Nov
16
2016
Comments Off on Beer wars

A short read from about a month ago. I do not believe that this swayed the justice department at all, but I like seeing the fight from the little guy. http://www.mcall.com/…/mc-yuengling-anti-trust-coors-inbev-…

Beer wars: Yuengling fights massive merger of Budweiser and Miller Lite brewers

POTTSVILLE — D.G. Yuengling & Son says its nearly two-century old Pottsville brewery is threatened by a proposed Justice Department settlement that

MCALL.COM

Nov
4
2016
Comments Off on This is the very real danger of InBev

This is the very real danger of InBev

Anheuser-Busch's 100 Percent Share of Mind Campaign

Twenty years ago, Anheuser-Busch demanded "100 Percent Share of Mind" from its distributors.

allaboutbeer.com

Nov
3
2016
Comments Off on There’s one way to kick off a Thursday

http://www.brewbound.com/…/undeterred-doj-scrutinies-b-snat…

Welp, there’s one way to kick off a Thursday.

More thoughts later as I am on the road all day.

Edit: More thoughts.
http://www.denverpost.com/…/left-hand-odd-13-craft-brew-di…/

Ken Goodman is in fact one of the founders of Karbach. CR Goodman (Chuck Robertson, (Ken) Goodman) ran a very successful and important distribution company throughout central Texas for many years. They were responsible for bringing a lot of the craft beer to the State.

It is my understanding (and someone correct me if I err) that upon selling their rights of distribution to brands such as Dogfish, Sierra Nevada, Shiner, etc in Texas, that they then founded Karbach Brewing in 2011. However, they could not own the distribution company in Texas alongside a brewery (Thanks TABC). It’s intriguing to me though that they sold the Colorado portion of CR Goodman last month and then announced the Karbach sell today. I imagine that the timing is not random as Constellation Brands just purchased the Modelo brewery (to go along with the distribution rights they had previously) from InBev earlier this week. I’d imagine that the DOJ will allow this acquisition as InBev reduced market share enough by selling off Modelo.

A major congratulations to Ken, Bennett, Chuck, and Blake. They reached paydirt and I wish them the very best for their next venture.

Nov
1
2016
Comments Off on Constellation Brands Buys Brewery from Modelo

http://www.wsj.com/…/constellation-brands-buys-brewery-from…

Constellation already had the U.S distribution rights for the brewery, but this will consolidate that a good bit. It will also free up some room for AB to make further acquisitions as their overall marketshare will drop a touch. Not to mention the extra capital infusion into AB.

I’m still waiting for Duvel to make another splash in the industry.

Constellation Brands Buys Brewery from Modelo

Constellation Brands Inc. said Monday that it would buy a Mexican brewery from a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev NV in order to meet demand for its growing Mexican beer portfolio.

WSG.COM

Oct
27
2016
Comments Off on Just need a DR 4!

After some maneuvering we are getting closer to being done. How crazy will this be when I am done? I don’t know, but I’ve been working on it for awhile. I now have leads on DR 1 and DR 14. I have a lead on a DR 12 in bomber form, but I’d like a 12oz for continuity sake.

Just need a DR 4!

Saint Arnold Brewing Company

For those wondering which numbers are which styles:

http://www.saintarnold.com/divine-reserve/

Oct
18
2016
Comments Off on Unrated — The Improbable Tale of a Beer Called Sculpin — Good Beer Hunting

Even though Ballast Point sold to Constellation Brands last year, this is a good writeup about the birth of a beer. http://goodbeerhunting.com/…/unrated-the-improbable-tale-of…

Constellation is working hard to scale up Ballast Point and their growth is absolutely insane currently. I am sure most if not all of us have had more than a couple Sculpins. While I do not agree with the $15 price tag, I fully understand and agree with the premise that quality costs money.

