, is nearly complete, according to a press release. Part of the first phase included the addition of 200 new jobs, 125 locally and 75 outside of San Diego County. Additionally, “more than 150 team members have been promoted or moved into new or expanded roles since the acquisition" said a company spokesperson. .

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Happy 30th!

Saint Arnold Brewing Co. founder Brock Wagner will visit San Antonio’s Flying Saucer and Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen this to celebrate his Houston-based company's 30th anniversary as a craft-beer producer. The drop-ins are part of a statewide tour for Saint Arnold, which touts itself as Texas' oldest independent craft brewery. The Wagner's road show will lead up to a daylong anniversary block party in Houston, scheduled for Saturday, June 8.

During its three decades in business, Saint Arnold has amassed accolades such as the Great American Beer Festival's coveted Brewery of the Year award, which it earned in both 2017 and 2023. The beer producer also also racked up a total of 29 GABF medals and 14 World Beer Cup awards, more than any other brewery in the region, according to company officials 

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QUICK HITS

• Many of America’s most cherished local beer brands have not been local at all, but have been brewed by national producers with extra production capacity.  Pabst, for example, is essentially a beer holding company brewing  for dozens of brands, including Pabst Blue Ribbon, Rainier, Stroh’s, Old Style, Lone Star and Old Milwaukee.

• The much-anticipated 8th Annual Belgian Beer Week, is set to unfold from June 1 to June 8. The celebration promises an array of tastings, promotions, and events dedicated to Belgium's beer culture, spanning the l USA. Check you local bars for specific information.

• The Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, craft brewer of the iconic  Shiner Bock, announced today a $100,000 contribution to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts in Houston, Texas, following the recent damaging storms.  

• Lagunitas announced plans to close their massive Chicago production facility and taproom space as of 7/1/24

• Ohio's famed Hop Tree Brewing Co. has permanently closed.  It joins a long list of other Ohio brewery closures.  Currently in 2024 there have been more closures in Ohio than brewery openings.

• In the April – May 2024, Bud Light sales are down 27.1% from a year ago, whereas Miller Lite is up 7.8% and Coors Light grew 15.3%. Molson Coors was the "primary beneficiary of the fallout. Grocery shelf space is expected to increase 13% for both Miller Lite and Coors Light, and roughly 20% for Coors Banquet.

• A new industry report says brewers’ revenue growth in recent years has largely been driven by price increases. as volumes have fallen or seen only slow growth. The companies claimed they were forced to hike prices rapidly to cover rising costs for everything from barley to aluminum, hitting the amount of beer they sold.

• Harley-Davidson has recently rolled into the non-alcoholic (NA) beer segment via a licensing deal with Wisconsin Brewing Company. 

• Super Lemonova by Lawson's Finest Liquids is poised to expand beyond Vermont into nine states. Crafted with a mix of American and German malts and hops, and British yeast, this blonde features tartness from three lemon additions, 5% ABV.

• Leading wine, spirits, and RTD supplier Gallo announced a “strategic investment” in Montucky Brewing, marking the conglomerate’s first venture into the beer category. Montucky sold over 1 million cases last year.

• New statistics show that White Claw now controls over 60 percent of all dollar sales for the segment while most other leading brands seem to be continuing their decline.

• Boston Beer Company’s Twisted Tea, tnow controls a staggering 90 percent of the lucrative and growing hard-tea segment, It's newest competitior in 2024,is the release of Shock Top Liit, a new 9-percent alcohol-by-volume non-carbonated hard tea.

• The Genesee Brewery recently announced a shift to eco-friendly, sustainable ring carriers on all six packs of 12 oz. and 16 oz. cans of Genesee beer. These carriers are now made using 50 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and break down when exposed to UV light.

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FLASH NEWS

Stock Tip

Some analysts like Tilray Brands (NASDAQ:TLRY) as one of the most  undervalued craft beer stocks While the company, like most cannabis stocks, is arguably overvalued, with slim-to-no moat, Tilray’s craft beer forays have gone largely unnoticed. Last year, the company bought eight craft beer brands from mega-distributor Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD), including Shock Top and HiBall Energy.  Without a nationally legal cannabis infrastructure in the states, many competitors can’t actively build a network in most states that includes marketing, distribution, legal compliance, and more,  Tilray as the fifth-largest craft beer distributor after the move, T is expanding its revenue opportunity and effectively subsidizing its penetration into areas otherwise unfriendly to its cannabis concept through craft beer sales. As states begin to legalize cannabis they will be ready and far ahead of any competitors. Note: Beer Nexus does not endorse the buying/selling of any stock.

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More Legal Jousting

Constellation Brands  and Anheuser Busch InBev's Grupo Modelo sparred again over the definition of beer at a U.S. appeals court, as Grupo Modelo seeks to revive a lawsuit claiming Constellation's Corona and Modelo hard seltzers violate its trademark rights. Judges at the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan grilled attorneys for both sides over the scope of the term "beer" in the companies' distribution contract. The panel appeared inclined to favor Constellation's interpretation and uphold the verdict. Modelo said that Constellation's distribution agreement only allows it to sell beer and malt beverages with Modelo's branding. Constellation argued that the agreement's definitions of "beer" and "malt beverages" also cover its hard seltzers. A federal jury in Manhattan agreed with Constellation last year that the contract encompasses its Modelo-branded drinks. A ruling is expected in late May.

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Beer v. Heavy Metals

Scientists have figured out a way to use the leftovers from brewing beer to remove heavy metals from electrical recycling waste. The metal waste that comes from the recycling of electrical products is notoriously difficult to treat, as the mixture of metals is complicated to separate. Now, however, brewer's yeast may be used to filter out the metals from the electrical waste streams, according to a new paper in the journal Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.  Compared to processes such as chemical precipitation, biosorption using spent brewer's yeast presents a cheap and environmentally friendly approach.  While there are other methods of filtering out heavy metals, including using biological materials called biosorbents to mop up the pollution, and chemical precipitation, these approaches have several downsides, such as producing hard-to-remove or toxic byproducts themselves.

Brewer's yeast is a byproduct of the beer-making process, and is the same ingredient used to make Marmite. It is cheap, widely available, and can even be reused. It can filter out heavy metals using a process called adsorption, which arises due to electrostatic interactions between the surface of the yeast and metal ions. By changing the pH of a solution of yeast and metal, the yeast can adsorb more, or different, metal ions.

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We're Number One!

For the third consecutive year, USA Today has named Grand Rapids Michigan as the #1 city for beer in America.

Since first receiving the title of America’s best “beer city” in a nationwide poll in 2013, Grand Rapids has been on a winning streak, securing an array of ale accolades.  With more than 40 craft breweries scattered within a 30-minute drive, the city offers beer enthusiasts a large selection of craft beers. Each brewery boasts a distinct lineup of brews and experiences.  The rise of the craft brewery industry in Grand Rapids is relatively recent. In 1996, there was not a single brewery in the Grand Rapids area. Beer tourism now accounts for a $38.5 million regional economic impact to the greater Grand Rapids area, supplies nearly 400 jobs and over 9 million dollars in earnings, according to Experience Grand Rapids.

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"Beerpocalypse"

A number of important regional brewery favorites of varying sizes, including Chicago’s Metropolitan Brewing, New Jersey’s Flying Fish, Denver’s Joyride Brewing, Tampa’s Zydeco Brew Werks, and Cleveland’s Terrestrial Brewing, have filed for bankruptcy. It's a sort of beerpocalypse that does not appear to be slowing down as another regional favorite brewery, 7 Mile Brewery of Rio Grande, NJ has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Deadwords and Persimmon Hollow, two Florida breweries also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy late in March.. Both of those beer brands are trying to stay open but it's a longshot. . 

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Ads Revived

In 1975, Miller Lite sparked a debate where iconic stars disagreed for decades: what's the best thing about Miller Lite? Does it Taste Great, or is it Less Filling? To revive the iconic dispute,  Miller Lite is introducing a new generation of All Stars who will go head to head in a new, modern evolution of the campaign,  To celebrate the return of the Great Taste, Less Filling campaign, Miller Lite is dropping Beer Tapes for nostalgia-loving fans to get in on the great beer debate. Miller Lite Beer Tapes are a double feature set - one a real playable VHS that brings fans along an interactive experience to join the debate, unlocking the chance for beer on us for a year. The second feature is a VHS-shaped novelty glass that fans will be able to get their hands on and drink out of (yes, a literal drinkable VHS

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Fridays 

TGI Fridays® announced today that it has reached agreement on exclusivity and on a non-binding basis for a proposed all-share acquisition by UK-based hospitality business, and the brand's largest global franchisee, Hostmore plc. The deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024, would create a global hospitality brand, offering the casual restaurant pioneer operational and financial flexibility, increased scale and capital to deliver continued revenue and an exceptional experience for TGI Fridays Guests. TGI Fridays reported $1.4bn in total systemwide sales in 2023 alone. Upon completion of the transaction, the new combined entity would be named TGI Fridays plc and listed on the London Stock Exchange as "TGIF" with both US and global operations of the brand remaining in place at the company's Dallas headquarters  They have over 600 restaurants in 44 countries.

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CHEERS

The Creating Hospitality Economic Enhancement for Restaurants and Servers (CHEERS) Act would give tax breaks to businesses that use energy efficient draft lines and keg equipment. It has bipartisan support in the House.  Craft beer is often sold in reusable kegs, so they hold a lot more beer compared to bottles and cans, and it means lower production costs because packaging and shipping is much easier. From production to consumption, draft beer is much more energy efficient.

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QUICK HITS

• Beer sales at bars and restaurants have declined in both dollar sales (-0.7%) and volume (-5.7%) in the 12-month period through the aPRIL 2024. Within beer, below premiums, imports and flavored malt beverages are outperforming the category – though all have recorded volume declines. 

• Deschutes Brewery announced today a new addition to its non-alcoholic beer lineup in the form of Fresh Squeezed NA IPA—the alcohol-free version of its flagship Fresh Squeezed. It joins Black Butte NA, and it’s the first NA beer to be made entirely in-house.

• Elysian Brewing is expanding its “Space Dust” line with the addition of a new year-round beer inspired by its flagship Space Dust IPA — Juice Dust Juicy IPA. Like its predecessor, Juice Dust is 8.2% ABV with 73 IBUs; what sets it apart is a different malt bill and the addition of orange juice during brewing.

• The Great American Beer Hall, scheduled to open in late summer 2024 in Medford, wil be the largest in the country. It’s  massive at 22,000-square-foot taproom-style beer hall and 8,800-square-foot outdoor beer garden. Interior and exterior mezzanine levels round out the facility’s design.

• Hard MTN Dew is transitioning to Boston Beer Company’s beer distributor network and will expand to all 50 states, The move marks the end of distribution by PepsiCo’s Blue Cloud Distribution.

• Before kicking off his summer tour, noted Miller Lite fan Luke Combs toured the Miller Brewery where he shotgunned a beer, quoted Superbad and met an employee with one of his lyrics tattooed on his arm.

• California's No. 1 craft brand is Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., known for Torpedo and Hazy Little Thing IPAs. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, was ranked as California’s favorite beer. California’s second-favorite beer is Stone IPA..

• In a just released poll, Samuel Adams was named the top craft brewery brand in 22 states. 

• Nonalcoholic beer has gone mainstream. Budweiser Zero is the official beer of the seventh-inning cutoff time at baseball games in Canada, and Corona Cero will be featured as a leading global Worldwide Olympic Partner 

• A new report says that beer aromatics and head retention are dictated by the chemistry of many components: grain, malt, hops, the percentage and type of carbonation, and even the glassware used to serve the final product. So many things can affect head retention, but the main one starts with the grain bill.” 

• Many people may think of hamburgers, fries when they think of McDonald's in the United States, but the fast-food chain serves customers beer in nearly a dozen other countries, including France, Germany, South Korea and a just opened one in  Portugal.

• Modelo Especial remains the best-selling beer in the U.S. and its sales are up 12% so far in 2024, compared to a year ago.

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FLASH NEWS

Less Beer For Zs

New research shows that the Generation Z crowd now on campus seems to be drinking far less beer and booze than previous generations .And this isn’t just a random blip in the numbers: “Younger adults are drinking less alcohol — and it has been moving in that direction for two decades. Researchers found that 28% of college students in 2023 reported that they abstained from alcohol. In 2002, the number was 20%. Young adults not in college were even more likely to avoid alcohol. Nearly 35% of this group in 2023 reported that they did not drink beer, wine or spirits. The number was about 24% in 2002. Decreases in alcohol consumption by Gen Z coincide with an uptick in cannabis use, according to numerous reports. The rise coincides with increased legalization of cannabis and a lower feeling of risk.

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Buy Low, Sell High

Investors are warming to beer stocks as a relatively cheap way to benefit from growth in alcohol brands, particularly in emerging markets, as easing cost pressures help brewers close the gap on the spirits giants that have outshone them for years. While spirits companies enjoyed record growth during a post-pandemic boom in expensive liquors, brewers like Anheuser-Busch InBev and Heineken have struggled with huge spikes in costs of everything from energy to barely. This slashed margins and hurt sales as they hiked prices to cover their bills, and accelerated a shift from wine and beer to spirits in Western markets.But now brewers are set for a recovery in margins as inflation eases, and are raising growth ambitions. While Heineken, the world’s No.2 brewer, recently disappointed markets with its cautious guidance, it still expects to sell more beer in 2024 and could see strong profit growth.

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Number 1

O’Brien’s Pub in Kearny Mesa, long recognized as one of San Diego’s oldest craft beer bars, was named the No. 1 beer bar in America on Friday in a USA Today 10Best poll. Founded in 1994 and specializing in serving both Belgian and rare beers, O’Brien’s is co-owned by Tom Nickel and Tyson Blake. O’Brien’s Pub was ranked No. 4 in last year’s 10Best poll, and Nickel said that he and Blake were both surprised and thrilled to have made it to the top of this year’s list.

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Happy Birthday Old Timer

As Pabst Blue Ribbon celebrates its 180th anniversary, the beer brand announced the return of its two-day music festival, Project Pabst. After a seven-year hiatus, Project Pabst is returning to Portland, OR, this summer. Project Pabst will be held in Waterfront Park on July 27 and 28, Project Pabst is a 21+ event. Pre-sale tickets start at $99, with general on sale tickets being $115.But Project Pabst isn’t the only celebration. “We’re rolling out special 180th Pabst Blue Ribbon anniversary packaging to celebrate the milestone later in the year, as well as dedicated PBR 180th anniversary themed marketing,

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Fastest Growing

Metal, glass, and liquid cartons are projected to be the fastest-growing materials used in the craft beer and spirits market through 2027. This comes as consumer demands for ready-to-drink, e-commerce, and variety and multipacks have moved the market to a projected 1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) or 78.1 billion unit sales from 2024 to 2027. Metal already represents the lion’s share of craft brew and spirits packaging—followed by glass, then rigid plastic,

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Less Premium

It seems beer is becoming the choice of cash strapped consumers.  Diageo has some evidence to back up that assertion. Last year punters in Latin America were buying fewer premium spirits in favor of beer, while in the United States, growth of its Guinness brand outstripped that of tequila and vodka. Last week, Carlsberg,  also noted drinkers’ changing habits, and upped its medium-term sales guidance from 3% to 5% to 4% to 6%.

