USA | Back in March, Stone won its lawsuit against Molson Coors. The jury awarded Stone USD 56 million in damages, which fell short of the USD 174 million that Stone said it lost in sales because of Molson Coors’ use of the word Stone in the rebranding of Keystone Light.

USA | And here goes another US craft brewer. The sale of San Diego’s craft brewer Stone to Japan’s fourth-ranking Big Brewer Sapporo was not exactly predictable but certainly plausible. Think of it: Who else would buy a largeish craft brewer these days?

USA | And this despite Greg Koch touting that he will never sell: On 24 June 2022 Sapporo Holdings announced that it will acquire craft brewer Stone for USD 168 million. Based on Stone’s 2021 beer production of 326,000 barrels (380,000 hl), the deal puts a USD 505-per-barrel price tag on the company.

USA | During a 17 June auction for San Diego’s craft brewer Modern Times, the Californian Brewery X from Anaheim emerged as the winning bidder for USD 20 million. Founded in 2019, Brewery X offered more than twice as much as an initial “stalking horse” bid made by Hawaii’s craft brewer Maui Brewing for a reported USD 7.6 million.

Canada | Have consumers not heard the message that cannabis beverages are providing an accessible new route to legal cannabis enjoyment for those reluctant to chew an infused gummy or light a pre-roll? Besides, they tend to onset quicker, hit lighter, and do not last as long as edibles do.

USA | Charlotte’s craft brewer Sycamore and San Diego’s Stone have agreed to end their trademark infringement lawsuit over the phrase “Keep It Juicy”, according to a 13 May 2022 court filing. Both Stone and Sycamore Brewing walked away without paying damages but will need to pay their own attorneys’ fees.

USA | Molson Coors’ new Golden Wing barley milk brand joins AB-InBev-backed counterpart Take Two, as they seek growth in the booming alternative milk segment.

USA | Rumours have been flying around for some time, but on 14 May 2022 it became official: the award-winning Spencer Brewery in central Massachusetts is ceasing production after an eight-year run as the first and only Trappist brewery outside Europe.

USA | Oh no, craft brewer Stone is involved in a trademark dispute again, this time on the other side, as the accused. In a lawsuit, filed on 11 April 2022, Sycamore Brewing, a craft brewer from Charlotte, North Carolina, charges that Stone stole its trademark slogan, “Keep It Juicy”, which it uses to market its popular “Juiciness IPA”.

Mexico | Take it as a sign of the times that environmental concerns now trump business plans. US brewer Constellation Brands is getting ready to build a brewery in Veracruz. The company reported at the end of April 2022 that it will invest USD 1.3 billion in the southeastern Mexican state over the next four years. The investment is part of the USD 5.5 billion it will spend on its Mexican plants over the same period.