Unrated – The Improbable Tale of a Beer Called Sculpin – Good Beer Hunting

Ballast Point is one of the largest, most powerful, and ubiquitous brands in craft beer today, but it didn’t start that way, of course. Jack White opened Home Brew Mart in 1992 as a stand alone homebrew supply shop. And in the ensuing 20…

GOODBEERHUNTING.COM

Oct
15
2016
Comments Off on Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Press

Alright folks, pump the brakes a minute. http://www.firestonebeer.com/press-room/index.php?id=68

All is not doom and gloom. Calm down. Stone laid off ~75 employees this week. Craft Brewers Alliance laid off ~40 a couple of weeks ago, Firestone Walker is discontinuing some of their mainstays.

Pump the brakes. The world is not ending.

Why are these breweries messing with your favorite mainstays? Because you quit drinking them. You don’t buy a six pack every other week of Wookey Jack any more. You found a local option that you prefer. Firestones core lineup is not exciting you anymore. You didn’t buy cans of Opal to take to the pool this past summer.

We have ~4300 breweries in the U.S all producing just as much as they can. There is more beer on the shelves than is possible for consumers to consume. Are we near saturation of breweries? absolutely not. Is demand for craft beer slowing, absolutely it is. Some of these breweries projected a continued growth that is very different than what the market has actually shown. They bet on black and they are about to find themselves in the red. Over-expansion is a business tactic that more often than not will bite you in the butt. You have to make sure you have the demand for all this projected new expansion. Especially with your consumers having a whole host of other options and everyone elses expansions.

Do you want to keep your mainstays on the shelves? Then I encourage you to keep buying them. While the latest fru fru adjunct IPA sounds tasty, did you really enjoy it that much? Maybe the next time you go to the store you grab a sixxer of a classic Pale Ale and then maybe a single or two of the newfangled adjunct moo hoo chocolate raspberry IPA.

Keep drinking local, keep supporting your local guys and gals. Keep drinking good beer.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Paso Robles, CA—Is it truly a farewell to Wookey Jack, Double Jack and Opal as Firestone Walker Brewing Company steels itself to stop brewing these beloved beers?

firestonebeer.com

Oct
12
2016
Comments Off on Kirin Holdings and Brewery Company acquire 24.5% stake in The Brooklyn Brewery

http://beerpulse.com/…/kirin-holdings-brewery-company-acqu…/

I see more and more conglomerates expanding to South America in the coming years. It’s almost as if these folks were listening to me when I was working on my ten year projections. This stake also keeps Brooklyn defined as a “craft brewer” under the guidelines from the Brewers Association.

Thoughts?

Kirin Holdings and Brewery Company acquire 24.5% stake in The Brooklyn Brewery

Below is the announcement from Kirin and Brooklyn Brewery pulled from Kirin’s website:***Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (President: Yoshinori Isozaki)…

beerpulse.com

Oct
7
2016
Comments Off on Redhook’s owner lays off half of Woodinville brewery production staff

As craft beer sales continue to surge, the projected macro sales are down enough to warrant shrinking the workforce for some. http://www.seattletimes.com/…/redhooks-owner-lays-off-half…/

Unfortunate for those that lost their jobs. I do not see the Redhook, Widmer, or Kona representation in my local market that I used to. The distributors here are focusing their shelf space on more local craft options. I imagine this is the same story throughout the U.S.

Redhook’s owner lays off half of Woodinville brewery production staff

Craft Brew Alliance has laid off half the production workers at its Woodinville brewery, which was originally established to make Redhook beers but now…

beerpulse.com

Sep
30
2016
Comments Off on Tree House Brewing Secures $7.7 Million Bond from MassDevelopment

I support aggressive projections, but this seems extreme. http://www.brewbound.com/…/tree-house-brewing-secures-7-7-m…

13,000bbl to a projected 150,000bbl+ capacity? Granted they initially plan on 30,000 once the facility is built. but that is a massive financial outlay for a demand that may or may not exist in the market

Sep
28
2016
Comments Off on Micro-bursts of extreme temperature and pressure remove an entire step of the beer brewing process

This looks like it could develop into something interesting. http://www.pbs.org/…/extreme-temperature-and-pressure-rem…/…

Less energy, higher efficiency of the mash process, less water waste? The article does not delve in to cost however.

