Bike in front of a light blue wall with a white square in the middle, surmounted by a red maple leaf (Photo: Ali Tawfiq on Unsplash)

Canada | Same strategy, different targets. After Japan's Sapporo snapped up US craft brewer Stone to localise the production of its own brands, Denmark's beer and beverage producer Royal Unibrew is seeking to overcome supply chain glitches by establishing a foothold in North America.

Dry soil under a sunny sky (Photo by Oleksandr Sushko on Unsplash)

Mexico | President Andrés Manuel López Obrador wants beer production in northern Mexico to stop due to drought. The city of Monterrey, a big industrial hub, and located some 240 km south of the Texan border, is rationing water. But Mexico is also the world’s largest exporter of beer, shipping over USD 5 billion of beer in 2021.

Greg Koch in 2018, when Stone started legal proceedings against Molson Coors over the Keystone rebranding (Photo: courtesy of Stone Brewing)

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.

Japanese beer cans in a shop (kwon youn on unsplash)

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?

Five cans in a row, three by Stone, two by Sapporo (Photo: courtesy of Stone Brewing)

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.

Black-and-white window sign saying “Help wanted” (Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash)

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.

Yellow “Teapot” can and glass containing yellow liquid and lemon slices on a yellow surface (Photo: Courtesy of Boston Beer)

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.

Judge’s gavel on white surface (Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash)

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.

Mason jar filled with white liquid (Photo by Nikolai Chernichenko on Unsplash)

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.

Black and white “Sorry, we are closed” sign in window (Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash)

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.

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