Category: Commentary
Opinion and commentary relating to the alcohol beverage industry
News Violation of Franchise Laws Costs Jägermeister $12 Million
Have you ever wondered what the penalty might be if a alcohol beverage manufacturer lost a court case against a wholesaler in a franchise dispute? It doesn’t happen often that franchise disputes go before a jury, but in Missouri court case, the cost was high. Jägermeister was been found guilty of violating a contract with their distributor Major Brands Inc, with a jury awarding nearly $12 million in damages to Major Brands.
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News Scofflaw Brewing Forms ‘Shared Services Platform’ Company to Partner with Other Breweries
Scofflaw Brewing Company announced yesterday the creation of a shared services platform called IndieBrew, short for Independent Brewers Union. IndieBrew was created to help independent breweries succeed as market conditions present increasing costs and challenges.
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News Massachusetts Considers Doubling States Excise Tax on Alcohol
Massachusetts Rep. Kay Khan has introduced a bill that would double the state’s excise tax on alcohol. The taxes, she said, could net $435 million in revenue to fund public health programs, including some for substance abuse.
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News Seismic Brewing Takes on Reyes in High Stakes Legal Battle
Seismic Brewing is taking on Reyes Holdings, the largest beer wholesaler in the country and the eighth-largest private company in the United States, in a dispute that could daylight the power and leverage that large distributors hold over craft brewers. Reyes filed suit against Seismic after the Santa Rosa, California brewer refused to move their brands from DBI Distributing to Reyes after Reyes acquired DBI. Seismic then filed a cross complaint against Reyes.
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News NBWA Kicks Off Annual Conference with New Vison for the Future – Takes Swipe at BA
The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) kicked off its 84th Annual Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas on Sunday, marking the first time NBWA members have been able to assemble in person since the onset of the pandemic.
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News The Emergence of Seltzer Taps Rooms – The Next ‘Big Thing?’
No doubt hard seltzer has exploded onto the alcohol beverage stage unlike any new category in the past. Hard seltzer has built a market share in five years what it took craft beer in 40 years to accomplish. And although some have said that seltzers are merely a “fad” and are beginning to decline, many others in the industry feel that seltzers still have more room to grow and could easily sustain current market share levels.
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News A Peek Ahead: The Future of Cannabis and the Beer Industry
The recent proposal in Congress to decriminalize cannabis is the latest step forward in legalizing the drug nationally. Even if Congress doesn’t pass the current legislation, it is only a matter of time before it does. Eighteen states currently allow recreational cannabis.
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News Is The Hard Seltzer Boom Over?
Boston Beer announced last week in their quarterly financial statement that sales for Truly hard seltzer were significantly lower than expected and dropped their target sales for the balance of the year. The announcement immediately triggered some in the industry to ponder if the meteoric rise of the hard seltzer category has come to an end. Even the mainstream press jumped in, with CNN posting the headline, “The hard seltzer craze has come to an end.”
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News These Breweries Boost Workplace Morale by Encouraging Communication and Incentivizing Their Employees in Unique, Fun and Meaningful Ways
The following is the fourth and final article written by Tara Nurin exclusively for ProBrewer. Visit the ProBrewer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion resource page for additional DEI articles and resources.
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News How To Write a Code of Conduct for Your Brewery, Bar or Affiliate Beer Business
The following is the second in a series of four articles written by Tara Nurin exclusively for ProBrewer. Visit the ProBrewer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion resource page here for additional DEI articles and resources.
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News Not Sure How To Take Action on the #MeToo Movement? Start by Making These Four Simple Moves Now
The following article was written by Tara Nurin exclusively for ProBrewer. Visit the ProBrewer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion resource page here for additional DEI articles and resources.
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News 9000 and Counting – Number of Breweries in U.S. Increases by 6% in 2021
Posted by Tom McCormick
Despite the ongoing pandemic, more than 9,000 breweries operated in the United States in 2021, a 6% increase from 2020, according to the Brewers Association (BA).
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