USA – Danish brewer Mikkeller is expanding into Portland, the US craft beer capital, as it teams up with Portland restaurant group Chefstable to open a Mikkeller pop-up bar in the recently closed Burnside brewery.

USA | Beer hotels have become the new must-have. Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery and largest craft brewer, is moving forward with plans for a beer-themed hotel and tourist attraction in Tampa, Florida.

USA – Two of the biggest names in the craft beer industry are joining forces. Boston Beer, maker of Sam Adams beer, has acquired Dogfish Head for about USD 300 million, the companies announced on 9 May 2019.

Ecuador | On 2 May 2019, Heineken announced it has picked up a majority stake in the domestic brewer Biela y Bebidas Ecuador (Biela) from Cerec Holding, a consortium of local investors, for an undisclosed sum. Heineken plans to invest USD 100 million and also brew its eponymous brand in due course.

USA | Constellation has confirmed that it will close two newish Ballast Point brewpubs and abandon plans for a San Francisco brewpub – which was announced only nine months ago.

USA | There were over 1,000 craft brewery openings in 2018 but also 219 closings.

USA | Craft brewer Deschutes from Bend, Oregon, has informed officials in Roanoke, Virginia, that it will not break ground for a production brewery anytime soon, while Stone from San Diego, California, has put plans for a bistro in Richmond on ice. 

USA | Constellation Brand’s past president Bill Hackett did not mince words. At the Beverage Forum in Chicago, on 1 May 2019, he called AB-InBev and MillerCoors’ spat over using corn syrup to brew beer plain and simply “that Corngate bulls**t”.

USA | Spanish brewer Mahou San Miguel has hiked its stake in Colorado’s Avery brewery by teaming up with its other US craft brewery partner, Michigan’s Founders Brewery, on the new investment.

USA | Outdoor apparel company Patagonia has filed a lawsuit against AB-InBev on 9 April 2019, claiming that the brewer’s Patagonia beer is a “copycat brand”, in that it evokes Patagonia’s  rugged, environmentally-friendly brand and logo.