American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
We blame the industry for this… It used to be that when we wrapped up our Weekend Picks on Friday, we could coast through the weekend. There was little need to check in for updates – things were pretty much done. But clearly all that’s changed.
So here’s some of what’s happened in the world of craft beer while you were off enjoying yourselves.
Number of Active Breweries at Record High! (Washington, DC) – The United States saw an ever-higher number of new breweries enter the market in 2013, with a record-high 3,699 active ‘permitted breweries’ overseen by the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Four states account for one-third of all breweries in the United States: California, Washington, Colorado and Oregon.
Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes (Paso Robles, CA) – Firestone Walker Brewing Company christened its “Keg Shed” last week, firing up a dual state-of-the-art keg line that nearly triples the brewery’s per-hour keg output.The new keg line is already running at nearly three times the speed of the brewery’s previous line.
No Beer Sales inside Venues at Winter Olympics (Sochi, Russia) – In yet another sign that Russia is far less fun than most countries in the civilized world – and that this year’s Winter Olympics might possibly be the most sober competition ever staged – event organizers have banned the sale of alcohol inside all of their venues. The WSJ is reporting that the “strict approach reflects both the Kremlin’s recent efforts to wean Russians from their legendary love of the sauce, and the unpleasant memories of drunken, unruly fans at the last Winter Games in Vancouver.”
The 800 Million Dollar Man (Chico, CA) – There’s a nice piece in Forbes on Sierra Nevada and Ken Grossman and it’s a great read. In it, they chronicle he and the company’s worth (800 million!), his misspent youth, and his plans for the future – so do check it out.
Family Feud (Saint Louis, MO) – “It’s rare to see a trademark opposition proceeding where the opposing party is a family member of the applicant,” reports The Trademark Bar, and “it is unlikely that there had ever been one where the opposer was the applicant’s 89 year-old aunt.” Author and conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly is reportedly opposing her nephew and Schlafly Beer co-Founder, Tom Schlafly trademark application, at least partially because she doesn’t want her name associated with beer.
Boston Beer Beefing Up in Cincy (Cincinnati, OH) – The Boston Beer Company is pumping 5.8 million into their Cincinnati operation. According to the Cincinnati Business Courier, Jim Koch and crew will be adding a “$3.5 million beer storage building and $2.3 million worth of beer storage tanks. The new building holds 14 large tanks with the ability for six more tanks to be added. Another nine tanks are being added at the facility’s bottling and packaging building.”
Maui & Stone Form Distribu-Team (Maui, HI / Escondido, CA) – Maui Brewing recently announced that they’ll be partnering with Stone to create a new distribution company in the islands. Created by craft brewers specifically for Hawaiian craft beer enthusiasts, Maui – Stone Craft Beverages will offer both breweries’ beers as well as other craft beer brands from Colorado and California. Since 2008, Maui Brewing Co. has employed Stone’s own distribution company, Stone Distributing Co., to make its craft ales and lagers available to retailers throughout Southern California. As a result of this new distribution partnership, Maui residents may expect a dramatic increase in craft beer selections from notable brewers.