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$10 Beillion Debt

Anheuser-Busch InBev beat sales estimates and raised its annual dividend by 9% last month, but its shares slipped over 3% as investors weighed the absence of a new share buyback, poor U.S. sales and the impact of hyperinflation in Argentina. Investors in the world's largest brewer are hungry for returns after years of focus on debt reduction as AB InBev tried to pay off an acquisition spree.  That spree built it into a global beer behemoth, but also left it with debts of over $100 billion that it struggled to reduce as quickly as hoped, limiting its ability to return cash to shareholders.

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Spirts Beat Beer Again

The spirits industry held its market share edge over beer and wine for the second straight month in 2024, even as it showed little growth, according to new data released.  Vodka remained the top-selling spirit so far in 2024, while the second-highest selling category, tequila and mezcal, gained even more of a lead on American whiskey. Tequila and mezcal, blended whiskey and American whiskey are among the fastest-growing spirits categories by revenue.

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QUICK HITS

• Roth Brewing Company LLC of Raleigh, N.C., which produces Gizmo beer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 8. In its filing, the company checked the box that indicates that its debts are less than $7.5 million and it chooses to proceed under Subchapter V of Chapter 11. 

• A just released report to stockholders from AB/InBev says that still continuing backlash over a partnership with a transgender social media influencer cost the world’s largest brewer as much as $1.4 billion so far. The company claims they are winning back customers currently but did not release any statistics to back their claim

• Teamsters are calling for a boycott of Molson Coors’ products as workers continue to strike at the beer giant’s Fort Worth production brewery. Members of Local 997 have been on strike since February 17, seeking pay raises, retirement benefits and the end of tiered health care. 

• Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) Teamsters have ratified the union’s new five-year contract with the world’s largest beer manufacturer. The contract was approved with 86% of the vote, It offers “significant job security for all 5,000 Teamsters” at A-B’s 12 U.S. breweries 

• Hard MTN Dew is transitioning to Boston Beer Company’s beer distributor network and will expand to all 50 states, The move marks the end of distribution by PepsiCo’s Blue Cloud Distribution.

• Grand Rapids (Michigan)  was named the number-one beer city in the U.S.  by USA Today "thanks largely to the presence of the world-renowned Founders Brewing Co. and several other brewing operations around town, most notably the Belgian-inspired Brewery Vivant.”

• Corona Cero will be the first-ever beer to be globally sponsored in the ypcoming summer Olympics.

• American Farmland Trust (AFT), a national nonprofit that helps to keep American farmers on their land, launched a new U.S. Farmed certification and packaging seal for products that derive at least 95 percent of their agricultural ingredients from farms in the United States. Anheuser-Busch, is the first-to receive the seal.

• Discount grocery chain Aldi is once again selling beer at stores in New York state. The company, based in Germany, has begun stocking shelves in New York and other Eastern states.

• The new Dolphy Day IPA that debuts nest month is expected to help Le Moyne College (NY) generate money for its wellness programming and scholarships. The beer  is a collaboration with Meier’s Creek Brewing Co.

• Hawaii’s largest craft brewer, Maui,  has just installed a new high-speed canning line to complement new cartoning capabilities after a switch from plastic carriers to multipack cartons proves popular with consumers.

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FLASH NEWS

Shrinking Footprint

AB InBev shrank its footprint even further on March. 1, just five weeks after shuttering Goose’s Clybourn (Illinois) taproom, and half a year after offloading a bunch of brands to Tilray.  Then A-B’s Golden Road announced the closure of their Sacramento taproom. The day after that, Anheuser-Busch announced that they’d be shuttering Miami’s Wynwood Brewing, with some of their beers moving to Veza Sur, a brand created by A-B in 2017. Interestingly, Veza Sur was originally positioned as a collaborative project between Colombia’s Bogota Beer Co. and 10 Barrel, which is one of the brands that A-B sold to Tilray last year.

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Bell's Expands

Bell’s Brewery Inc. is investing $2.6 million to boost packaging automation capacity its Comstock Township brewery east of Kalamazoo as a way to produce more variety packs of its popular beers. The investment includes an additional $500,000 project to reduce waste at the production facility. These latest investments come just months after the company wrapped up an 18-month expansion project that doubled the brewery’s canning capacity.

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Free Beer

Health care workers who stand to lose their jobs near Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin,  can get free beer at Leinenkugel's Leinie Lodge. Two complimentary crowlers of Leinie’s Red Lager or Jacob Spring Brewery Ale are being offered to those who show up at the lodge with their work badges from HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, or Prevea’s western Wisconsin offices. Beers are available while supplies last to those over the age of 21.

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Publix Beer

Wegmans and Whole Foods offer things like happy hour, beer and wine on tap, live music, and other attractions to make the shopping experience enjoyable.  Now Publix, the most popular and plentiful grocery store in Florida, has a good reputation for how it treats its employees. With over 800 locations around the Sunshine State, the grocery store is the largest employee-owned company in the country, Now, in select locations, they will be offering wine, beer, and kombucha on tap.

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Football Beer

After being one of the final holdouts in the SEC, Georgia will open beer sales to all fans at home football games in 2024.  The move comes five years after the SEC lifted its ban on alcohol sales at conference events.  Georgia and Auburn were the final two SEC schools to not sell beer to the general public at football games. Auburn has not formally announced whether it will do so this fall but has been slowly moving in that direction, selling beer at basketball games in Nov. 2023, becoming the final SEC school to sell alcohol at athletic events.

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Best Maros

The best macro beers, according to survey of 100 brewers throughout the US:: 1. Miller High Life; 2. Modelo Especial; 3.Narragansett; 4. Presidente; 6. Pacifico; 7.Coors Banquet; 8, Budweiser; 9. Guinness

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Volume Down

Last year beer consumption dropped to its lowest volume since 1999.  More than 95 percent of breweries in the U.S. are quite small, and if you're one of those small breweries and you run a tight ship, you'll most likely be ok moving forward in the rest of 2024.  However If you're the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and you lost 26 percent of the volume on your most important brand in the past 12 months (Bud Light), then you're singing a different song at this point. Luckily, Bud Light’s problems are not craft beer’s problems.

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Michelob Ultra Challenge

Two Boston Beer Company vets are trying to shake up the low-calorie beer industry. Todd Simon, a former Boston Beer brand strategist, and David Sipes, a brewer with 17 years of experience brewing Samuel Adams beers and making Angry Orchard ciders, have teamed up to form a new company challenging the Michelob Ultras of the world.

The company is Lonsdale Brewing Co. and the beer is Hero95, a light lager with just 95 calories and 3.6 grams of carbs.  Hero95 is produced with Munich malts and noble hops. Sipes describes the brew as having “a really nice biscuity flavor and just a touch of perceived sweetness from the malts, though it’s actually quite dry.” The beer clocks in at 4 percent alcohol by volume.  six-packs have a suggested price of $10.99 to $12.99, as well as on draft.

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QUICK HITS

• Midwest IPA will now be a  year-round offering from Great akes Brewing.  It launches this March in 12 oz. Can 6-Packs, 19.2 oz. Cans, Draft, and select Variety Packs.  It has7.0% ABV and is brewed with a blend of Triumph, Strata, Cascade, and Citra hops., 

• Bud Light's revenue was down 13.5% from the previous year and the beer brand lost about 26% of its sales by the end of 2023 . The decline remains steady for the early part of 2024

• Zydeco Brew Werks to close its main brewery The craft brewery and restaurant said in a Facebook post that it will close its Ybor City location in Tampa on March 1 after nearly eight years of operations.

• In the beer category, last year's favorites like Modelo Especial, tequila, ready-to-drink cocktails–and non-alcoholic beverages, too–all look to have staying power.  Sales so far in 2024  have remained steady while craft beers sales continue to be soft.

• Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%, the super premium Italian beer brand from Asahi Europe has today announced a new global partnership with Ferrari. The multi-year partnership will see Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% enter a new racing chapter alongside Scuderia Ferrari and Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli series, continuing the motorsport sponsorship journey.

• Pilsner Urquell, which is the official partner of the Czech Olympic Committee, will henceforth withdraw from all sponsorship related to the 2024 Olympics. A decision which was reportedly due to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) choosing to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the sporting event.

• For most of 2023, Guinness was the most popular beer in the US. Now, the first poll of 2024 data reveals a new No. 1. Remember this is NOT measured by sales, it is the result of a survey of beer drinkers.  Here are the top five.  5. Modelo, 4. Samuel Adams, 3, 3. Heineken, 2. 2. Guinness, 1. Corona

• A  new survey of Cicerones listed these as the worst things you should never do related to beer.  Here are the top three: Never serve it in a frosted glass.  Never served flat beer, Never use an improper glass for the style. 

• Hi-Wire Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina, operates a dozen locations as far away as Birmingham, Alabama. Last year, Denver Beer Co. has just debuted its fourth and fifth Colorado outpost, while Dust Bowl Brewing in Turlock, California, opened its fourth California taproom. Brewery taprooms have officially entered their chain era.

• Despite the hazy IPA onslaught,  a new survey says America’s favorite beer style remains the lager. Seeking wider audiences, craft breweries are making approachable pilsners and light lagers. The trade-off is a production process that can take over a month, crimping production of ales that can be made and sold in just a few weeks. 

• Research from the Oregon Health Authority found that an increase in a state's excise tax on beer and wine would likely have a muted impact on heavy drinking, but could raise millions in tax revenue for the state.  This directly contradicts proponents of anti- drinking advocates.

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FLASH NEWS

Another One Bites The Dust

A number of local and regional breweries have filed for bankruptcy in 2023. That's at least partially because overall interest in beer has fallen. Now, Flying Fish Brewing Co., a Pennsylvania brewery that operates in South Jersey, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after a deal fell apart that would have seen the company sold to Cape May Brewing Co. Flying Fish "listed $1.3 million in assets and $9.3 million in liabilities in its Chapter 11 petition, which was filed in late December in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey. The company is owned by Elk Lake Capital, a capital investment firm in Scranton that acquired Flying Fish in 2016,

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Alcohol Taxes Cut

A decision by the Thai government to cut alcohol taxes has been made in an effort to boost tourism in the country.  The move, which has been approved by the cabinet, will see import tariffs on wine exempted, which are currently at 54% and 60% of their declared value. In addition, the excise tax on wine will be reduced from 10% to 5% and locally produced alcohol from 10% to 0% in order to assist small-scale firms. According to the Bangkok Post, the new tax rules will take place shortly. The latest move will impact the country’s coffers though, as last year, the government collected almost ฿178bn (£3.9bn) in alcohol, beer and other beverage taxes.  This included ฿64.17bn (|£1.4bn) from alcoholic beverages, ฿86.5bn (£1.9bn) from beer and ฿26.95bn (£584m) from other beverages. Currently, the excise tax is a two-tier system with wine priced at more than ฿1000 being hit with a 10% tax and 0% below that price point. But as the tax is also applied to ABV, all wines are taxed at ฿1500 per litre for 100º of alcohol content. This has now been cut to 1000 baht.  A separate tax on volume is also applied to local alcohol based on volume at ฿150 per litre for 100º of alcohol content, still remains.

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New Regs in Alaska

New Alaska alcohol regulations, developed to level the playing field for local brewers, means big beer will be given restrictions from entering into exclusive deals with bars and stores.  The regulations will bring Alaska into compliance with federal laws, but could be used as a structure for other countries and regions looking to mirror a model that doesn’t squeeze smaller brewers out of the market. Alaska brewers have said that the law is coming into force because industry heavyweights with deep pockets have historically had an unfair advantage because they could give bar owners expensive new draught beer kit for free with the caveat that only their beers are sold on tap, essentially tying up all of the lines, a move also being seen across Britain. Similarly, retailers could get free prizes and inducements that required them to put certain products in their refrigerators or on prominent shelves, pushing out smaller breweries entirely. The changes now state that bars could no longer receive free draught beer systems from manufacturers and wholesalers, but they could still get them cleaned for free. Additionally, retailers would be restricted to accepting free prizes up to US$400 for contests, and there would be similar restrictions on promotional displays and stores would be prohibited from signing exclusive agreements with one manufacturer for shelf space or presentation of products.

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Edinburgh’s Last Major Brewery Sold

Heineken has sold Edinburgh’s historic Caledonian Brewery site to the property developers Artisan Real Estate. The historic 1.9-acre brewery in Shandon(UK) will be turned into new homes.  Prior to Heineken closing the Caledonian Brewery in 2022, it was Edinburgh’s last major brewery and had been founded in 1869  The brewery reportedly used traditional brewing methods and open square fermenters and direct-fired copper kettles. Despite passing through a range of ownerships during the past two centuries, the brewery was most recently operated by Heineken from 2008 after it had been acquired as an assets of then owner Scottish and Newcastle. However, last year when Heineken first placed  placed the site on the market, it left the historic buildings vulnerable to property developers.

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Historic Glassware

Made famous by its brewing industry, Czech glassware has just been added to the World Heritage list by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The uniqueness of Czech glass can be seen in many forms, especially in bars within the country, often sporting decoction brewed lagers. According to reports, unlike in other countries, Czech glassmaking uses many techniques beyond simple glass blowing.

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Due Date, Bew Date

According to a recent survey commissioned by Samuel Adams and conducted online by The Harris Poll, only 17% of Americans 21+ who had a pregnant partner say they stopped drinking while their partner was pregnant. So, to help expecting dads and non-carrying mothers pace through each trimester, Samuel Adams introduces ‘Due Date, Brew Date’ to reward those who give up alcohol in support of their  pregnant partner. Have a Due Date? It’s time to start planning your Brew Date! Head to @samueladamsbeer on Instagram, comment on the Due Date, Brew Date post, and you may win a 40-week supply of Samuel Adams non-alcoholic Just the Haze to enjoy the flavor of beer without the buzz. The brand is even throwing in a 6-pack of Samuel Adams Boston Lager to cheers making it to your Brew Date - oh, and to celebrate the new addition to your family.

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QUICK HITS

• For the first time since 1999, beer shipments in 2023 fell below 200 million barrels.  Yet even as overall volume consumption declined, the largest beer makers remain financially resilient thanks to prices that climbed alongside — or even surpassed — broader inflation

• Fidens Brewery said the brewery, which produces its beer in a Colonie (NY)industrial park, has had visitors from the Netherlands, Japan and China, after trying Fidens beer in their home countries.  How’d the get it? The “black” (secondary market in beer continues to thrive.

• Tilray's Net revenue from the company’s alcohol business increased 117% to $47 million last quarter. The growth came after Tilray acquired eight beer brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev NV making it the fifth-largest craft brewer in the US.

• A brewery and a creamery in Oregon partnered up to craft blue cheese beer. Rogue Creamery and the Crux Fermentation Project collaborated to create Coolship Beer No. 6, aged in oak barrels for nearly two years 

• Pilsner Urquell, which is the official partner of the Czech Olympic Committee, will henceforth withdraw from all sponsorship related to the 2024 Olympics. A decision which was reportedly due to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) choosing to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the sporting event.

• Gottlieb Heileman, founder of G. Heileman Brewing Company, died in 1878. His wife, Johanna, stepped into the role of CEO, making her the first-ever female CEO of an American brewery. She maintained the position for the next 34 years. The brewery will release a special beer in her honor this spring.

