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 enjoying yourselves.
Another Milestone for Dogfish Head (Milton, DE) – Sam Calagione and crew are having a banner year, having produced 200,000 barrels or about 2.8 million cases of beer. Once Dogfish Head’s $52 million expansion is completed, they will have the capacity to produce 500,000 barrels, or about 7 million cases of beer, reports The Daily Times, but that’s not going to happen till 2020.
California Craft Beer Crib Sheet (San Diego, CA) – The California Craft Brewers Association recently hosted their largest meeting ever at UC San Diego and they presented all kinds of California-specific stats that are detailed on the Brewers Association site. Here are some of the highlights…craft beer currently commands a 24.5% market share in Northern California; Southern California has a 10.5% share. And IPAs are the top craft beer style (no surprise there).
Is Craft Beer’s Expansion Sustainable?(Leesburg, VA) – According to a report recently released by hospitality data firm GuestMetrics, the pace of expansion in the number of craft brewers is outpacing the growth of the craft beer segment, calling into question the industry’s sustainability and the likelihood of consolidation ahead.
Omission Awaits New FDA Gluten-Free Ruling (Portland, OR) – The Obama administration is on the verge of issuing new labeling rules for gluten-free foods, and this ruling could have a significant impact on the Widmer Brothers popular Omission beer brand. Unlike most gluten-free beers, Omission brews with barley and removes all but trace elements of gluten after the fact. According to OregonLive.com, federal regulators have up to this point barred them from calling Omission “gluten-free” outside of Oregon, but a favorable ruling by the FDA could change everything for the brand.
Canned Beer Sales Up (Everywhere, USA) – “Defying the age-old edict that says beer in bottles is the more flavorful way to go, beer makers large and small are increasingly turning to the canning method — to the point that canned beer has acquired something of a retro-chic status,” according to Yahoo Finance and that “Whole Foods says its sales of canned beer increased by 30% in the past year.”
New Zealand’s Hop Production Takes a Hit (NZ) – According to New Zealand’s 2013 crop reports, this year’s hop production will be down 30 metric tons (or 4%) over last year. Our friends at beerpulse are reporting that the two most widely grown varieties, Wakatu and Nelson Sauvin, were “the most highly impacted by the unseasonal conditions.”