Micro-bursts of extreme temperature and pressure remove an entire step of the beer brewing process — NOVA Next | PBS

The well-studied phenomenon of cavitation also slashed the energy required to brew a batch, which could lower costs…

pbs.org

Sep
27
2016
Comments Off on We all have our breweries that we treasure

We all have our breweries that we treasure. Our little havens of sanity and peace. Taprooms that we love to show our friends and talk about within our circles. Brewers that can seemingly do no wrong. Their moral compass points towards good, they are unwavering in their commitment to the community, and daggum it, if only more folks knew about them they would be the next big thing.

In the craft industry we are all about supporting local. Supporting our friends and other breweries, even if they aren’t our favorite folks or make our favorite beer.

All of the local guys help one another. Need some grain? Here. Need some hops? I’ll give you a box for some beer.

However, with over 4200 breweries in the United States now, are there any breweries that you cannot support? You don’t need to vocalize specifics, but think about it internally. Are there any breweries whose moral compass may point towards greenbacks over quality. Any breweries whose business practices leave an acetic taste in your mouth? Any breweries whom you cannot in good consciousness recommend to out of towners or your friends in other states? It is okay if there are. Not every brewery will be a shining example of what the craft beer movement is all about.

I will always encourage you to drink local, to drink quality, and to support those whose missions you can stand behind. In this day and age it is perfectly OK to not support every one. Now, I’m not going to say go shout from the mountains why you don’t like x brewery or refuse to support y brewery with any of your consumer dollars. But I assure you, it is OK to have breweries that you refuse to drink their products.

What are some of the choices that a brewery can make that will turn you away from their products? For myself, it is business practices. How they treat their employees internally, how they treat the others in the marketplace. How they treat their home city. Can you think of any examples of a brewery that makes a solid beer but treats their staff like spent mash? Think of a brewery whose employees are always joyous. Compare them in your mind. Come to your own conclusions where you choose to spend your consumer dollars.

Sep
8
2016
Comments Off on AB InBev schenkt voortaan ook Kwak, Tripel Karmeliet en DeuS

More classics beers have chosen the path that is wide and straight. http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/economie/1.2761626

It’s a shame to see these classics lost to Brito’s machine. We have only ourselves to blame for not drinking enough of these fantastic beers while we still could.

AB InBev schenkt voortaan ook Kwak, Tripel Karmeliet en DeuS

AB InBev neemt Brouwerij Bosteels uit Buggenhout over en verstevigt daarmee zijn positie in de markt van de speciaalbieren. De overname zou AB InBev ruim….

deredactie.be

Sep
8
2016
Comments Off on What Snoop Dogg’s Pabst lawsuit says about the beer industry

An interesting development. I am intrigued to see how this plays out. http://www.marketwatch.com/…/what-snoop-doggs-pabst-lawsuit…

What Snoop Dogg’s Pabst lawsuit says about the beer industry

Cash-starved craft brewers need to be careful about how they structure money-raising deals

marketwatch.com

Sep
7
2016
Comments Off on What ‘Selling Out’ Is Actually About

Give this a read. An excellent article from Jacob at Modern Times. http://moderntimesbeer.com/blog/what-selling-out

What ‘Selling Out’ Is Actually About

Anheuser-Busch InBev is in the midst of a PR push, the goal of which is to soften resistance to their craft brewery acquisition strategy. Sadly, credulous beer writers aren’t asking any of the right questions, so I feel a need to respond.

moderntimesbeer.com

Sep
6
2016
Comments Off on Kickin’ back on Labor Day: New Republic Brewing Company

It’s always cool to see these guys getting more press. This time it isn’t because an airplane landed in their parking lot.

http://www.kbtx.com/…/Kicking-back-on-Labor-Day-New-Republi…

Kickin’ back on Labor Day: New Republic Brewing Company

Labor Day is a tribute to the workers that make our country strong and prosperous, so workers, give yourselves a pat on the back!