• Anheuser-Busch InBev will be the first beer brand to ever sponsor the Olympics The International Olympic Committee said the team-up will go from the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer games to Los Angeles 2028 Summer games. The IOC specifically highlighted Corona Cero (non-alcoholic) as the beer of choice for the partnership.

• Buffalo Brewing Co. used a Mason jar filled with clean snow from the latest storm to create its recipe for Golden Snowbeer.. If they say so.

• New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law a bill that will ease strict restrictions on the way craft breweries in the state can operate their taprooms. Now craft breweries can host an unlimited number of special events in their taprooms, coordinate with food trucks and restaurants to offer food service and sell snacks.

• A former server has filed a lawsuit against Artisanal Brewing Ventures (ABV) alleging the craft brewery platform violated federal and state labor laws by undercompensating tipped employees and requiring them to do untipped and unpaid tasks 

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FLASH NEWS

BrewDog Censured

BrewDog has been censured by the advertising watchdog for misleading claims about the climate credentials of its beers. The brewery claimed its beers were carbon negative in an advertisement. In the ad the company urged consumers to drink its beer to protect their descendants from the climate crisis. It described the beverage as “Beer for your grandchildren” and claimed BrewDog was “the world’s first carbon negative brewery”.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld two complaints that the brewery failed to explain its claims that the beer was in fact carbon negative, meaning the process of making the drink sequestered more carbon than it emitted. The ASA also ruled against the brewer over a promotion that claimed “solid gold” cans worth $20,000 had been hidden in cases of beer. In fact, the cans were made largely of brass and coated with gold plating three-thousandths of a millimeter thick. 

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Happy Birthday

In the early 1900s, most Americans enjoyed their beer in a saloon or taken home in bucket. But as a market developed for “bottle beer,” Miller brewers crafted a crisp, refreshing, effervescent beer to be known as Miller High Life. Within three years, the new beer earned the nickname “The Champagne of Bottle Beer” and this January 1, the beer will celebrate its 120th birthday, remaining an iconic American brew. When it debuted, High Life was merely one of many brands brewed and sold by Miller. Other Miller brands during the early 20th century included Buffet, Münchener, Bock, Export, Porter, and Extra Pale Bohemian. High Life was intended to fill a particular niche in the Miller portfolio at the time - what we would now call an “above-premium” brand. In 1904 a case of Miller High Life bottles cost $1.80—the equivalent of $62 today. Its nickname or course, is “the champagne of beers” Why? Well, the earliest High Life bottles featured tapered, sloping shoulders, which resembled champagne bottles, plus, Miller’s golden color and high carbonation, both readily apparent in their clear bottles, encourage comparisons to champagne. That paired with the fact that High Life debuted close to New Year’s Eve also bolsters the connection with champagne, the classic New Year’s beverage.

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Most Popular In 2023

YouGov is, it’s an online research and analytics technology group. It was created as a way to find out what Americans think about a variety of topics. They do this by getting 24 million responses and counting on the various topics from products, to companies.  According to their end of they year 2023 survey the most popular beer in America is, with a popularity of 56%, Guinness Stout. Samuel Adams Boston Lager comes in at second place with 52% popularity, the only other beer with 50% or more popularity is Heineken (which happens to have 50% approval). The rest of the top ten is Corona (48%), Blue Moon (47%), Corona Extra (46%), Dos Equis (43%), Corona Light (43%), Stella Artois (42%), and Michelob Ultra (also 42%). 

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Jungle Juice Returns

Have you ever been nostalgic for jungle juice — that famed improvised batch brew from your college years — but weren't particularly eager to drink something ladled out of a garbage can? You're in luck. Two Kent State University alums have just  released a "hard fruit punch" beverage in Ohio, before a national rollout expected by Feb.  2024.Jungle Juice is currently the only non-carbonated alcoholic fruit punch on the market in the United States, co-founder Spencer Forrest, says. By the numbers: Jungle Juice is 6.0% ABV, costs $19.99 per 12-pack and weighs in at 165 calories per can.

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Blue Moon Bagels (really)

Beer bread is making room for beer bagels, at least for a while.Molson Coors’ Blue Moon beer is partnering with PopUp Bagels to bring together what they call the best of craft beer and artisan bagels. Blue Moon beer is infused into PopUp Bagels, while the craft brew’s signature Valencia oranges are incorporated into the cream cheese.

Blue Moon, the brand has worked with other food partners before. Last year, Blue Moon worked with a bakery to introduce mini pies to garnish Blue Moon beer. Molson Coors is no stranger to finding new ways to promote its beers through new products and partnerships.  The company’s Miller High Life brand partnered with chocolatier and entrepreneur Phillip Ashley earlier this year to create Miller High Life Bar Snack Truffles, while its Coors Light brew also has been found in offbeat products such as beer-flavored lollipops and popsicles  The bagels will soon be available in selected markets throughout the nation.

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Brewers Association End of Year Report

2023 proved challenging for many small and independent brewers. All signs point to production being down in 2023 — a first (excluding a unique 2020) for independent brewers. The primary culprits are slowing demand growth, competition from across beverage alcohol, and a retail environment marked by declining draught sales and reduced shelf space for craft.  Amid headwinds, there is good news: the continued overall popularity of the category. Independent brewers still sell more than one out of eight beers in the United States, and consumers spend roughly a quarter of their beer dollars on a beer from a small and independent brewer.  Climatic stresses affected the two major agricultural inputs in brewing, barley, and hops.  The 2023 North American barley harvest was larger than 2022 but still below the five-year average. Quality issues persisted, particularly in the Canadian prairie provinces and parts of Montana where precipitation remained below normal, and temperatures stayed above normal.  In the U.S., hop acreage strung for harvest decreased due to the large volume of hops in inventory, but growing conditions produced above-average yields in most varieties. Climatic conditions remained challenging in Europe. The quantity of hops harvested in Europe remained well below average.  The supply of CO2 stabilized somewhat, but spot shortages continued to affect some regions. 

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QUICK HITS

• The Museum of Beer & Brewing plans to open a physical location in Lincoln, Wisconsin in January 2024.  The museum – founded in 2001 has long been in search of a permanent physical home. The museum’s stated mission is, “to inform and teach all ages the art, culture, technology and science of malted beverages and related industries.”  It is affiliated with the Wisconsin State Historical Society

• Anheuser-Busch has brewed up $13 million for its Georgia Brewery in 2023. The company employs more than 450 people in full-time jobs and contributes more than $400 million to Georgia's economy annually.

• A $5.5 billion class action settlement involving Visa and Mastercard is now underway. If a brewery accepted either of these card types and was operating between January 2004 and January 2019, they may be entitled to a claim. Tell your local brewer  – he may not know about this yet.

• in Saarland, Germany, close to the French border just voted the #1 drink is Mixery, a blend of Coke and pale lager. Composed of around 60 percent beer and 40 percent cola, it’s popular among younger drinkers, Beer-cola mixes have become a big part of German beer culture, it s now taught and tested in German brewing schools.

• Longstanding WA craft beer favorite, Beerfarm's IPL, has just been crowned the 2024 (yes, 2024) WA Good Food Guide Awards Australian Beer of the Year. 

• Eastern Washington University and No-Li Brewhouse of Spokane will create the school’s first professional certificate program for the craft beer industry. The 15-credit program begins in the fall, 2024.No-Li Brewhouse owners John and Cindy Bryant donated $10,000 to help launch the certificate program.

• In 2023, farmers produced another bumper crop of barley, which added to the supply glut. “All of this is going on while the demand has fallen steadily over the last three years,” Black said. The oversupply of barley likely will result in a reduction in the North American contract price,

• 'Spoetzl Brewery has announced it has just installed a significant array of solar panels, generating an impressive 2.0 megawatts of electricity. This green energy source now fuels a record 30% of the brewery's power needs.

• Viking Artisan Ales one of the oldest award winning breweries in Indiana has announced is closing.

• Beer has passed wine as the beverage of choice for women ages 18 to 34. One theory as it why is that beer is an affordable way to buy artisanal since the cost of a bottle of craft beer is  usually less than wine. 

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FLASH NEWS

New Study - Eat Then Drink

Your age, weight, whether you’ve eaten food recently, medications, liver disease and the time between drinks determins how long alcohol stays in your system. A new study says that the ability to metabolize alcohol slows as you age. Alcohol will have heightened effects on those with lower weights and smaller body sizes.  A shot of liquor is estimated to metabolize in an hour, a pint of beer in two, a glass of wine in three, and several drinks hours.

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500th Beer

In early Dec. 2023  Troegs, the Hershey-based brewery will launch its 500th Scratch beer - the Double Perpetual IPA.  According to the brewery “Cycling through copious amounts of Cascade, Chinook, Nugget and Citra hops, this bigger, bolder version of Perpetual IPA boasts sticky notes of citrus fruit and pine.” It was created in the  Scratch Lab, a 3-barrel nano-brewery that replicates the temperature controls, pressure,etc. of Tröegs’ 100-barrel brewhouse.

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It's A Knockout

UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and Anheuser-Busch have announced a new multiyear marketing partnership. Effective January 1, 2024, the brewer will become the exclusive “Official Beer Partner of UFC.”

Analysts doubt it will help the extreme drop in Bud Light sales caused by the boycott.

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Unhealthy Additive

Restaurants and consumers in South Korea have quickly lost their taste for Tsingtao beer, after a video that appeared to show a brewery worker urinating into a tank at one of the firm’s plants in China.  A number of restaurants, had applied for refunds on shipments of Tsingtao, but added that the beer’s South Korean importer had turned down the requests. A sustained drop in sales in South Korea would pose a problem for Tsingtao, which had the largest market share of any imported beer in the country. China is the second-biggest beer importer to South Korea after Japan, 

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Beer Makes Coffee

Stone brewing will release of its full line of specialty coffees, bringing a "bold and bitter twist" to morning routine. Available online now, the Stone Brewing Coffee collectionwill hit stores nationwide in early 2024. The coffee is based on  Stone Brewing’s Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager, and Stone Xocoveza.

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Can Demand Slows

Beer cans supplier Ball Corp missed third-quarter sales estimates o hurt by slowing demand for its beverage cans 

The world's largest supplier of beer cans is navigating a challenging macro environment with consumers cutting down on discretionary spending, which has impacted Ball's customers and suppliers, sales and production volumes.

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Sam Battles Cider

A beer battle is brewing in Boston involving the makers of Sam Adams and Downeast Cider. Boston Beer, the parent company of Sam Adams, is suing its rival Downeast Cider. Boston r says a former employee downloaded confidential market plans, pricing guides and other data to a thumb drive just before quitting and then shared those secrets when they started working at Downeast.The employee worked in senior managerial roles at Sam Adams for eight years, according to the company. Both Downeast and the employee in question deny the allegations.

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Delivery Please

New Jersey residents can get beer or wine delivered to their door, just in time for the the holidays. State regulators approved permits for DoorDash and Instacart to deliver drinks, the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control confirmed. The permits allow for deliveries only at residences and rule out college campuses, hotels and BYOB restaurants.

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QUICK HITS

• Beer and Brewing magazine’s top ten beer cities in the US for 2023 (2022 rank is listed in parentheses)

U.S. Cities 1. Chicago, Illinois (2) 2. San Diego, California (4) 3. Portland, Oregon (5) 

• Recently wildfires in Maui ripped through the town of Lahaina. The Kokua Session IPA ‘s sales proceeds will go toward the victims of the wildfires. It's part of Maui Brewing Company's Kokua Project.  The goal is to raise $1,000,000 through the one beer brewed by many.  More breweries are welcome to join the project.

• Britain's beer drinkers have been named the most generous in Europe in a new report. Eighty two per cent of Britons said they were more likely to get a round in for their friends than split the bill. A further 77 per cent said that they would buy someone a drink regardless of whether they thought they would get one in return. 

• Florida has made it nearly impossible for someone to legally sell a beer keg to a recycling yard unless he or she can prove ownership of the stainless steel container.  Empty keg theft has become a major problem there.

• Thanks to inflation the average person in Colombia must work for 1.75e hours for a beer; South Africa, the average

worker has to work for just over an 1.33 hours to buy a beer. In Italy, it's just 15 minutes.

• Forget Dry January.  The stats are just in on Sober October. It's a hit. Non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits sales have increased 32% so far this year in U.S. supermarkets, drug stores and mass merchandise stores over the 52-week period ending Nov. 21, compared to the previous year.  

• 'Metropolitan Brewing, one of Chicago's oldest craft breweries (it opened in 2008-2009) has filed filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy largely because it cannot afford to pay the back rent it owes its lenders.

• New research now says that a shot of liquor is estimated to metabolize in an hour, a pint of beer in two, a glass of wine in three, and several drinks could take multiple hours.  alcohol can even be detected at the roots of your hair for 90 days after someone has stopped drinking.

• Heineken, the world’s second-biggest brewer, saw volumes fall 4.2% year-on-year and revenue nudge up by 2% as it said sales had begun to be impacted by its higher prices.-

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FLASH NEWS

"Gobsmacked"

The price of a single pint of beer at a pub in a Sydney tourist hub has left Australians "gobsmacked". A consumer shared a photo of the beer (brewer unknown) on X and its accompanying $17.80 (Australian) [$11.42 USD] price tag “$20 pints [$17 USD] are just around the corner,” he captioned the photo. The price included a 15 percent surcharge, he added, without which the beverage would’ve cost $15.13. [$9.71 USD]. The price, he declared, was “tough to swallow”. However it's still better than many US bars that are now charging $8 - 9 for a twelve ounce pour.

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Name Change

, LightSky, the slim-can offshoot of Blue Moon was a big success when it hit shelves in 2020, helping to protect the brand’s flank from the then-surging hard seltzer segment while carving into Michelob Ultra territory, but it’s lost a little luster lately. Now, in an effort to simplify the line and zhuzh up LightSky to attract the next generation of drinkers, the brewer will lop off the back half of the extension’s name. As of March 2024, when the rollout arrives in stores, Blue Moon LightSky is dead! Long live Blue Moon Light!

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New "Global Brand"

Anheuser-Busch InBev (has elevated its low calorie lager Michelob Ultra to the status of "global brand", according to a recent investor presentation, positioning it to better compete with Dutch rival Heineken. The world's largest brewer previously bestowed that title on just three of its biggest-hitting labels, Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois. But presentation slides included Michelob Ultra, already a big hit in the U.S., in the group.  The moves see AB InBev squaring up with rival Heineken, whose new light beer Heineken Silver is looking to win share in in the critical U.S. market, and whose Heineken 0.0% is the global market share leader in the no-alcohol category.  As for Ab/InBev Alcohol-free version, Corona Cero, meanwhile, will be its number one focus in the no-alcohol category 

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150th Anniversary

One hundred and 50 years ago this fall, a once-penniless German immigrant named Adolph Coors brewed his first beer in Golden with Rocky Mountain spring water. The birth of Coors in 1873 launched a global beer empire, transformed the brewing industry and created a Colorado mystique that defines the state to this day. The brewery in the foothills west of Denver, the second-biggest in the world and largest in the U.S., producing 10 million barrels a year

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African Grain - Brooklyn Beer

Brooklyn Brewery announces the launch of Fonio Rising a distinctive craft beer made with the climate-resistant, ancient West African grain fonio, meticulously brewed in collaboration with purpose-driven food business Yolélé, whose mission is to bring underutilized African ingredients like fonio to global tables.  Known as the "seed of the universe,” fonio - a grain in the millet family, which has thrived in West Africa for over 5,000 years - has gained significant attention recently for its exceptional nutritional profile and culinary versatility, and even recognized as part of the UN’s declaration that 2023 is “the year of the millet.” Brooklyn is the first brewery to use it on a large scale.

