US City Brewing allegedly to contract brew Mexican beers for Heineken

USA | Whatever happens to the USMCA trade agreement after its review next summer – Heineken pans to be prepared. Shortly after Donald Trump retook power in Washington, D.C., in early 2025, importing beer from Mexico went from a relatively straightforward business to a quagmire. While beer is still compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the administration’s trade policy has already forced the Big Brewers to rethink how they do business across the southern border.

DISCUS ad campaign sounds alarm on harmful spirits tariffs

USA | The Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS), an industry body, has run an ad campaign on Axios between 30 November and 6 December to spotlight the hospitality industry’s concerns over spirits tariffs during the critical holiday season.

Canada: what to do with US alcohol pulled off shelves?

Canada | Canadian provinces began removing US liquor from their shelves in February in anger over US President Trump imposing sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods and sector-specific tariffs on metals, lumber and automotives. As of December, only two out of ten provinces are selling American booze.

Ex-Boston Beer employees file class action over noncompetes

USA | Boston Beer’s noncompete provisions contained in its employment contracts are in the news again, with a pair of ex-employees filing a class action against the brewer in Massachusetts on 1 December. The suit alleges that Boston Beer improperly enforced noncompete agreements against employees across 39 states, but paid only USD 3,000 instead of the required garden leave payments which is equal to approximately six months of the employee’s highest salary over the preceding two years, the website Law360 reports.

AB-InBev to acquire majority stake in BeatBox for USD 490 million

USA | AB-InBev said on 5 December that it plans to acquire a majority stake in the US-based RTD brand BeatBox for about USD 490 million. The deal would give Anheuser-Busch ownership of 85 percent of the company, with a path to 100 percent after five years based on a predetermined pricing formula.

Molson Canada accuses ex-managers of multimillion-dollar fraud

Canada | Molson Canada has accused former managers of embezzling millions of dollars in an intricate fraud scheme, allegedly involving fake vendors, shell companies and several other people, media reported on 27 November. 

Oregon craft brewer Rogue abruptly closes after 37 years

USA | The US beer industry is in shock: Rogue Ales & Spirits, one of craft beer's oldest, recognizable, and at one time one of the largest craft beer producers, completely and abruptly halted production in Newport, Oregon, on 14 November and closed its pubs and restaurants after 37 years in business. The 47 people who worked at the production facility suddenly found themselves out of work as did staff at its several venues. Rogue’s executives have not spoken about what led to the brewer’s sudden closure. 

USA | AB-InBev seems keen to push further into Beyond Beer. According to the Wall Street Journal (18 November) the brewer is in talks to buy BeatBox, a US firm from Austin, Texas, whose fruity and highly alcoholic punch and tea drinks made with wine have gained traction with younger Americans. 

Siebel Institute of Technology relocates to Montreal

USA | A momentous decision: The Siebel Institute of Technology, the oldest brewing school in the Americas (established in 1872), is relocating from Chicago to Montreal, Canada, effective 1 January 2026. One of the reasons given for the move is “increased student visa challenges to enter the United States”. 

Shutdown compromise: Congress redefines hemp with major THC limits

USA | The three-bill “minibus” package to reopen the government on 10 November seems to have closed the federal hemp loophole in the Agriculture spending bill. The new rules take effect in one year and could spell the end of the hemp-derived THC drink industry, which topped sales of USD 1.1 billion in 2024. The hemp industry is furious, accusing the cannabis and alcohol industries of having lobbied Congress to eliminate a competitor.