It’s not just AB-InBev – Heineken is buying up craft brewers too, albeit indirectly through its subsidiary Lagunitas. In July 2017, Michigan’s Short’s Brewing Company sold a 20 percent stake to Lagunitas, which itself ranked sixth among US craft brewers in 2015 – the year it was part-sold to Heineken.

Never mind that Ballast Point’s parent Constellation Brands wrote down USD 87 million on the value of the brewery in its first quarter 2018 results because Ballast Point (bought for USD 1 billion in November 2015) “has not performed to expectations from a growth standpoint”, its national expansion continues smoothly.

Blame it on the consumers. In 2017, US beer sales may drop again. Worse still, craft beer’s growth could slow down further.

The world’s major brewer has expanded its NAB portfolio. AB-InBev has bought the San Francisco-based organic energy drink maker Hiball, media reported on 21 July 2017.

Love beer? And your nearby brewery? Celebrating local, independent breweries, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) unveiled on 19 July 2017 its inaugural 50-State Commercial Beer Clone Recipes Guide. The AHA compiled the list, which features recipes scaled down to five to ten gallon batches, after reaching out to breweries nationwide.

In an effort to educate beer lovers about which beers are independently produced, the Brewers Association communicated in a press release on June 27, 2017 that it launched a new seal touting independent craft brewers.

The former Anheuser-Busch CEO August Busch IV is under investigation after appearing “too intoxicated to take off” hours after a helicopter landed in an office park near St Louis, US media reported on 13 July 2017.

Rather than spend big money on modernising its existing brewery in Montreal, Canada’s number two brewer Molson Coors has announced it will build a brand new brewery in the greater Montreal region, media reported on 5 July 2017.

One of Austin’s first craft beer makers, Celis Brewery, is back again, serving its Belgian-style wit beer. What’s more, the brewery is staying in the family, under the command of founder Pierre Celis’ daughter, Christine. A grand opening was scheduled for 11 July 2017.

The news that the internet retailer Amazon was to buy the supermarket chain Whole Foods and its 460+ stores for nearly USD 14 billion made big waves in June 2017.