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Budweiser Stops Abusing Clydesdales

Anheuser-Busch will no longer cut the tails off their iconic Clydesdale horses after facing pressure from animal rights activists. The company has just announced it is ending a practice known as tail docking, a practice that "traditionally has been performed to prevent the tail of the horse from interfering with harness and carriage equipment," according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. .The practice of equine tail docking will not be used any longer, a spokesperson for Anheuser-Buschsaid, while noting that "the safety and well-being of our beloved Clydesdales is our top priority." If so, why did they only stop after much public pressure?

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Oktoberfest Statistics

An estimated 7.2 million people attended the world’s largest celebration of beer from September 16th to October 3, 2023, the highest level of attendance ever. While this year’s edition was also the longest, extended by two extra days to end coincident with the German Unity Day national holiday, attendance was up substantially from 2022 (5.7 million people) and 2019 (6.3 million). The festival was not held in 2020 or 2021.Surprisingly, the record number of attendees w ere not as thirsty for beer as in prior years. An estimated 6.5 million measures of beer were served — less than one per person — compared to 7.1 million in 2020 and 7.3 million in Instead of beer, sales of non-alcoholic beverages was up 50% and sales of food was up 15%.

Other fun facts from the 2023 edition of Oktoberfest: security confiscated 115,600 Maßkrüges (beer steins) from sticky-fingered souvenir seekers 3,250 items were turned in to the lost and found (which included 640 wallets, 580 items of clothing, 520 ID cards, 400 smartphones, 380 bank cards, 200 keys, 310 pairs of glasses, 120 bags, 40 umbrellas and 60 pieces of jewelry), 2.8 million kWh of electricity was consumed, 300 tons of garbage was collected

the ambulance station dealt with 7,620 patients, there were only seven lost children.

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The Zatec/Saaz Exception

Since 2005, the average annual hop yields across most of Europe have declined as much as 19%, but had remained stable in the Czech Republic. The earlier ripening also led to a decline in the average content in the hops of the acids that give beers their bitterness – down between 10.5% in Zatce in the Czech Republic and 34.8% in Celje, Slovenia, researchers have just reported.. "The increasingly frequent droughts and heat waves are negatively affecting yields and alpha content in all hop-growing regions of the EU. The only exception is Zatec/Saaz in the Czech Republic, where yields are slightly increasing thanks to the adaptation measures already taken,  The researchers simulated future crops and climate conditions and estimate hop harvests that are 4% to 18% smaller by 2050 and a continued 20% to 31% decline in the acids in the hops needed for bitterness Hop production in the U.S. faces similar situations, Mozny said, But beer lovers in the U.S. don't need to start hoarding their favorite quaffs just yet. U.S. hop producers have been developing hop varieties that are resilient and have continued to increase hop production.

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Genetically Engineered Beer

Researchers from Jiangnan University have found a way to keep beer fresher for longer, by genetically engineering lager yeast to produce certain compounds that prevent staleness.  Unless you’re slurping it straight out of the brewer’s conditioning tank, there’s a good chance your beer is at least a few weeks old. Unfortunately, we live in a world where beer needs to be packaged, transported, stored, sold and bought before it can be consumed. Throughout that whole process, beer is constantly undergoing certain chemical reactions. The end result is a stale beer, with a more papery flavor and less fizz than a fresh one. In past research, scientists have found that these flavors are associated with an increase in compounds called aldehydes. These are produced during fermentation, and their levels only increase with age. One way to counter it is a molecule called NADH, which boosts enzyme activity to break down aldehydes.  beer produced by the edited yeast was found to have between 26.3 and 47.3 percent less acetaldehyde – a type of aldehyde – than the control beer brewed using regular yeast. Levels of other aldehydes were also reduced, while there was an increase in sulfur dioxide, an antioxidant that’s known to help slow staleness.Importantly, the researchers also found that the components that provide flavor and aroma were only changed marginally. That’s good news for beer connoisseurs.

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QUICK HITS

• Anheuser-Busch is dangling big incentives/payouts  to distributors to keep its beers on store shelves following Bud Light’s disastrous tie-up with Dylan Mulvaney as retailers begin reassigning their cooler space.

• A 2-pint mug at the recent Oktoberfest celebration in Munich costs between $13.45 to $15.90 this year, an increase of around 6% from last year.

• The NY-based company Constellation Brands— which also brews Corona in Mexico and distributes it across the US — said its beer sales grew by 12% in its most recent quarter ended Oct.. 31 compared to a year ago.

• One of Denver’s first LGBTQ+ bars has just shuttered its doors after being “suffocated” by homeless encampments crowding the city. The Triangle Bar lost roughly 50% of its business in the last several months — owners attributed the tavern’s floundering to downtown Denver’s unrelenting homelessness problem.

• The percentage of weekly craft beer drinkers who also report drinking certain other types of alcohol at least once a week has increased in the last 12 months: Flavored malt beverages had the biggest gains (+7%), with domestic non-craft beer (+2%) and spirits (+2%). Weekly wine drinking fell significantly (-7%) as did hard seltzer (-1%) and hard cider (-2%). 

• As a collective “category,” craft Light Lager represents about 1% of craft beer sold in chain retail, a percentage that has been steady for a few years.

• In the latest 52-week period craft beer volumes declined -6.7% in national chain retail tracked by market research company Circana, while overall beer is -3%.

• 'Wallenpaupack Brewing's Pumpkin Ale has been voted the best fall seasonal beer in USA Today's 10Best.

They describe it as "a balanced pumpkin ale brewed with real pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg."

• The Coors brewery in the foothills west of Denver —is  the second-biggest in the world and largest in the U.S., producing 10 million barrels a year.

• Brooklyn Brewery has taken a minority stake in Boulder, Colorado-based non-alcoholic (NA) hop tea maker Hoplark as part of a Series A funding round, the two companies announced

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FLASH NEWS

Anti-Beer Drug

In the past year, prescriptions for both the diabetes drug Ozempic and its weight-loss counterpart Wegovy have skyrocketed, despite the fact that each costs about $1,000 a month and some health insurers recently stopped covering them. Both drugs contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide, which belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 (aka "glucagon-like peptide 1"). These drugs regulate your blood sugar and make you feel satisfied after eating. Ozempic is approved for treating diabetes and, in some cases, excess weight.  With the drug's surge in popularity, doctors and patients have begun to notice a striking side effect of these drugs: They appear to reduce people's cravings for beer, alcohol cocktails, nicotine and opioids. In fact, Ozempic's potential to reduce alcohol consumption is now so well known that some people are seeking out the drug to help with their drinking. They may also reduce some types of compulsive behaviors, such as gambling and online shopping. If you like beer don’t take this drug unless strongly recommended by your doctor or bartender.

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Belgium Beer Shrine

A major achievement for the hundred or so brewers in Belgium involved with a long awaited project is about to be realied: the inauguration o October 6 of Belgian Beer World located at the building that formerly housed the Brussels Stock Exchange. For more than ten years, the brewers and the city of Brussels have been talking about this "temple of beer". Now it's a reality.  It's a12,000-square-metre interactive experience. The historical aspect will, of course, be covered, particularly through unusual stories. The brewing process will be explained in detail, with multi-sensory workshops to give visitors the chance to experience the multitude of aromas and flavors in beer.  At the end of this "authentic, high-tech" experience, visitors can head to the large rooftop bar to sample some of the beers.

The design of Belgian Beer World required a budget of €10 million.

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Guinness Returns to Russia

Guinness could soon be sold in Russia once again, according to reports stating a Kremlin agency has approved its importation.  Despite the claims being made, Guinness owner Diageo that an about-turn has not been made from the company’s end and Diageo has reiterated its stance on imports to Russia saying "Diageo is not either directly or indirectly importing or selling any products in Russia."  However Guinness is being made available in Russia, likely from Russia’s access to parallel imports where a Russian company has a registered declaration issued by the respective accreditation body and then certified for this activity by Rosaccreditation, the state authority to assist in importing otherwise unobtainable alcohol into Russia.

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Heineken - New Plant in Mexico

Heineken has revealed that it plans build a new €430 million (US$457 million) brewery in Mexico’s Yucatan state.  he brewery, which will be based in Kanasin, will be Heineken’s eighth in Mexico and, according to local reports, will brew the brands Tecate, Dos Equis, Indio, Bohemia, Amstel Ultra, and Sol as well as create 2,000 jobs.

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Still The King

Tracking beer sales by style, Watson Research reports that IPAs rule, selling 35 million barrels in the fthree quarters of 2023. While second place is occupied by the catch-all “seasonal beer” category (14 million barrels), third and fourth went to imperial/double/triple IPAs and hazy IPAs, roughly 10 million barrels apiece. Fifth is Witbier/Belgian wheat/white ales, with just over 10 million barrels — but sales of this style fell nearly 1 million barrels since last year.

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Sale Compete

Heineken has finally sold off its Russian business for €1 - $1.07 - nearly a year and a half after first pledging to do so. The Dutch brewer said it will take a loss of €300m on the division, which is being offloaded to Russia's Arnest, which makes aerosol cans. Heineken's Dolf van den Brink said: "It took much longer than we had hoped." The chief executive and chairman added: "[But] this transaction secures the livelihoods of our employees and allows us to exit the country in a responsible manner." For €1, Arnest will buy seven breweries and take on 1,800 workers with guarantees to employ them for the next three years. The manufacture of the Amstel beer brand will be phased out over six months, joining Heineken lager which the company said w as removed in 2022.

Last month, President Vladimir Putin seized Russian assets owned by Carlsberg and French yoghurt-maker Danone. 

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Price Hikes In The UK

A pint of beer might cost more during peak hours at some pubs owned by Britain’s largest pub company, which has in recent weeks adopted surge pricing. About 800 of the 4,000 pubs owned by the company, Stonegate Group, are either using “dynamic pricing,” in which prices rise at times of increased demand, or may use it in the future to help cope with higher costs for staffing and licensing requirements, Maureen Heffernan, a spokesperson for Stonegate, said, the average price for a pint of draft lager was 4.31 pounds (about $5.37), up from 4 pounds a year earlier, according to Britain’s Office for National Statistics.

Customers have become accustomed to surge pricing across various industries, including retail and travel. But some Britons said applying it to pubs went too far.  Tom Stainer, the chief executive of Campaign for Real Ale, which represents pubgoers in Britain, called the new pricing policy an “unhappy hour surge” and said it would not help bring consumers back to pubs.

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Alcohol Limits Change?

President Biden’s alcohol czar, Dr. George Koob just said that the USDA could revise its alcohol recommendations to match Canada’s guidelines which urge residents to limit their alcohol consumption to two drinks per week. Since the 1990s, the US has recommended women limit themselves to one drink per day and men to two drinks per day. However, this guidance is up for review in 2024.

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#1 Again!

Countries that drink the most beer per capita in 2023 according to just released data.  The Czech Republic led the world for the past few years and show no slowing down.  They are favored again for 2024.-Beer is more than just a drink in the Czech Republic, it is a part of their history, culture, and national identity. Beer is literally cheaper than water in the Central European country and a half liter of the beverage costs just over $1 in most places. 

5.  Germany - 92.4L; 4.  Romania - 95.2L; 3. Poland - 96.1L; 2. Austria - 96.8L; 1. Czech Republic - 181.9L

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QUICK HITS

• The average case price for beer in grocery stores has increased +16.7% since 2020, with consumers now paying more than $4 more in 2023 than they were pre-pandemic,  according to this monthl's industry update release.

• Dutch brewer Heineken announced disappointing earnings and cut its financial outlook posting a 9% drop in net profit in the three quarters due to a downturn in what is normally its most profitable region, Asia Pacific. Demand in Asia Pacific in the first nine months of 2023 was worse than expected, with a 13% drop in the volume of beer sold.

• California has leveled the playing field between large and small breweries. Small breweries will now be able to produce cider and perry under the same roof. thanks to a bill just signed by the Governor.

• The world’s top 50 most valuable beer brands listed in a new report- Number one is Heineken.  It is the world’s most valuable beer brand, valued at US$7.6 billion. Heineken achieved a price premium in 2023 adding to profits..

• Miller Lite and Coors Light beers has just reported its single best quarter of revenue since its 2005 merger. The combined US sales of its two flagship beers outsold Bud Light by 50% in the third quarter and were 30% higher than Modelo Especial

• According to Untappd, the highest-rated porter in America released in 2023 is Phase Three’s BA Pressed with coffee and coconut.

• Kevin Hart's tequila brand Gran Coramino reached a sponsorship deal with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

Celebrity liquor brands and sports teams/stadiums  are trying to get fans to switch to liquor which has a higher profit margin than beer.

• A new report found that about 80% of beer sales take place at retailers or other locations where consumers take the product home; while 20% of sales occur at bars and restaurants where customers drink the product on site,

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FLASH NEWS

Blockbuster Deal

Tilray Brands is acquiring eight craft brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev in a blockbuster all cash deal announced today. Tilray – the Canadian cannabis firm that is quickly shedding that standalone image – will acquire the following brands once the deal closes later this year:

·   Shock Top; 

·   Breckenridge Brewery (Littleton, Colorado);

·   Blue Point Brewing Company (Patchogue, New York);

·   10 Barrel Brewing Company (Bend, Oregon);

·   Redhook Brewery (Seattle, Washington);

·   Widmer Brothers Brewing (Portland, Oregon);

·   Square Mile Cider Company (Portland, Oregon);

·   HiBall Energy (which A-B discontinued in May).

The transaction will encompass “current employees, breweries and brewpubs associated with these brands,” Tilray said in a press release.  Those companies will join an existing craft beer portfolio that includes SweetWater Brewing, Montauk Brewing, Green Flash, Alpine Beer Co. and the newly created Good Supply lager brand, as well as Breckenridge Distillery. Post-acquisition, the sales volume of Tilray’s craft portfolio is expected to make it the fifth largest craft brewery in the U.S., with 5% share of the market, the company said. Pro forma revenue for Tilray’s craft beer portfolio is projected to top $250 million.  The deal is expected to “triple” the size of Tilray’s beer business, from 4 million cases to 12 million cases annually, Ty Gilmore, president of U.S. Beer at Tilray Brands, said in the release.

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2023 Bourbon County Stout Lineup

Goose Island has just announced this year’s lineup of the Bourbon County Brand Stout beers they’d be releasing on Black Friday this year. Barring any late-breaking selections, just six options will be on hand when November rolls around. 2023 sees the release of the Bourbon County Stout Original (of course) as well as just two barrel variants: the Eagle Rare 2-Year Reserve and Angel’s Envy 2-Year Port Cask Finish. We’re also getting three adjuncts: Bananas Foster, Backyard Stout, and Proprietors.   The  Proprietor’s includes raisins, cassia bark, brown sugar, toasted rice, and natural flavors for what they’re describing as a Rice Pudding Prop.

