AB-InBev cuts craft brewery staff to focus on big beer brands and spirits

USA – As the Big Brewers move with the market, strategy swings are to be expected. But AB-InBev’s recent cuts to its craft brewing personnel suggest that a major “portfolio rebalancing” is underway.

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BrewDog signs joint venture with Budweiser to expand in China

United Kingdom | Courting controversy, BrewDog has struck a deal with Budweiser China to brew BrewDog’s flagship beers by the end of March at its Putian craft brewery.

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AB-InBev shutters US craft brewer Platform

USA | Since 2011, AB-InBev has bought some ten fast-growing regional craft breweries. After the purchase, these brands inevitably changed. Platform brewery from Ohio is a case in point.

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American Craft Beer successful at international competitions

High level | The Brewers Association’s Export Development Programme (EDP) announces the global success of its American craft brewery members in three international beer competitions – the Brussels Beer Challenge, European Beer Star Awards and the Japan International Beer Cup.

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Irish craft brewers: Rye River sold, Eight Degrees still looking for buyer

Ireland | It may be a cliché that the Irish have a way with words. But it is hard to deny that some do have the gift of the gab. Take the craft brewer Rye River.

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UK supermarket group Asda launches draught beer experiment

United Kingdom | The concept is hardly new. America’s largest supermarket chain Kroger began installing in-store craft beer taps in 2015 already. But supermarket group Asda will be the first in the UK to trial selling draught craft beer.

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Julia Herz named Executive Director of the American Homebrewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA), the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American craft brewers, hired Julia Herz as the executive director of the American Homebrewers Association^® (AHA), the BA’s homebrewing division. She started her new job on December 1.

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UK brewer Meantime positions itself as “forbearer of craft beer”

United Kingdom | One of the UK’s oldest craft breweries, Meantime, is launching a campaign that taps into its craft beer heritage, as it “looks to build a deeper connection with consumers” (in marketing lingo).

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2022 World Beer Cup: Registration opens in October

In the spring of 1996, the Brewers Association (then the Association of Brewers) staged an unprecedented international beer competition. Twenty-five judges from five countries evaluated 600 beers at a standalone event in Vail, Colo. Winners of the first World Beer Cup were announced in 60 beer style categories and the pioneering international competition was on its way.

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10th International Gruitday 2022

Long tradition | The International Gruitday was founded by Steve Beauchesne from Beaus All Natural Brewing Company, Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Canada, in 2013 to celebrate gruit, a beer with herbs instead or in addition to hops, according to medieval traditions and recipes. He established www.gruitday.com as his webpage to inform and to network about gruit beers. In 2018 more than 60 brewers from all continents took part in International Gruitday. Unfortunately colleagues in Canada stopped brewing gruit and also returned their domain.

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Hard times on the Czech tourist trail

Czech Republic | Well before the onslaught of the covid pandemic, beer was an integral part of the Czech national consciousness. After all, the country had come up with the names of Pilsner and Budweiser beers, regularly topped the international consumption charts, and even had a president write a one-act play about life in a brewery.

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It’s the law: No e-commerce for Polish craft brewers

Poland | Craft brewers were caught between a rock and a hard place during the pandemic, when the Polish government put the country under two lockdowns, lasting from March to May 2020 and from October 2020 to May 2021. As hospitality venues were forced to shut, craft brewers could not pivot to e-commerce as they did elsewhere in Europe because of an ancient alcohol law from 1983, which does not mention internet sales (unheard of then). Despite their best lobbying efforts, the government insisted that this omission means e-commerce is illegal and refused to amend the law.

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Drinking al fresco: Dutch government eases lockdown restrictions

The Netherlands | After repeated threats from desperate publicans that they will reopen their venues regardless of the lockdown, the Dutch government relented. On 28 April 2021, outdoor terraces were reopened for guests from noon until 6 pm. Still, all sales of alcohol are prohibited from 8 pm until 6 am. This applies to hotels, takeout and delivery and all other outlets selling alcohol.

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Brewers Association released annual production figures

A challenging year | At the beginning of April, The Brewers Association released annual production figures for the U.S. craft brewing industry. In 2020, small and independent brewers collectively produced 23.1 million barrels of beer and realized a 9 % decline, decreasing craft’s overall beer market share by volume to 12.3 %, down from 13.6 % the previous year (Volume by craft brewers represent total taxable production).

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US craft brewers sold 9 percent less beer in 2020

USA | For once the doom-mongers were wrong. Restrictions to prevent the spread of covid-19 in 2020 did not force thousands of craft brewers out of business, The Brewers Association (BA) revealed on 8 April 2021.