If you’d like, go ahead and kick back with a cold one, too! New Republic Brewing company will be open from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. this Labor Day!

kbtx.com | By Courtney Burris

Aug
31
2016
Comments Off on Way to go Freetail and Scott M

Way to go Freetail and Scott M. This is a fantastic, comical, advertisement. Very well produced and edited.

Great job!

[fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/freetailbrewing/videos/10154672770247313/” width=”500″ height=”400″ onlyvideo=”1″]

Aug
26
2016
Comments Off on This is HUGE for Texas Craft Beer

This is HUGE for Texas Craft Beer. Absolutely huge. A great first step for breweries.

Live Oak Brewing Company

Austin, TX – It is with great elation that we join with all Texas Craft Breweries in celebrating the District Court of Travis County’s decision today to rule the unconstitutionality of TX SB 639, which expressly denied beer manufacturers from receiving compensation for one of their most valuable business assets: their distribution rights.

Chip McElroy, Co-founder and President of Live Oak, said “The Judge, Karin Crump, made a courageous decision in which she had to go against the will of the legislature, the TABC and the AG’s office to decide in our favor. It just goes to show the huge meritorious advantage our case had against theirs.”

“Besides relief,” Chip continued, “the biggest emotion I have right now is a feeling of vindication. All along I have been saying this was an injustice and the Institute of Justice did a tremendous job explaining that in legal terms. I’m not sure my rants would have carried the day.”

It is an acknowledgement of the value of something we have spent so many years building, and that the state has no right in choosing who wins and loses in the market.

We do not hate distributors, nor do we believe they provide no value. Distributors provide great value in their ability to create supply chain efficiencies, maintain quality and grow the value of brands. At Live Oak, we self-distribute in most of our territories and work alongside distributors every day to bring quality to our retailers and customers. The work is often thankless, backbreaking and very hard. Let their effort be recognized.

In turn, it is important to state that value does not exist in a vacuum; we must acknowledge that before every distributor, there is a brewery that has sacrificed like every other small business owner to create value and that value is what is often leveraged for further growth. This practice is not unique to our industry. It is an essential part of a mutually beneficial partnership.

We are not done yet: the defendants have 30 days to appeal. Thank you to our fellow Plaintiffs, the Institute for Justice and Texas Craft Brewers. In the meantime, we’re going to sit down for a round of beers. We hope all tiers will join us.

Final Judgement is available here: http://bit.ly/2bKlwH8
For further reading: TX State Constitution: http://bit.ly/1khz1Oc
SB 639 SUMMARY ANALYSIS: http://bit.ly/2bkdKp9
SB 639 IN FULL: http://bit.ly/2bmu0oj

08-25-16-Live-Oak-Final-Judgment.pdf

drive.google.com

Aug
21
2016
Comments Off on Craft beer grows in Texas, but brewers face regulatory buzzkill

Here is some good Sunday reading about the local San Antonio beer scene and some of the issues faced. http://www.expressnews.com/…/Craft-beer-grows-in-Texas-but-…

Craft beer grows in Texas, but brewers face regulatory buzzkill

What started as a hobby became Perkinson’s profession after he was laid off from his job as a financial analyst at telecommunications giant Ericsson’s…

expressnews.com

Aug
12
2016
Comments Off on New definition for Texas craft brewer unveiled

The Texas Craft Brewers Guild has unveiled a slight change to the parameters for membership. In addition to this, they have added another tier of membership for the affected breweries.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/…/New-definition-for-Texas-…

New definition for Texas craft brewer unveiled

The rule change, approved unanimously by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild board, would limit full membership to breweries with no ownership or controlling interest "by an alcoholic beverage industry member that does not otherwise…

houstonchronicle.com

 
 
 
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