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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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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Cannabis firm Tilray to grow fruit and vegetables to improve financials

Canada | This sounds desperate. As US cannabis legalisation has not progressed as hoped, the Canadian cannabis firm Tilray has to change its strategy to weather the financial storm. It may make more acquisitions in the alcohol space, or even grow vegetables at its cannabis facilities, CEO Irwin Simon said during an earnings call on 9 January 2023.

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Royal Unibrew buys Danish craft brewer Nørrebro in fire sale

Denmark | Never let a good crisis go to waste must be Royal Unibrew’s motto because, on 3 January, it announced the acquisition of Copenhagen’s craft brewer Nørrebro Bryghus. Financial details were not disclosed.

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“Golden beer can” promo cost BrewDog nearly GBP 500,000

United Kingdom | All that glitters is not gold. James Watt, CEO of Scottish craft brewer and pub operator BrewDog, has paid out more than USD 580,000 from his own pocket to winners of a bungled “solid gold” beer can promotion. The treasure hunters were peeved when they found out that the golden cans were not made of solid gold as they had been led to believe.

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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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London craft brewer Beavertown sells up fully to Heineken

United Kingdom | In early September, Heineken bought the 51 percent of craft brewer Beavertown it did not already own, for an undisclosed sum. The deal likely netted its founder Logan Plant, the son of the Led Zeppelin frontman, Robert, tens of millions of pounds.

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Another tough year for Italy’s craft brewers

Italy | Galloping prices for gas, bottles, and CO₂, as well as the erosion of consumers' purchasing power: If the recovery of tourism has supported beer consumption up until now, the end of summer will be the real test.

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Royal Unibrew acquires Toronto’s Amsterdam Brewery

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.

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Some 200 new breweries opened in the UK last year

United Kingdom | Although craft beer has entered its second decade, there are no signs that the segment has reached a peak. Research from accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young shows that hopefuls are still entering the brewing industry. About 200 new brewing licenses were issued in the UK in the year up to 31 March 2022, bringing the total number to 2,426.

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Lion sells UK craft brewers Magic Rock and Fourpure to Odyssey Inns

United Kingdom | It was not to be. Australian brewer Lion announced the sale of its UK-based operations, including the Magic Rock and Fourpure breweries to the newly launched venture Odyssey Inns, effective 8 August 2022. The sale marks Lion’s retreat from the UK.

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Sapporo and Stone - the Japanese rollup continues

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?

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San Diego’s craft brewer Modern Times sold at auction

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.

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Sycamore and Stone drop ‘Keep It Juicy’ trademark infringement dispute

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.

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The only Trappist abbey brewery in the US is closing

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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Sycamore Brewery sues Stone in trademark fight

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”.

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BrewDog CEO brings prosecution against a woman for fraud

United Kingdom | BrewDog is making headline news again. Not so much for its latest scheme, which will see half of the profit from its bars being shared with its 1,500 bar workers, who can expect to receive an extra GBP 3,000 to GBP 5,000 (USD 6,150) a year in cash.

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Brewers Association Releases Annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report

The Brewers Association released annual production figures for the U.S. craft brewing industry. In 2021, small and independent brewers collectively produced 24.8 million barrels of beer and realized 8% growth, increasing craft’s overall beer market share by volume to 13.1%, up from 12.2% the previous year.

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San Diego’s craft brewer Modern Times seeks buyer to ease debt burden

USA | Many thought it was a bad omen for the whole of the industry when San Diego’s craft brewer Modern Times, which a few years ago was expanding rapidly, on 14 February said it would close four of its eight taprooms and lay off 73 people.

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BrewDog in crosshairs again after BBC documentary

United Kingdom | BrewDog found itself back at the centre of controversy, after a BBC Disclosure documentary, which was aired on 24 January 2022, and featured former as well as current staff, made fresh allegations over a “toxic culture” and criticised CEO and co-founder James Watt.

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Lion seeks buyer for its UK craft breweries

United Kingdom | Perhaps Lion perceive that the craft beer bubble is about to burst and they need to dispose of their UK craft beer ventures before this becomes widely known?

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Energy drink maker Monster buys CANarchy Breweries

USA | Monster Beverage has been mulling a move into booze for years. In a significant shakeup to the US craft brewing industry, on 14 January 2022, Monster announced it will acquire the craft beer and hard seltzer producer CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective for about USD 330 million in cash from private equity firm Fireman Capital Partners.

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Molson Coors sells craft brewer Saint Archer to Kings & Convicts

USA | Molson Coors has disposed of San Diego’s craft brewer Saint Archer after seven years. It has pulled the brand from store shelves and sold the brewery (capacity: 100,000 barrels) and two local taprooms to Kings & Convicts, the owner of craft brewer Ballast Point.

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BrewDog to expand HR in response to toxic work culture allegations

United Kingdom | BrewDog has launched a workplace code, following an independent review into accusations of bullying at the brewery and pub group.

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How not to handle a crisis: Mikkeller’s fall from grace

Denmark | Perhaps Danish craft brewer Mikkeller should have followed BrewDog’s example, when it too faced accusations of sexism and a toxic culture in May this year. Like BrewDog’s CEO James Watt, Mikkeller’s founder Mikkel Borg Bjergsø should have communicated through traditional media that he was so sorry and would immediately enter into direct talks with his accusers.

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Landlord evicts Stone from Napa taproom

USA | Stone Brewing’s Napa taproom and brewery was closed at the end of October 2021, after a judge gave its landlord the power to evict the firm. Almost 40 people lost their jobs.

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Cautious BrewDog delays plans for stock market listing

United Kingdom | Perhaps they were too keen and eager. The UK’s largest craft brewer, BrewDog, has indicated that it will delay a planned GBP 2.1 billion (USD 2.8 billion) flotation amid turbulence in the hospitality industry.

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Australian craft brewer with thirty-year history in liquidation

Australia | As the pandemic and lockdowns take their toll, Southern Bay Brewing has collapsed into liquidation. Southern Bay, which was among the first wave of craft brewers in Australia, has been operating from the regional city of Geelong, 70 km south of Melbourne, for some 30 years. It was previously known as Geelong Brewing Company.

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German craft brewer Crew Republic to buy itself back from AB-InBev

Germany | It was not to be. Only two years after getting into bed with each other, the Munich craft brewer Crew Republic and AB-InBev will go their separate ways again. Reportedly, this decision, which was announced on 25 October 2021, was taken by mutual consent.

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BrewDog ties up with Asahi to crack Japanese beer market

United Kingdom | BrewDog has established its first international joint venture with Japan’s Asahi, as the UK’s largest craft brewer seeks to increase sales ahead of a planned London IPO.