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New Gallop Poll

A new Gallup poll shows more people believe alcohol is bad for your health, with 39% of Americans saying one to two drinks is unhealthy. That's an 11% increase from 2018 and a record-high number. The survey also showed the younger you are, the more likely you are to believe booze is bad.  However the poll also showed that more Americans than ever are hitting the hard stuff, drinking booze such as bourbon and vodka as opposed to wine and beer, The number of drinkers preferring hard liquor — 31% — is the highest figure ever recorded in Gallup’s tracking of booze preferences of US adults since asking the question in 1993, besting for the first time the 29% of Americans who drink wine. Beer still remains the most popular alcoholic beverage, with 37% of drinkers saying they consume suds most often — but hard liquor is helping to close the gap.

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NFL Team Backlash

The Washington Commanders are facing pushback from some fans after announcing they renewed their partnership with Anheuser-Busch, making Bud Light the official beer partner of the team. Anheuser-Busch had terminated its partnership with the Commanders in 2022, but is now back with the team following a change in ownership as Josh Harris took control last month. Why the team and Anheuser-Busch partnered up once again following the split was unclear.  The brand and company faced backlash from many people who called for boycotts of the once-popular beer. Bud Light has seen a decline in sales over the past few months.  “Woke team goes with woke beer, makes sense,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote in response to a post promoting the partnership.  “This has got to be the worst marketing move ever! Here, I thought this new ownership was going to do things differently. Nope, right back to the same backward thinking!” another commenter wrote. 

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Molson Coors Score 

Molso  Coors has emerged as a new winner amid an ongoing brewing industry shake-up with its best sales numbers since the two companies merged in 2005. Fresh off those rising sales numbers the company announced that it will diversify its offerings by acquiring whisky maker Blue Run Spirits. This latest move is in line with Molson Coors’ desire to grow its offerings beyond beer. According to a release from the company, compared  net sales revenue grew by 12.1% to $3.26 billion on a constant currency basis this year.  The increase was attributed to an increased demand for premium light brands in the U.S., as well as strong performances by its flavor and above premium options.

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Cask Festival

If you’ll be in the Chicago on Nov. 3 or 4 you might want to go to The Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer. FoBAB is the world's largest and most prestigious barrel-aged beer festival and competition. Hosted annually by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild (ICBG), FoBAB invites breweries from all over the world to Chicago to showcase their rarest, most innovative wood and barrel-aged brews. All beer, cider, mead, and perry featured at FoBAB has been aged in a wooden barrel or come into contact with wood during the aging process. Breweries also compete for top honors in the National Barrel-Aged Beer Competition.

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More Rupee

Rupee Beer is on a mission to bring Indian inspired beer to the world and announces its further expansion of the south region with the addition of South Carolina. Rupee Beer, named Best Beer for World Food is specially brewed to pair with Indian & spicy flavors by world renowned master beer brewer and Indian chef. It is the first Indian-inspired beer to bridge the gap between world cuisine and craft brewing, with placement now for the first time at select TraderJoe’s, Whole Foods, Costco & Total Wine locations. Rupee is growing with its multi award-winning Basmati Rice Lager at 4.75% ABV, and Mango Wheat Ale at 4% ABV. Both skus are currently available across 18+ states.

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Recycled Beer

You wouldn’t know if you tasted it, but Epic OneWater Brew is a beer with a peculiar ingredient: it’s made with water recycled from the showers, sinks and washing machines of a residential building. The beer is safe to drink, thanks to a series of treatments that include microfiltration and ultraviolet light, and it is meant to bring attention to the issue of water scarcity and reuse. “Buildings globally use 14% of all potable water,” says Aaron Tartakovsky, CEO and co-founder of Epic Cleantec, the San Francisco-based water treatment company that just made the beer in collaboration with a local brewery. “Almost no buildings reuse that water — that’s what we’re trying to change.” The beer is a Kölsch-style ale — a crisp, light-bodied drink originating from Germany — and was made with recycled graywater from Fifteen Fifty, a 40-story luxury apartment building in San Francisco. But it’s not for sale, as regulations prohibit the use of recycled wastewater in commercial beverages. At least for now.

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QUICK HITS

• The Guinness Open Gate Brewery – in Baltimore – has donated $50,000 to the Brewers Association of Maryland (BAM). Open Gate has also agreed to host the inaugural Guinness OGB Beer Festival, organized by BAM. The festival will take place August 3, 2024 – the same day as Open Gate’s sixth anniversary.

• With more beer drinkers worldwide reaching for non-alcohol options, Molson Coors Beverage Company is set to introduce Staropramen 0.0 across the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and parts of Central and Eastern Europe.

• Sol, the Mexican beer brand that claims the country’s No. 1 chelada, is set to debut a new chelada variety pack this month that includes Sol Chelada, Limon y Sal and Mango y Chamoy variants, as well as its namesake lager. It seeks to capitalize on the popularity of cheladas with growth this year up 19% year to date 

• Molson Coors will launch Peace Hard Tea™, a new product with The Coca-Cola Co.. Peace Hard Tea is inspired by Peace Tea®, The Coca-Cola owned  fruit iced tea beverage that’s proved popular among legal-age Gen Z consumers, particularly in the Southeast United States.

• Peace Hard Tea, a non-carbonated, 5% alcohol-by-volume beverage, is slated to hit shelves around Labor Day in the Southeast. It will be sold in convenience stores in 24-ounce single cans in three flavors: More Peace More Lemon (lemon tea), Freedom of Peach (peach tea), and Really Really Razzy (raspberry tea).

• Men accounted for 65% of the total oz. alcohol beverages poured and spent an average of $14.72 per bar visit so far this year. They preferred (in order): IPA, lager, cider, wheat beer, sour, stout, pilsner, blonde, pale ale and fruit beer.

• Women poured more than 10.84 million oz. of alcoholic beveragest and spent an average of $12.24 per bar visit this year. They preferred (in order): cider, IPA, lager, sour, wheat beer, hard seltzer, white wine, blonde, fruit beer and stout.

• More than 55 million oz. of beer, wine, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails and more were served from iPourIt self-serve walls in the past 12 months, according to the beverage technology company’s “Annual Pour Report.”

• University of Southern California (USC) Athletics has proudly introduced its inaugural official craft beer, Stone Fight On! Pale Ale.

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FLASH NEWS

Insect Beer

La Grilla beer is being tested out in small batches in Querétaro, Mexico by a local craft brewery and a company that makes gluten-free and bread products using insects.The creators wanted to prove that insects can become part of our diet even in drinks while maintaining taste. They found that pulverized crickets when lightly toasted have a very similar taste to barley and rye, and began substituting them in the production of a malt/porter beer.

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Yeast  Gene Discovered

A yeast gene that assists in amplifying beer’s haze has been discovered by the research and development team at Omega Yeast Labs. The gene, named HZY1, was identified by a team led by Dr. Laura Burns. With the current heightened craze for hazy IPAs in the US and UK, could potentially offer the brewing sector an additional tool for flavor experimentation.  Dr. Burns pointed out that “hazy beers usually have a different grain bill to bright beers [using more oats or wheat] and this is the main cause of haziness” and noted that “it’s proteins in suspension. Yeast does contribute, but it’s mainly grains” querying: “So is this for brewers who want hazy without the addition of other grains.

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Anchor Brewing Closes

San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company, one of the oldest craft breweries in America, is closing down after 127 years. The brewery, which produced Anchor Steam beer and Liberty Ale – which it claims is one of the first versions of the now infamous America pale ale style – was originally founded in 1896, and claims to be the first craft brewery in the entire country. In 2017, it was sold for $US85m to Japanese brewing giant Sapporo. Last year there was concern when Sapporo bought fellow Californian craft brand, Stone Brewing, in a US$165m deal.  Brewing operations have already ceased, but packaging and distribution will continue until the August 1 while the firm goes through liquidation.

The company also acknowledged while it had been unsuccessful in the past year in finding a buyer, it could be picked up during the liquidation process.  Some employees have explored forming a group to by the brewery.

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Best Liked Beers

Guinness, Corona and Heineken were named the three “most-liked” beers of 2023.  YouGov survey results saw Guinness, Corona and Heineken win approval from 58%, 53% and 51% of Americans respectively, but reports inoted how Bud Light had dropped off the top ten list entirely with the data showing it placing at number 15.  For the survey, YouGov is said to have polled a nationally representative sample of 1,468 Americans Guinness brand became named as the most popular pint in Britain after Diageo revealed in its first-half fiscal results that showed how the Irish stout had overtaken popular value lager brand Carling for the first time.

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Dramatic Decline In Beer Sales

Delhi saw a sharp 52% year-on-year drop in beer sales last month, which the state’s excise department is chalking up to exceedingly hot weather. But last month’s sales dip is part of an ongoing decline for beer in India’s capital territory. However, beer sales have experienced a significant decline throughout the first five months of this year, suggesting the summer heat is not solely to blame, Idustry sources cited multiple reasons for the decline, including less variety and brand push, a lack of availability of chilled products in shops, less stock in stores and companies diverting products to states with higher margins.

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QUICK HITS

• A food coloring leak from a Japanese brewery left a flowing river blood red in color. The river in Nago City, Japan's Okinawa, turning into a deep crimson color, alarmed locals and visitors. The leak reportedly started in one of the cooling systems of the brewery.

• Jason Kelce loves to mark special occasions — the NFL Draft, World Series games and Super Bowl parades, among many more — by chugging beers. Now, the Eagles’ All-Pro center and bearded Everyman is back downing cold ones for a good cause.

• Kelce recently hosted his third annual charity bartending fundraiser in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, where the Philadelphia icon served as a guest bartender. Prior to Kelce tending bar, he tentered a beer chugging contest and finished a pint in 5.7 seconds) which he claimed was an NFL record.

• Shelby Houlihan is the first woman to break the 6-minute barrier in the beer mile as part of the 2023 Beer Mile World Classic — Legends & Elites Race. Jim Finlayson of Canada set a new 50+ beer mile world record in 5:44.

• Scientists have just competed studies that show slugs ca garden pests, fall for the beer trap. This simple yet innovative technique showed that slugs are drawn to the yeast that beer contains, so by strategically placing shallow containers filled with the beverage around your garden, they become traps that divert the slugs.

• British consumers are staying home and drinking more beer, according to fresh analysis of the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics That has led to the closing of many pubs throughout the U.K.

• Modelo Especial held its title as the top-selling beer on a dollar basis in the U.S. for the third month in a row in July. The drink outpaced all rivals, including Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light, which has been the top-selling beer in terms of sales dollars and volume since 2001.

• The most recent data shows that Modelo Especial saw an 11.4% increase in dollar sales and a 5.7% increase in volume in the week ending July 29. Over that same time, Bud Light saw a 28.5% decline in sales dollars and a 32% dip in volume.

• Sales of Michelob Ultra fell by 4.3 percent in the week that ended July 31 compared with last year, and Busch Light was down 8.5 percent, the New York Post reported. Both brands are, like Bud Light, owned by the Anheuser-Busch brewing company.

• Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, the revolutionary philanthropic program aimed at providing mentorship and access to capital to food and beverage entrepreneurs nationwide,announces the winner of its 12th Brewing & Business Experienceship. Chicago's Funkytown Brewery is welcomed to the coveted class of emerging craft brewers to receive support and unique experiences on behalf of Samuel Adams.

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FLASH NEWS

New Warnings

New health warnings by Ireland set to be the world’s strictest on beer, wine and spirits have sparked alarm from alcohol-producing countries that argue the labels would impose an obstacle to trade. The U.S. and Mexico have raised concerns over the legislation. Argentina, Australia, Chile, Cuba and New Zealand have also expressed reservations about the law, which Ireland just passed. While the European Commission gave Ireland the green light, at least nine wine- and beer-producing member countries opposed the measure. The labels, which go into effect in 2026, will highlight the risk of liver disease, cancer and the risk of drinking while pregnant in big red letters on every container of alcoholic beverages. The level of unease among alcohol producers reflects concerns that they could be targeted like the cigarette industry was with graphic pictures of diseases. Nine countries including France, Italy and Spain had sent the European Commission a letter asking that the European Commission check the legality of Ireland’s law.. The law also requires a crossed-out image of a pregnant woman drinking as well as information on how many calories and how much alcohol the beverage contains.

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DeClaw Acquired

Baltimore-based DuClaw Brewing has been acquired by New Jersey brewery River Horse, the company said.  River Horse, based in Ewing, will expand its brewery's capacity to accommodate DuClaw's national distribution,  The mid-sized brewery was founded 25 years ago, and has since expanded to taps in 21 states and across the globe, the company says.  It's just the latest news to rock Maryland's beer scene, with Flying Dog's acquisition last month by a New York Brewery, and the beloved Guinness Open Gate Brewery announcing the closure of its manufacturing facility in Baltimore County. 

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Beer Shipping Law

Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) introduced the USPS Shipping Equity Act (HR 3721). The bill has been introduced nearly every Congress for the last 10 years. This legislation would end the Prohibition-era ban that prevents the United States Postal Service (USPS) from shipping alcoholic beverages to consumers, and would let it ship directly from licensed producers and retailers to consumers over the age of 21, in accordance with state and local laws at the delivery location. This bill is critical in leveling the competitive playing field, increasing consumer and manufacturer choice, and generating millions of dollars in revenue per year for the financially strapped postal service.  

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Sales Report

In the last 52 weeks (through July1), beer increased dollar sales +3.8% in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels Comparatively, spirits increased dollar sales +2.4% and wine declined -1.7%. A similar story is playing out in the on-premise. In the same period beer dollar sales increased +13.6%, while spirits dollar sales increased +10.8%.

Beer’s dollar sales gains in both the off- and on-premise could be due to price increases. However, what should be “comforting” for beer industry members is that the category is starting to outpace spirits in volume gains in the on-premise, increasing volume +0.9% in the last 3 months while spirits volume declined -1.7%.

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Bud Light Now #2

Bud Light has lost its spot as the No.-1 selling U.S. beer. It only represented 7.3% of U.S. retail-store beer sales in the four weeks ending June 30 compared to 8.4% for Mexican lager Modelo Especial.  The shift comes as Bud Light continues to face  a consumer boycott fueled by rage over the company's marketing partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Modelo’s performance has been on the rise for years under Constellation Brands, which in 2013 acquired the brand in the U.S. market from Anheuser-Busch's parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev. AB InBev continues to own the brand in markets outside of the U.S.

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Stand With Beer

The Beer Institute, the oldest national trade organization representing the beer industry, launched StandWithBeer.org, an educational platform to showcase the economic and social impact of the $409 billion American brewing industry, including its initiatives to promote moderate consumption and nutritional transparency. The platform also sheds light on how large liquor companies inflate their bottom line by exploiting loopholes in our tax code.

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QUICK HITS

• Diageo is set to make pints of alcohol-free Guinness 0.0  available on draught in pubs across Ireland this summer. It  has only been sold in cans in Irish bars up until this point. Diageo has its teams working to install separate pipes for the 00 brand into venues that want to stock it.

• The combination of two of New Jersey’s largest craft breweries is off. The transaction announced in April that would combine Cape May Brewing, the Garden State’s largest craft brewery, and Flying Fish, one of the oldest, is now offically off.  No reasons were given and they did not repsond to BeerNexus inquiries.

• Cape May Spirits Co., sister company to Cape May Brewing (New Jersey’s largest brewery), is entering into the spirits industry with a new line of canned cocktails: Beach Blends is a RTD premium vodka brand in 2 flavors.