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Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America 2021

Rescheduled | The 38th edition of the Craft Brewers Conference® & Brew Expo America® (CBC) presented by the Brewers Association will return to Denver September 9-12, 2021. The premier conference and trade show for the craft brewing industry was originally scheduled to take place in San Diego from 29 March to 1 April 2021,, but has been rescheduled due to the ongoing pandemic. Ann Obenchain, Marketing Director, Brewers Association, Boulder, CO, USA, talks about the event and already shares some information on the programme.

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Kibex 2021: A hybrid beer-focused global platform

Korean beer exhibition | The Korea International Beer Expo (Kibex) 2021 will be held for three days, 17–19 May 2021, at the Coex centre, Hall C, Seoul, Korea. Kibex is the only beer-specialized exhibition in Korea where attendees can see and experience all the businesses of the beer industry value chain from beer production to distribution, packaging, and consumption in one place. The event is co-hosted by Beer Post, a firm that specialized in beer content, and GMEG, an exhibition professionalized company that has been organizing various beer events in the past.

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Craft Beer China 2021: focus on after-pandemic market

Beviale Family | Preparations for Craft Beer China are in full swing, bringing together insiders and craft beer lovers at home and abroad, gathering the whole industry chain together to "Create wonderful craft beer in China!" Craft Beer China 2021 will be held at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center from May 12 to 14.

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ADVERTORIAL

Update on EBC methods related to craft beer

Technical support | When compared to regular hop addition during wort boiling, late and especially dry hopping make the composition of beer more complex and diverse, which requires additional analytical methods. For this purpose, two new methods are now recommended by the European Brewery Convention (EBC). At the same time, the precision values given for BU (Bitterness Units) measurement have been updated. They now cover also higher ranges as typical to dry-hopped beer.

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Craft beer for mental health

USA | A laudable initiative, The “Things we don’t say IPA” project, was launched to create awareness for mental health by encouraging people to talk about their experiences and feelings, both good and bad, and to demonstrate the importance of asking for help when needed.

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Amid outcries San Francisco’s Anchor brewery goes for rebrand

USA | Going for a whole new design can prove fatal, as the iconic heritage brewery, the San Francisco Potrero Hill Brewery, formerly known as the Anchor Brewery and revived by Fritz Maytag in 1965, is currently experiencing.

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Boston Beer: Brewers Association may have to amend its statutes again

USA | When Boston Beer reports its fourth-quarter results on 17 February 2021, in all likelihood, it will no longer be officially classified as a craft brewer. That is because the brewer of Samuel Adams and Dogfish Head will have sold more than 6 million barrels of product in 2020.

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Scottish craft brewers fear devastating beer duty hike

United Kingdom | Craft brewers north of the border fret their futures could be sunk by new tax penalties proposed by the UK government on 22 July 2020. The plan, which has yet to be fleshed out, would see the threshold for tax relief reduced by more than half from 5,000 hl to 2,100 hl in annual beer production.

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US craft beer volumes up 4 percent in 2019

USA | In retrospect, 2019 may have been “peak craft”. The Brewers Association (BA) estimates that independents produced 31 million hl beer, up nearly 4 percent, increasing craft’s market share by volume to 13.6 percent.

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Craft Drinks India postponed

Corona crisis | Due to the evolving public health concerns and caution advisories around COVID-19, Craft Dinks India 2020, scheduled to be held from 1-2 July 2020 at Manpho Convention Centre, Bengaluru, India, stands postponed.

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BrewDog sets its eyes on brewery in California

USA | Is there no limit to BrewDog’s expansion across the globe? The Scottish craft brewer is now looking to build or buy a brewery in California, as its business continues to grow across the United States.

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Carol Stoudt to retire and close her brewery

USA | So sad. A legacy brewer bows out. Carol Stoudt, a 1980s pioneer in the craft brewing industry in Pennsylvania, will close her brewery in early spring, the firm from Adamstown said on 2 February 2020.

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Brewers Association expects 300 brewery closures in 2019

USA | Even with New Belgium’s volumes deleted from the Brewers Association’s table, the industry organisation expects craft beer volumes to have grown about 4 percent or 1 million barrels in 2019.

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What is next for Constellation’s cannabis investment?

USA | Constellation Brands didn’t waste any time with Ballast Point. Once a buyer had been found for its underperforming craft brewer, Constellation cut the line. Will its billion dollar investment in cannabis firm Canopy Growth share the same fate?

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Constellation Brands disposes of craft brewer Ballast Point

USA | Four years ago, San Diego’s craft brewer Ballast Point took the beer world by surprise when it abandoned an IPO and accepted a USD 1 billion cheque from Constellation Brands. On 3 December 2019, it shocked fans again.