Industry News

"Consumers are trying to make sense of choice" in craft beer - Molson Coors CEO

Lucy Britner - 11/02/2016 - Just-Drinks

The president & CEO of Molson Coors has echoed comments made last week by Anheuser-Busch InBev's CEO, claiming that US beer consumers are striving to make sense of the array of options in the craft beer space.

On a conference call following the release yesterday of the company's third-quarter and year-to-date results, Mark Hunter said beer drinkers in the country are having to deal with an "over-supply" of flavours, driven by the explosion of craft beer. US retailers, meanwhile, are starting to simplify their beer offerings.

"I think what you are starting to see," said Hunter, "is probably over-supply of flavours and SKUs... both retailers and consumers are trying to make sense of the plethora of choice." Hunter admitted that the craft segment has been good for the overall beer industry, "because it has driven conversations and interest in beer to probably an all-time high".

Craft beer consumers "tired of choice" - Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Carlos Brito

Andy Morton - 10/31/2016 - Just-Drinks

Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Carlos Brito has suggested that the US explosion in craft beer brands may be nearing an end, saying that consumers "get a bit tired of choice".

Brito, whose company has corralled a selection of leading craft brewers into its distribution network, also said retailers have realised they they cannot keep pace with the continued enlargement of the craft beer category. "There's only so much shelf space that you can share and cold box that you can spilt," Brito said.

Brewing: Craft beer comes of age

Scheherazade Daneshkhu and Lindsay Whipp - 10/26/2016 - Financial Times

James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog, says he would rather "shoot himself in the head" than sell out to "big beer". The imagery is extreme but there is no doubting the passion of the craft brewer from Aberdeen, who this year inserted a clause into the company's rules to prevent a sale to "a monolithic purveyor of bland industrial beer".

It was a defensive move to ward off the attentions of the big brewers. But holdouts like Mr Watt have become rarer after multinational beer companies — including Anheuser-Busch InBev, Molson Coors and Constellation Brands — have spent billions buying up smaller craft brewers in the US and Europe in recent years.

Craft Beer’s Looming Crisis

Lew Bryson - 08/11/2016 - The Daily Beast

You may want to grab a barstool before you hear this: Craft beer has some very serious issues.
While things certainly seem bubbly on the surface for the category—years of double-digit sales growth have led to a large increase in brands and an overwhelming selection of IPAs, stouts, saisons, and just about every other conceivable type of beer on store shelves—growth is slowing, putting pressure on the industry. What makes matters worse is that breweries are still opening at a rapid pace around the country and unfortunately, many of those bottles on the shelves are old or have gone bad.
And there is also the fact that fruit beers are flooding the market, which is truly a sign of the apocalypse. (Mango IPA, anyone?) This will not end well.

BREWERS ASSOCIATION MID-YEAR METRICS SHOW CONTINUED GROWTH FOR CRAFT

07/26/2016 - Brewers Association

Craft brewers are still growing, according to new mid-year data released by the Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers. American craft beer production volume increased eight percent during the first half of the year.

America’s Beer Distributors Applaud Continued Growth for Craft Beer

Kathleen Joyce - 07/26/2016 - NBWA News

The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) – which represents the interests of America's more than 3,000 licensed, independent beer distributors – applauds America's craft brewers for their continued growth and entrepreneurial spirit, which adds energy and excitement to the American beer industry. The Brewers Association (BA) released data today showing that production volume by American craft brewers, as defined by BA, increased 8 percent during the first half of the year.

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