• Ireland does not actually have the top spot when it comes to the countries that drink the most Guinness. In fact, the UK is the undisputed king of Guinness drinking with one out of every 10 pints sold in London being a Guinness. The UK is followed by Ireland, Nigeria, the US and Cameroon.

• New Zealand’s oldest man has revealed that the secret to his long life is to regularly enjoying “popcorn and a beer”.  The World War II veteran, named Jack Coe, was born on the 11 June 1916.

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. CEO Jeff White has announced his retirement from the Chico, California-headquartered craft brewery. Brewery founder Ken Grossman will step in as interim CEO as a search for a new CEO begins.

• An extensive survey of beer distributors found that 62%  believe that the boycott of Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light brand may be permanent.  AB representatives had no comment.

• Modelo Especial has increased sales by $333 million since 2022. In comparison, $297 million worth of Bud Light  was sold for the same period. The report also said that younger generations "are now more inclined to seek out imports, even if the price point is higher, Dollar sales of Bud Light at U.S. outlets had dropped by more than 24 % this year.

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FLASH NEWS

Trappist Brewery About To Close?

Stift Engelszell, an Austrian Trappist brewery located in northern Austria, could be the next Trappist brewery to close its doors. Four monks and 10 staff members who remain at the abbey have indicated a desire to leave as they say the operation has become unsustainable, The abbey, founded in 1925, said hat it can no longer maintain the Trappist standards for its brewery. To be considered an official Trappist product, the beer must be created entirely by monks at the abbey, according to the International Trappist Association.  The abbey’s brewing operations began in 2012 when Austria-local brewer Peter Krammer partnered with the abbey to launch brewing operations. The brewery currently offers five Trappist-certified beers: Gregorius, Nivard, Benno, Weisse Hell, and Zwickl. Beyond Engelszell, there are currently just nine other functioning Trappist breweries in the world. The U.S.’s only Trappist brewery — located in Massachusetts — closed last year, and other breweries voiced concern over more possible closures due to shrinking abbey populations. Five Trappist breweries are located in Belgium, the Netherlands, England, and Italy.

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FX Matt Buys Flying Dog

F.X. Matt Brewing Co. the 135-year-old family-owned brewery has acquired Flying Dog Brewing of Frederick, Maryland. Flying Dog will move all production to its Utica, NY F.X. Matt facility. where they have been contract brewing many of Flying Dog’s beers over the last 10 years. Flying Dog, was founded in 1990 in Colorado. and is known for its controversial labels and free speech battles. The brewer won a six-year lawsuit against the Michigan Liquor Control Commission after it denied Flying Dog’s “Raging Bitch” beer label on decency grounds. The decision had significant implications as it limited the government’s authority to regulate profanity and indecent graphics on alcohol beverage labeling and packaging. Matt as the No. 14 biggest craft brewer and Flying Dog is No. 34.

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Miller Lite Goes Woke

Miller Lite faced fresh criticism after a "woke" advertisement resurfaced in the wake of the Bud Light controversy.

The Miller Lite advertisement included a litany of bleeped-out curse words and a strong condemnation of old beer advertisements that leaned on bikini-clad women as a selling point in addition to  chastising beer drinkers who support such ads.  Miller might be the target of the same reaction Bud Light got for it's transgender spokesperson and for dispraising their core of male drinkers.

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Bud Revese Backlash

The nation's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group is taking action against Anheuser-Busch over its handling of the conservative backlash to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, accusing the multinational beer company of caving to political pressure.  The "Human Rights Campaign" informed the Bud Light maker that it has suspended its Corporate Equality Index score – a tool that scores companies on their policies for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees.

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Harley Davidson Beer

Budweiser and Harley-Davidson are coming together for the first time in their histories to provide fans with a limited-edition can. This launches coincides with Harley-Davidson’s 120th anniversary. The cans feature both Budweiser and Harley-Davidson logos. Inspired by the hand-drawn blueprints from the origin of each brand, the cans include the words “Kings of our Craft” to honor the quality and leadership that both Budweiser and Harley-Davidson bring to their respective industries, the companies say. The phrase “Brewed and built in the USA” also runs across the bottom and celebrates Budweiser and Harley-Davidson’s heritage as American-made. The cans will be available wherever Budweiser is sold, while supplies last.

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Two New Dale's

With the brewery’s legacy dating back to 1997, Oskar Blues Brewery honors its founder, Dale Katechis,with two new beers named after him. Through the years, Oskar Blues is synonymous with Dale’s Pale Ale, the first canned craft beer. Now they are rleasing these new year-round beers – Dale’s American Light Lager and Dale’s American Double IPA. Along with the debut of these two new beers, all three Dale’s have received a brand refresh. All three beers are now packaged in a bold red, white & blue label that gives the beers a bit more  prominence on the store shelf.

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Fireston-Walker - 10,000 Beers!

Back in 1996, the first beer ever brewed by Firestone Walker Brewing was Double Barrel Ale, or more commonly known today as DBA. At this time, the brewery was located in an out building on the Firestone family vineyard. Then in 2001, the brewery moved 90 miles north to Paso Robles. Now 22 years since this move, they have just brewed the 10,000th batch of beer. To celebrate this occasion, the brewery made a special batch of imperial DBA and then aged in former bourbon barrels to create Double DBA Batch 10,000.  

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QUICK HITS

• Despite having 60 craft taps the Rec Room in Charleston, SC sells more Pabst Blue Ribbon PBR cans (for only $2.50), than any other bar in the USA!  They average between 110 - 120 cases a week.

• Danish brewer Carlsberg, after 11 years in the courts, has only now  reached a settlement with German authorities and agreed to pay a 50 million-euro ($55 million) fine over the alleged formation of a cartel.The case was concluded at the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.

• Heineken NV, the world's second-largest brewer, said it will invest 1.5 billion reais ($300.8 million) in Brazil as part of an expansion plan for Amstel, Devassa and Heineken brands. Brazilian beer drinkers are among the world's biggest consumers of Heineken, 

• Nearly a quarter of consumers (22%) in a new survey by e-commerce alcohol delivery platform Drizly, plan to reach for ready-to-drink canned cocktails (RTDs) the most this summer, a -17% decline versus 2022, 

• Bravus, America’s first brewery dedicated solely to producing premium non-alcoholic craft beer, has announced its continued national retailer expansion, launching at Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, and Publix, while increasing its footprint at Target.

• Athletic Brewing Co. will be available on JetBlue flights by July.

• Founders has announced it was closing its Detroit taproom as an employee filed a lawsuit alleging race-based workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The company claims the timing is just an unfortunate coincidence.

• Boston Beer struggling - Depletions for the first quarter decreased 6% from the prior year, reflecting decreases in the Company's Truly Hard Seltzer, Angry Orchard, Samuel Adams, and Dogfish Head brands, partially offset by increases in its Twisted Tea and Hard Mountain Dew brands.

• Cheers to Pittsburgh for being named the "No. 1 Beer City in America," according to a new study. which analyzed various data including the number of bars, breweries and how affordable beer is.   In Pittsburg a beer costs an average of $4.40 compared to New York City, where the average daily beer costs $6.21 — the most expensive.

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FLASH NEWS

Tesla Beer

Few brands are big enough to sell three beers for nearly $100. Elon Musk’s Tesla may be one. The electric car company has launched a limited edition “GigaBier,” a pilsner-style brew made in Germany. Presented in a glossy black sleeve, the bottle is designed to emulate Tesla’s Cybertruck. The beer — brewed in Berlin, where Tesla runs one of its gigafactories — ships to 17 countries in Europe, including France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland and Norway. A pack of three costs €89 ($97).

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Yeast That Tastes Like Hops

Synthetic biology has created microbes that produce drugs, flavors, aromas and fuels. Research scientists have just used the same tricks, with the help of CRISPR-Cas9, to get yeast to produce the flavor of hops. They added genes from mint and basil and used the yeast to brew a beer that tasters said had notes of 'fruit-loops' and 'orange blossom,' with no off flavors. The yeast will help brewers avoid expensive, highly variable and water-guzzling hops.

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Conservative Beer Scores

Conservative Dad's Ultra Right Beer, which launched immediately in mid-April after Americans began boycotting Bud Light for its controversial partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, is expected to smash all sales projections. After only being in business 12 days, Ultra Right will surpass $1 million in sales by May1, gaining over 10,000 customers and selling 20,000 six-packs since their launch. The price for a six-pack stands at $19.99, but the company is looking to lower costs as soon.The conservative beer, brewing with Big Kettle Brewing in Gwinnett County, Georgia, also generated $70,000 in shirt sales since its launch.

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Probiotic Beer

When it comes to foods that are a good source of probiotics, we often think of things like yogurt and dark chocolate. Beer, though? Not so much, as the hop acids in most beers tend to kill off probiotic bacteria. That isn't the case with a new beer, however,just created by Food Science and Technology professor Chan Mei Zhi Alcine, at the National University of Singapore. The specialty beer incorporates the probiotic strain Lactobacillus paracasei L26. The "good bacteria" was initially isolated from the human intestine, and is able to neutralize toxins and viruses, along with regulating the immune system. Like other probiotics, it's also good for the digestive system.

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Frozen Foam Chills Beer

Japanese beer maker Kirin has developed a method for cooling the beer directly and, more importantly, keeping it chilled for much longer. The company's new Ichiban Shibori Frozen Draft stays at a low temperature thanks to a specially-developed machine that dispenses a topping of frozen beer foam like soft serve ice cream.  To make the topping, regular Ichiban beer is frozen to -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) while air is continuously blown into it. Once the topping is placed onto regular, unfrozen beer though, it acts as an insulating lid and keeps the drink cold for 30 minutes. A side effect of this process (or bonus, depending on how you like your beer) is a creamier taste and texture for the beverage overall. Best of all though, it doesn't dilute the beer's flavor as it melts, the way ice would. Kirin's Ichiban Shibori Frozen Draft will launch in May.

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Mexican Beer Sales Drop

Corona and Modelo maker Constellation Brands (STZ) reported a 15% year-over-year plunge in its beer segment's operating profits for the just-completed quarter. The culprit: across-the-board inflation.  "Benefits from favorable pricing were more than offset by increased COGS [cost of goods sold] driven by higher packaging, raw materials, incremental depreciation, and logistics costs, and increased SG&A [selling, general and administrative] driven by increased headcount to align with the momentum of our beer brands," Constellation Brands said on its earnings release.  Constellation isn't alone in feeling the inflationary sting on beer input costs. Budweiser giant AB-InBev (BUD) saw its operating profit margins fall to 24.6% in its most recent quarter from 25.7% last year

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QUICK HITS

• A federal judge has dismissed a proposed class action lawsuit alleging that Topo Chico Margarita Hard Seltzer is deceptively labeled because it is fermented and lacks tequila. 

• Amid conservatives’ call to boycott the Bud Light brand for a marketing activation with social media influencer and transwoman Dylan Mulvaney Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s vice president of marketing, and Daniel Blake, group VP of marketing for mainstream brands at ABI, were both placed on a leave of absence from the company, 

• In the last month Bud Light’s off-premise volume sales declined at an even steeper rate (-21.1%).  Both Coors Light and Miller Lite’s off-premise dollar sales increased +17.6%, Coors Light increased +10.6% and Miller Lite increased +11.5%.

• Ready-to-drink canned cocktail (RTD) brand Sauza Agave Cocktails, the first joint venture from Boston Beer Company and Beam Suntory, has been discontinued due to poor sales.

• Imports have been one of the few beer segments to consistently record off-premise growth over the past year, and a similar story is playing out in the on-premise, according to NIQ’s on-premise market research arm, CGA.

• More than half of beer category volume growth in the on-premise in the past 52 weeks was attributed to imported beer growth (52%) versus growth from other beer segments (48%). Total beer, flavored-malt-beverage and cider volume increased +3.5% year-over-year in the period, while imported beer volume increased +9.5%.

• Athletic Brewing, the country’s largest dedicated non-alcoholic craft brewery, will match the first $100,000 donated to the Michael Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling’s (MJF) second annual fundraising campaign. Founded by Brooklyn Brewery's Garrett Oliver, the MJF provides scholarship funds for Black brewing students.

• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for beer both at home (+6.1%) and away from home (+5.5%) outpaced overall inflation (+5%) in April 2023 compared to April 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . 

• Heineken USA (HUSA) will halt shipments of all draft products to five states for the next year. Those states include Vermont, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. 

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FLASH NEWS

A Refresh To Help Sales

The hard seltzer craze is letting up, and that's forcing a pivot. Boston Beer Company announced it is giving its 7-year-old Truly brand a "refresh" in order to keep up with changing consumer tastes. Truly packaging will say "now more refreshing" and "made with real fruit juice." Additionally the Truly Iced Tea packs are being discontinued.

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Boycott Called For

More than 10,000 people on Twitter  asked for a boycott of Dutch beer company Heineken.  Heineken had vowed to pull its business from Russia after the country invaded Ukraine. However a new investigative report from the Netherlands-based showed Heineken’s Russian arm "launched 61 new products 'in record time' and sold 720,000 hectoliters more beer and soft drinks."  Heineken was quick to respond to the controversy - "We’re working hard to transfer our business to a viable buyer in very challenging circumstances.”  

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Draught Relief

Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt offered some help to pubs recently by increasing "draught relief", making the rate of duty on draught beer and cider up to 11 pence lower than the charge on cans or bottles bought in a super- market from August. The measure will coincide with a rise in alcohol taxes in line with inflation, ending a freeze that has been in since 2020, and will result in no change in the duty paid on a typical pint poured from a tap in a pub, the government said.  Other groups dispute that and say a big price rise is coming.

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Bud Big In China

Budweiser Brewing Co APAC .Asia's largest beer company by sales, said it will expand into more Chinese cities with its premium products as it sees a rebound in demand after the country lifted its COVID-19 curbs.  Budweiser APAC, which has more than 50 brands, is pinning its hopes for growth in China on the premium segment, which accounts for 16%-17% of the overall beer market, a share the company expects will double.

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 Prices Climb

Over the last three months the average price of a 24-pack of 12 oz. beer went up nearly 8%, per NielsenIQ data.

AB InBev's brands saw some of the highest price increases. Under its portfolio, the price of Bud Light went up 8.9% year-over-year followed by Budweiser, up 8.7%, Stella Artois up 8.2%, and Michelob UItra, up 6.7%.

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Historic Low In Canada

Canadians appear to be losing their taste for alcohol, according to findings in a new report that showed beer and wine sales at historic lows. Over the last year volume of beer sold per person in Canada slumpedby its largest margin since 1949. Stricter drinking guidelines and a new alcohol tax sent signals that it will get even lower. Meanwhile, ciders and wine coolers, also known as alcopops, have claimed the majority of that lost market share. Their total value in sales were up by 13.5%

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That's Really Old

Archaeologists have just  uncover 5,000-year-old tavern and "beer recipe" on tablet in Iraq and the remains of a tavern.  They hope will illuminate the lives of ordinary people in the world's first cities. The U.S.-Italian team made the find in the ruins of ancient Lagash, which was already known to have been one of the first urban centers of the Sumerian civilization of ancient Iraq. Beer was by far the most common drink, more than water, for the Sumerians

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QUICK HITS

• Bill Gates has bought 3.76% stake in Dutch drinks giant Heineken Holding NV (HEIO.AS), although the billionaire founder of Microsoft has previously said he was "not a big beer drinker."

