American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
The beer biz never sleeps at American Craft Beer. And here’s just some of what’s been happening while you were enjoying the weekend…
2 NJ Craft Breweries Accused Of Violating COVID-19 Restrictions (Pitman, NJ) – On March 21, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued stay-at-home orders which (among other things) effectively limited bars, taprooms and restaurant to take-away and delivery service only. And now two Pitman, NJ craft breweries are being accused of violating the state’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Human Village Brewing and Kelly Green Brewing allegedly violated prohibitions against on-premises consumption of food and/or alcohol, the state Attorney General’s Office said Friday. Both breweries are facing a possible 10-day license suspension.
Rick Myers, who operates Human Village Brewing denied violating the emergency order calling the charges “ludicrous,” “We have not been serving patrons in the taproom,” Myers told the Post Courier. “I’ve even got a sign on the door telling people not to come in.”
Both operations are also facing additional charges for violating COVID-19 mask requirements, an infraction which can bring a $750 fine.
Words To Drink By (Washington, DC) – “Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old… when I would never call him short and fat?” President Donald Trump
Asahi Faces Acquisition Hangover (Tokyo, Japan) – On June 1, Japanese brewing major Asahi Group Holdings completed its acquisition of the group Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), a $10 billion purchase of a group of leading Australian breweries that were previously held by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s biggest brewer.
But thanks to COVID-19 the beer world has changed significantly since the deal was first announced in July 2019. And Asahi, now the biggest brewing company in Australia, could be facing an acquisition hangover of epic proportions.
Asahi’s sales in locked-down Australia dropped 40% by volume in April according to the Nikkei Asian Review. GlobalData, a leading British research firm predicts Australian beer sales to fall 13% in 2020 and not rebound to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2023.