• Jim Beam, in partnership with Boston Beer Co.. is debuting a new line of ready-to-drink cocktails called "Kentucky Coolers, aiming to "bring the power of Jim Beam's southern welcoming ethos to drinkers nationwide .

• Despite sluggish sales, Boston Beer's executive officers will all receive raises in 2023 and most will receive a portion of their 2022 bonuses, CEO Dave Burwick’s base salary will increase +3% from 2022, to $860,503.

• Firestone Walker’s iconic Parabola imperial stout is back with a new vintage that was aged in a rare blend of spirits barrels from Blanton’s and W.L Weller distilleries. This release is also accompanied by the small-batch “Paraboloid,” which was aged in 20-year-old Elijah Craig bourbon barrels. The 2023 Parabola is rolling to all FW markets in 12-ounce bottle and draft formats. Parabola maintains a perfect 100-point rating on Beer Advocate.

• The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has given label approval for Voodoo Ranger Hardline Tea and Voodoo Ranger Hardcharged Tea, likely due to New Belgium still working out the brand’s name. The hard iced tea “with a shot of lemon flavor” is 7% ABV and will be packaged in 24 oz. cans 

• People talk a lot about local beer, but the latest statistics continue to show that for the most part beer is produced locally with ingredients that are sourced globally, 

• This summer Guinness will open its second U.S. taproom, in Chicago

• Yuengling’s brief time in Texas has yielded mixed results, and its recent push into the Midwest faces stiff segment-wide headwinds…

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FLASH NEWS

Sam Adams Changes Recipe

As part of its "relentless pursuit of better beer", the Boston Beer Company is remastering Samuel Adams Boston Lager – the flagship beer that helped lead the American craft beer revolution – to develop a smoother, brighter Boston Lager.  When it was first launched, Samuel Adams Boston Lager was voted "Best Beer In America" four years running at the Great American Beer Festival and went on to help spark the craft beer revolution. So, why change a classic? The recipe hasn't totally changed. Boston Lager Remastered still uses Founder and Brewer Jim Koch's great-great grandfather's mid-19th century original recipe and is "evolving" the brewing process to reduce filtration by adding a traditional German practice of biological acidification, resulting in what they say is a brighter, easier-drinking beer 

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New Old Cans

Natural Light’s new cans will soon look a lot like their old ones. Drinkers will soon notice a retro-inspired makeover that mirrors the budget beer brand’s 1979 design, featuring a throwback logo, crest and colors. It’s part of a broader campaign to mature the beer’s identity, which is synonymous with college-aged drinkers. When the retro design was tested in North Carolina and South Carolina, the response was “completely off the charts,” The beer had the “best rate of sale that we’ve seen in years,” said VP of Marketing Eric Stowe, "compared to its current silver, red and blue branding, which has been in use for more than a decade."

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0.0  Lawsuit

.To use the "non-alcoholic" label, a brew only has to be less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). But not all terminology is the same: For a drink to be labeled "alcohol-free," the alcohol level has to be literally 0.0 percent ABV.

As a result, the labeling for Heineken 0.0 — the Dutch brand's "alcohol-free" beer that launched in the U.S. in 2019 — would seem cut and dry. Beyond stating 0.0 percent ABV, the product is labeled with the phrase "alcohol free." But a new lawsuit suggests that the beer shouldn't be called "0.0" at all. A Louisiana woman is suing Heineken USA, saying that Heineken 0.0's label is misleading because it actually contains a tiny 0.03 percent alcohol. So much for rounding down. The plaintiff Kathleen M. Wilson argues that "Heineken 0.0 does contain alcohol in the amount of less than 0.03 percent alcohol." Heineken 0.0's own F.A.Q.  age, the brand states that it "contains an extremely small amount of alcohol, maximum 0.03 percent ABV." The lawsuit continues, stating, "There are consumers who do not wish to ingest even the minuscule amount of alcohol contained in the product. Consumers should be given that option by being fully informed of the ingredients (i.e. alcohol content) in the product even if it contains less than .03 alcohol." The brand explains that 0.03 percent ABV is a "comparable or lower level of alcohol vs. other food products such as bread, bakery products and juices, bananas [sic] due to the natural fermentation of the ingredients (cereals, fruits)."

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Pullback

Short’s Brewing Co. pulled distribution from New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut last year and stopped selling much in Florida and New Jersey, even though it hasn’t formally pulled out. It ditched glass bottles in favor of cheaper labeled cans. It cut its line of hard seltzers and stopped brewing the Arcadia brands it revived in 2020.

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Undergraduate Brewers

Blue & Gold Brewing LLC, a student-run business venture launched as part of an undergraduate applied learning program in Marquette University’s College of Business Administration, has just unveiled ’77 Golden Ale to be released and sold on National Marquette Day, March. 4. This Marquette-affiliated craft beer is the product of a unique collaboration with Marquette alumni brewing leaders from Broken Bat Brewing Co., Gathering Place Brewing Company and Good City Brewing Co. Revenue from product sales will be split among the student-run venture and the participating breweries, with proceeds benefitting Marquette’s student-run ventures program.

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Beer Protest

Hindu and Buddhist leaders want a New York brewery to change the name of its Nirvana IPA, complaining that the moniker is disrespectful to their beliefs.“Upset Hindus and Buddhists are urging Cooperstown, NY based Ommegang to apologize and withdraw its ‘Nirvana’ beer,” according to a statement issued by Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism and Buddhist minister, Matthew Fisher. Owned by Duvel Moortgat of Belgium, Ommegang said in a statement, “The name “Nirvana IPA” is intended to celebrate the atmosphere in which we hope beer lovers will enjoy the beer, which is that of tranquility when the noise and cares of the world fall away.

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NA Beers Hydrate

Nonalcoholic beer seems useful for hydration. In a new study, 50 male athletes drank nonalcoholic beer 45 minutes before a draining workout, they wound up less dehydrated afterward than after drinking beer, and similar to drinking water, but with a better ratio of sodium to potassium. Drinking the nonalcoholic beer “could help maintain electrolyte homeostasis during exercise,” the researchers concluded.

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German Beer Recovers!

German beer sales rose in 2022 after COVID-19 restrictions weighed on brewers in the previous two years, but the long-term trend remains downward and the World Cup soccer tournament in Qatar didn’t get the taps flowing, according to official figures released Wednesday. The Federal Statistical Office has just released a report that said tGerman-based breweries and distributors sold about 8.8 billion liters (2.3 billion gallons) of beer last year, a 2.7% increase compared with 2021. Beer sales inside Germany — more than four-fifths of the total — were up 4% to 7.2 billion liters (1.9 billion gallons). That was still 5% lower than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. Exports were down overall. While German brewers shipped around 805 million liters (213 million gallons) of beer to other nations in the European Union, a 7.8% increase, exports to other countries dropped 12.4% to about 716 million liters (189 million gallons).

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Constellation Takes A Hit

Constellation Brands, the owner of the Corona and Modelo beer brands and various wine and spirits brands, such as Svedka Vodka, was among the first CPG companies to report earnings in the new year and it proved to be a controversial quarter. Shares declined 10% after it reported last week, which was the biggest one-day decline since March 2020.  It appears that inflation cut into the company’s beer sales, which occupy a premium position relative to most other mass produced brands. Specifically, the company’s volume of cases sold to distributors increased 5.7%, which was a slowing from 8%-9% growth the previous four quarters. In addition, management expects its margins to remain below its targeted levels.

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All Day All The Time

Mahou USA-owned Founders Brewing will introduce the All Day Variety Pack next month. The pack includes flagship All Day IPA, All Day Haze, and two new offerings: All Day West Coast, a new seasonal rotator, and All Day Crimson Sky, which is exclusive to the pack. It will be available in 12-packs of 12 oz. cans. All Day West Coast, a 4.7% ABV West Coast-style session IPA, will launch in its own 12 oz. can 15-packs and 16 oz. can 4-packs in May. Craft variety packs increased both in dollar sales (+6.4%) and case volume (+2.5%) in the 52 weeks ending Feb.1 at off-premise multi outlet grocery and convenience stores. They accounted for 7.33% of craft off-premise dollars. 

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Another Charity Beer

Rhinegeist Brewery will launch Beer for Humans, which the Cincinnati, Ohio-based company has dubbed an “easy hop ale,” next week. Beer for Humans (4.8% ABV) will become the flagship of Rhinegeist’s extensive philanthropic program, which donates beer to about 300 organizations annually, as well as offers volunteer hours, event partnerships and other forms of relief.  The beer will be available on draft and in 12 oz. 6-packs and 15-packs, the latter being a packaging format first for Rhinegeist. Beer for Humans will roll out on February 27 to Rhinegeist’s footprint, which includes Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Houston, Texas.

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QUICK HITS

• All Springdale beers are no more. The alel arm of Jack's Abby Craft Lagers announced this week that the Springdale project, began in 2016, has been discontinued, brewery co-founder Sam Hendler said.

• Three Floyds Brewing will roll out Zombie Ice, a double pale ale that the Indiana-based craft brewery describes as “a bolder spin” on flagship Zombie Dust. Zombie Ice is 8.5% ABV with 55 IBUs and is made with “an unholy amount of Citra hops.” The beer is available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 19.2 oz. single-serve cans and on draft

• Hop supply in the U.S. has outpaced hop usage for more than six years, a disparity that is “unsustainable” and will ultimately be corrected with reduced crop in the future, Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson warned

• Fast-growing non-alcoholic beer maker Athletic Brewing’s valuation is at just under $500 million, according to a new Forbes profile

• Non-alcoholic (NA) adult beverages increased share of dollar sales on Drizly +56% in January 2023 versus January 2022, according to data from the alcohol e-commerce platform. The number of NA brands within Drizly’s catalog also increased from about 70 in 2021 to more than 125 in 2023

• Beer prices this year have jumped 11% from a last March,. While wine and spirits are up 4% and 2%, respectively according to thea new  report from the Brewers Association..

• Keeping alcohol consumption to one or two drinks a day lessened the odds of developing dementia, according to a study of nearly 4 million South Koreans.  However, drinking more than two drinks a day increased that risk, according to the study published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

• People who drank heavily — three or more drinks a day — were 8% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia, a just released study found. f heavy drinkers reduced their drinking over time to a moderate level, their risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s fell by 12%, and the risk of all-cause dementia 

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FLASH NEWS

Inflation Hitting Beer

Inflation may finally be hitting a staple long been considered recession-proof: beer. During the last 12 weeks of 2022 and first of 2023, beer prices at retail (not including bars and restaurants) rose a "much higher than normal" average of 7%, During that time period, there was also a decline in volume of beer sold. Domestic super-premium beers such as Michelob Ultra saw sales rise 0.8% throughout the year, but fell off 2.3% in the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Similarly, sales of imported beers such as Corona and Heineken rose 4.2% in 2022, but dipped 0.5% in December. That suggests beer shoppers may have opted to buy less beer – a six-pack or 12-pack instead of something larger – or maybe bought a cheaper brand. For instance, lower-priced "below premium" beers such as Budweiser and Miller High, malt liquor and single-serve beers (16-ounce, 19.2-ounce and other tallboys) saw gains in December,

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Superstar's Recovery Beverage 

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić just had one of the best on-court performances in NBA history. But his post-game quote was just as good. Dončić, who led the Mavericks to an improbable comeback victory for an overtime win over the New York Knicks, finished the game with a career-high 60 points and a career-high 21 rebounds. He also added 10 assists, which gave him the first-ever 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double in NBA history. Dončić was asked about his performance, and he seemed surprised by his own accomplishments. He then explained that he was "tired as hell" and that he needed a "recovery beer" following the win. The 23-year-old Slovenian-born superstar, is well  known to enjoy a beer on occasion..

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Iconic Beer's New Recipe

Getting a facelift at 32 years old may sound odd, but that's exactly what New Belgium Brewing's flagship beer needs, according to the Fort Collins-born brewing giant. Fat Tire — a mainstay for the brewery since it was first concocted 32 years ago in the basement of New Belgium founders Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch — has officially been reimagined. Now known as Fat Tire Ale, it has a new recipe, new packaging and new title: America's first certified carbon neutral beer. The overhaul has been in the works for about a year,  Fat Tire's revamped recipe has sought to keep the beer easy to drink, with a subtle caramel and floral aromas and a light bitterness, according to a news release from the brewery. By using most of the same malts and yeasts as the original recipe called for, Fat Tire Ale has similar attributes to its predecessor, Fat Tire remains New Belgium's historically bestselling brand — and was the nation's 16th-best-selling craft beer brand last year 

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Thirty Year First

For the first time in over 30 years, Molson Coors Beverage Co. returns to the Super Bowl ad lineup after Anheuser-Busch decided not to renew its exclusive rights to the game. Molson Coors revealed that it would highlight two of its core brands in Miller Lite and Coors Light in the 30-second television spot during the big game. Molson Coors is a beer behemoth with more than 120 brands in its portfolio. But two of the best known, Coors Light and Miller Lite have been waging a friendly competition within their parent company’s walls for the chance to be featured in the 30-second ad. According to CNN, the going rate for a 30-second commercial during the last Super Bowl was $7 million. The winner of the Miller Lite vs. Coors Light battle won’t be revealed until the commercial airs on Feb. 12, when the Super Bowl comes to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Until then, drinkers will see the two brands making their cases on other platforms like social media and print ads.

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Openings Slowdown

in 2023 the smallest number of new breweries in over a decade will open, the Colorado-based trade group Brewers Association predicts.  About 9,500 breweries operate in the U.S. now, the association says. Whether there are too many companies making craft beer is ultimately a question of locality, says Bart Watson, chief economist at the Brewers Association. Customers ultimately determine whether there’s too much beer in their town.

“There’s an old phrase in the wine industry that I feel like I’ve heard more in beer recently," he says. “How do you make a small fortune in beer? You start with a large fortune."

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Kirin Expanding

Kirin Holdings Japan's second-largest brewer by sales, has just announced it is looking to buy factory facilities in North America to maintain strong growth in the region's craft beer market, its chief executive said. Kirin has seen sales volumes in the North American craft beer market climb by double-digit percentage figures since completing its acquisition of Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing in 2020 and Bell's Brewery in Michigan in 2021. Kirin had craft beer sales of about 60 billion yen ($454 million) in 2022, accounting for 3% of global sales.

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Malthouse Take Over

Malteries Soufflet, a branch of French agribusiness group InVivo, said it had signed an agreement to take over Belgian malthouse Castle Malting, one of the oldest producers of the beer ingredient in the world.

When InVivo announced the takeover of its peer Soufflet early 2022, it said it aimed to become the world's largest malt maker within five years by doubling the size of its malt business through external growth.

Castle Malting, called "La Malterie du Château" in French, is located near the castle of Beloeil in southern Belgium. Established in 1868, it is the oldest malting plant in the country and one of the oldest in the world.

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One Of Top Ten Festivals in World Ended

The annual Oregon Brewers Festival, long considered one of the nation’s premier beer events of the year, has been canceled. After thoughtful and thorough consideration, the Oregon Brewers Festival team has decided to cancel the July 2023 event.  In an official release the festival organizers said: "We’re disappointed to share this news, but we know that it’s the right thing to do. After three decades of producing OBF, we’ve developed a solid understanding of what it takes to give our attendees a great festival. And it’s clear when those factors aren’t coming together for a successful event. Higher costs, lower attendance, and extreme weather are just a few of the challenges that we’ve been discussing—but that’s far from an exhaustive list. We’ve enjoyed some incredible high points, meeting travelers from all over the world, welcoming 80,000 attendees one summer that contributed over $25 million to the local Portland economy.  It was named one of the world’s top 10 beer festivals, right alongside the Munich Oktoberfest:

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QUICK HITS

• The number of brewer’s notices issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) increased by 732 in 2022, the smallest increase in the last decade.

• Off-premise beverage alcohol dollar sales spiked during Christmas week, when they reached a record-high $1.74 billion.  On-premise establishments across the U.S. posted double-digit increases during the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to CGA, NielsenIQ..

• Yuengling has just announced a partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB)—a nonprofit organization that inspires and equips Texans to keep our communities clean and beautiful.  As part of the partnership, Yuengling is donating $1 per Yuengling Traditional Lager case sold in Texas, up to $50,000, to KTB. 

• Lawson’s Finest Liquids 2023 distribution calendar features debut of several brand-new beers including an all-new year round IPA this spring. Also recipe development is underway on three all-new specialty beers for release later this year: a fruited Gose, a higher-ABV IPA and a nitro stout offering. 

• California’s Southwestern College’s Fermentation Science Program have collaborated with NOVO Brazil Brewing to create Tzunúm, an Australian Pale Ale. Tzunúm marks the first time students of the program have brewed outside of the classroom and in a professional brewery.

• Brewhound.com named Georgetown Brewing of Washington as the Large Brewer of the Year and Métier Brewing as a Rising Star. Georgetown is the 25th largest Brewers Association-defined craft brewery by volume.

• This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Coors Brewery’s founding in 1873.

• Starting Feb. 1, 2023, the Brewers Association will increase membership dues for brewery members. It’s the first dues increase in 18 years.

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FLASH NEWS

Special Award

The inaugural 2022 U.S. Open Director’s Award for humanitarian efforts within the brewing community has just been awarded to Lana Suitankova and Yuri Zastavny for raising thousands of dollars for Ukrainian relief. Suitankova was the first Ukrainian cicerone and international beer judge. She and the publishers of Ferment Magazine created “Drinkers for Ukraine” to fund Ukrainian relief. Zastavny owns the Pravda Beer Theatre, a brewery located in Lviv, Ukraine. After Russia invaded, Yuri switched his bottling line from bottling beer to bottling Molotov Cocktails. Yuri also started the fundraiser “Brew for Ukraine,” where he released his beer recipes to the World’s Brewers to fund Ukrainian relief. To support Lana and Yuri’s efforts, the U.S. Open Beer Championship created two new categories in the 2022 competition, Ukrainian Golden Ale and Resist Ukrainian Anti Imperial Stout. All entry fees were matched by the U.S. Open and donated to help Ukraine relief.

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What Is Beer?

A Manhattan federal judge has rejected a request from Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA's Grupo Modelo to hold Constellation Brands Inc liable for allegedly selling Corona-branded hard seltzer without its permission. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that Modelo is not entitled to an immediate pre-trial win in its trademark case against Constellation, the U.S. distributor of its Corona beer. Kaplan also denied Constellation's bid to end the case early last month. The decision sets up a jury trial that could turn on how the companies defined the word "beer" in a trademark licensing agreement. Constellation said the agreement's definition of "beer" also covers hard seltzer, while Modelo said no reasonable jury could find that it encompasses hard seltzer. The trial should take place by February, 2023

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Carlsburg Buys Brewery

Danish brewer Carlsberg said it has just agreed to buy Canadian Waterloo Brewing for a total equity value of around 144 million Canadian dollars ($106 million) in cash. The deal is part of Carlsberg's strategy towards 2027 to grow in categories beyond its core beer market, adding products like cider, seltzers and premium brand beers.  The deal, still subject to approval by Waterloo's security holders, is to close in the first half of 2023. Boards of both companies have approved the transaction and Waterloo's board recommends shareholders to vote in favor.Waterloo shareholders will receive 4 Canadian dollars (CAD) in cash for each share held.

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High Expectations

Mexico's craft beer industry should grow by over 10% in 2923, the country's brewing association ACERMEX said, even as it faces sky-rocketing costs and competition from European-owned heavyweights.  ACERMEX expects craft beer production in the country to reach about 34 million litres (59 million UK pints), with close to 90% consumed locally, or in the same state in which it was brewed. The trade group estimates Mexican craft brewers in 2022 produced 30 million litres (53 million pints) of the estimated 13.5 billion litres of beer brewed nationwide. ACERMEX data shows this earned them almost 2 billion pesos ($100 million) in sales.

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Goodbye Glass

Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC) just announced it has officially phased out all glass bottle packaging for aluminum cans with cardboard wraps – transitioning AVBC’s beers into the most sustainable beer packaging possible.

Why cans? Aluminum is endlessly recyclable, and even better, recycling a can uses 90% less energy than glass bottles. And because cans are lighter and ship more efficiently AVBC has been able to reduce its trucking by almost 60% by switching from glass. Aluminum cans also keep beer fresher by allowing a more airtight seal and blocking all UV light.  Anderson Valley Brewing Company is available in 39 states

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Just Say No

Asahi Europe & International has announced the launch of its alcohol-free beer, Asahi Super Dry 0.0%, in the UK, Ireland, Australia, France, Sweden, USA, Canada. Asahi Dry is the number one selling beer in Japan.  The launch is yet another step towards Asahi Europe & International’s Legacy 2030 ambition that 20% of their portfolio will comprise of alcohol-free products by the end of the decade,  Asahi Super Dry 0.0% will initially be available to buy across the UK and Ireland from January 2023, Australia, France, Sweden, USA and Canada from March 2023, and New Zealand from April 2023.

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More NA Good News

Consumption of no and low alcohol drinks is set to increase by a third by 2026, spurred on by growing consumer demand, new research has found. No and low alcohol beer, cider, wine, spirits and ready-to-drink (RTD) products grew by more than 7% in volume across 10 key global markets in 2022, according to a new study published by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. The pace of the category’s growth over the next four years is also expected to surpass the growth experienced over the last four year period. Volume CAGR is forecast at 7% between 2022 and 2026, compared to +5%, 2018-22. Non alcoholic products are set to spearhead this growth, and are expected to account for over 90% of the forecast total category volume growth.

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USA Wins!

In the recent The Brussels Beer Challenge, European Beer Star Awards and the Japan International Beer Cup saw big wins from US beers with 85 medals being gained for American craft brewers across the three global competitions.

At this year’s 11th Brussels Beer Challenge, EDP members were awarded 25 medals in total: seven gold, nine silver and nine bronze as well as Fremont Brewing Co’s Legend Cold IPA which was voted ‘Best American Beer of the Competition.’ At the European Beer Star which celebrates the traditional European art of brewing and is limited to beer categories that originate in Europe, EDP member breweries won 25 medals in total including eight gold, eight silver and nine bronze. At the Japan International Beer Cup, hosted by Japan’s Craft Beer Association, American craft brewers won 35 medals including five gold, 14 silver and 16 bronze, and two best in category.

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Surplus Bakery Bread Beer

England’s Toast Ale, the social enterprise brewery that uses surplus bakery bread, has raised over £2 million from investors including the National Geographic Society, Heineken International and sustainable business-leader Paul Polman.  All investors have committed to Toast’s investment model named ‘Equity for Good’ which requires shareholders to reinvest any capital gains on selling the shares into social impact businesses and funds, ensuring the value created is invested for good. As part of the agreement, investors also do not receive dividends, as all Toast’s distributable profits go to charity.  Toast has collaborated with 86 breweries supporting them to use surplus bread in their brewing. However, the industry has not yet fully embraced the circular economy due to challenges such as the food safe sourcing and effective processing of bread, and the efficient use of bread in the brewhouse.

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QUICK HITS

• Bell's Brewery is expanding its Two Hearted portfolio, and a tweak to the label. The brewery, completing its first full year under Lion ownership, will release a new Hazy Hearted IPA, a version of Two Hearted IPA, and a Hearted IPA Variety Pack that will include Big Hearted, an imperial IPA at 9.5% alcohol by volume.

• Lagunitas’ brewery and taproom in Seattle will close, permanently, effective January 8, 2023.  Sources said the reason was that the location has been losing money for nearly 2 years.

• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for beer at-home increased +7.7% in December 2022 compared to a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It is the highest increase for any individual commodity.

• Cape Beverage Distributing is thrilled to announce the addition of Yardley, Pennsylvania-based Vault Brewing Company to its distribution portfolio. Cape Beverage will begin distributing a number of different brands from Vault Brewing across the Northeast with an emphasis on New Jersey retailers starting January 1, 2023.

• North Carolina’s Asheville’s craft beverage scene is about to get the addition of a downtown hard seltzer bar. Holy Water Hard Seltzer Brewpub will occupy t ground level of the Thirsty Monk pub in downtown Asheville in the new year with plans to serve award-winning, cocktail-inspired Holy Water hard seltzers.

• Weyerbacher Brewing Co.'s second bankruptcy case in three years is resolved, and the Easton PA business is preparing to reopen under new ownership. Savant Beverages LLC

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FLASH NEWS

Dr. Pepper Beer?

Athletic Brewing just received a major investing boost from Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP). The conglomerate announced that it is investing $50 million in the non-alcoholic brewery, solidifying a minority equity stake in the brand.  This is the second recent indication of KDP’s interest in the non-alcoholic beverage space, as it also acquired zero ABV ready-to-drink cocktail brand Atypique recently.  The brewery announced with does not mean they will be making a Dr. Pepper beer..

Athletic Brewing, founded in 2017 by Bill Shufelt and John Walker, has already demonstrated quick growth as a category leader. The company recorded $37 million in sales last year, with $75 million raised in investments.  Among numerous other recognitions, including a No. 26 spot in Inc.’s Top 5000 list, Athletic Brewing was named a VinePair Next Wave Award recipient in 2022 for its innovations in the brewing space. 

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Judge: Hard Seltzer Isn't Beer

Constellation Brands must face a lawsuit claiming that its Corona hard seltzer violates an agreement with AB InBev-owned Grupo Modelo, a Manhattan federal court has just ruled. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said he was unconvinced by Constellation's argument that the terms of its contract to sell Modelo's Corona beer in America also allowed it to sell Corona-branded seltzer.  Modelo sued Constellation last year, arguing Constellation's sales of Corona Hard Seltzer breached their  licensing agreement and infringed its trademarks. It said their agreement only allowed Constellation to sell beer, not seltzer, under the Corona name. Constellation told the court that the agreement's definition of "beer" also covers hard seltzer and asked to dismiss the case before trial. Kaplan rejected Constellation's motion and said Modelo's interpretation of the agreement to exclude seltzer would be "at least a reasonable reading."

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Tom Elway's Bar

Tom's Watch Bar announced that two-time Super Bowl Champion and nine-time Pro Bowler John Elway has made a significant investment in the bar - the country's newest and unique super sports bar concept. Elway also joined the company's Board of Advisors.  Tom's Watch Bar's central oversized "stadium" screen, surrounded by hundreds of high-definition screens provides 360-degree viewing, making every seat at Tom's the best seat in the house. Sports fans have the option to enjoy premium sound or personalize their sound and listen to the play-by-play for their favorite game.  One screen will show clips of Tom's best players.  The one with his worst plays is permanently out of order.

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Yeast Market Explodes

The global specialty yeast market is estimated to be valued at USD 3.2 billion in 2023. It is projected to reach USD 4.6 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 7%, in terms of value between 2022 and 2027. The market is gaining momentum as specialty yeast products continue to find increased applications across food, beer, beverages, feed and other industries. Additionally, the rising innovation in the specialty yeast market and rising consumer awareness regarding natural ingredients and to pursue ingredients with multiple functional abilities have contributed to the growth of specialty yeast market in recent years.

Based on species, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae segment accounts for the largest market share and it would dominate the market in terms of value during the forecast period. Saccharomyces cerevisiae are commonly used as a preferred yeast species in brewing because it offers robustness and has the ability to withstand stressful conditions along with offering other desirable characteristics such as high fermentation efficiency and high growth rate due to which they find extensive applications across food & beverage industries.

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No Beer At World Cup

The decision by Qatar officials to ban alcohol sales at stadiums – two days before the first 2022 FIFA World Cup match – could impact the relationship of FIFA and beer sponsor Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) through 2026.A-B is seeking a $47.4 million deduction in its $112 million sponsorship deal for the 2026 World Cup,  The more than decade-long planning of this year’s global soccer tournament has been fraught with multiple changes to the host country’s alcohol policy. While Qatar does not ban alcoholic beverages, it does severely limit where they can be purchased, strictly regulating the sale to hotel bars and other limited locations.

The government said that the prominent presence of alcohol at stadiums during the monthlong World Cup would unsettle the local population and thus represent a potential security problem. But it also highlighted an issue that has stalked the buildup to the first World Cup in the Arab world, and that is expected to be contentious throughout the tournament in Qatar, a conservative Muslim country where access to alcohol is tightly controlled.

Budweiser’s contract with FIFA not only gives it sales exclusivity but also requires the company to provide vast quantities of beer for FIFA’s partners and hospitality guests. There was a stream of allegations that members of FIFA’s leadership had been bribed to select Qatar to host the 2022 tournament. FIFA’s leadership was eventually removed, but the World Cup remained with Qatar. Note: in France, in Spain, in Scotland, alcohol is banned in stadiums but not for religious reasons.. The 2026 World Cup will kick off in June 2026, hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada. 

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QUICK HITS

A decorated army veteran who owns a brewery, tackled the shooter who killed five in a Colorado Springs club  Richard Fierro, 45, was at Club Q celebrating a birthday with family and  friends when he found himself one of two people who subdued the attacker armed with an AR-15 style rifle and wearing a flak vest.  Mr. Fierro owns  Atrevida Beer Co., which opened in January 2018.  BeerNexus salutes this hero who saved many lives.

Europe’s most indebted brewer is seeking to buy back bonds in a move to further reduce its large debt pile. Anheuser-Busch InBev NV will spend as much as $3.5 billion buying back dollar and pound denominated notes through Dec. 24. The Belgian brewer of Budweiser and Stella Artois net debt stands at $76 billion 

The 34-year-old Brooklyn Brewery (NY)announced it will move to Greenpoint-Williamsburg NY in summer 2024.  They will also open a new 41,000-square-foot space inside the planned eight-story commercial development area. The new location, four blocks from its old spot, will grow the brewery’s footprint by about 11,000 square feet and let it hire at least 40 new employees, Rent is $75 per square foot in the 30-year lease, which includes options to renew.

If you shop at Publix, how about a glass of wine? The Florida-based grocery store chain is now offering a program known as "Publix Pours," an in-store bar for customers.  The in-store bar includes draft beer, wine, premium coffee, tea, on-tap kombucha, acai bowls and smoothies to let customers "sip while they shop."

Put down your Activia. There may be a more enjoyable way to support gut health — with beer. According to a just released research from Amsterdam University, strong beers can be “very, very healthy” for gut health when consumed in moderation. Research revealed that strong Belgian beers l have more probiotics than their weaker counterparts 

Boosted by the growth of its flagship Allagash White, Allagash Brewing Company bucked the craft beer segment’s trajectory (-3%) to reach +6.2% dollar sales growth in 2022, the company reported.