IS THE MEGA MERGER IN THE WORKS?
It’s a definite possibility that the colossal beer merger that’s been buzzed about for years could finally be happening. With half the world’s beer produced by four big firms and few markets left for them to tap, the time may be right for a US$1OO-billion merger between the two largest,... Read More
THE PUB CRAWL OF A LIFETIME
TALK ABOUT a devoted beer drinker. earlier this year, Massachusetts’ own Todd Ruggere embarked on nine-month long beer drinking journey across the Commonwealth to raise money for cancer research. He traveled thousands of miles to each of the state’s 351 cities and towns to drink a pint of beer –... Read More
CIDER STILL SOARING
EVEN AS BEER SALES continue to decline (barring the craft segment of course), cider consumption is soaring, with a 5O% increase in sales over the past decade. In addition to emerging markets such as the US, there remains significant room for expansion in the UK (the most developed cider market)... Read More
FOR THE ULITMATE HOME BREWER
FEW TRENDS ARE BIGGER right now than homebrewing. But the problem, of course, is that homebrewing takes time and we are an instant gratification culture. Enter Bill Mitchell, an 18-year Microsoft veteran, who has set out to reinvent homebrewing with the PicoBrew Zymatic, a table-top brewing machine that promises to... Read More
THE RISE OF THE CICERONES
AS BEER LISTS have become more elaborate and chefs spend more time developing food and beer dinners, a need has arisen for an on-premise brew expert – similar to a sommelier. A new program is working to bring an elevated level of beer knowledge to the world of malt and... Read More
TRULY BIZARRE: HELLO KITTY BEER
Yes, you read that right. Hello Kitty beer. The ever-famous feline seems to appear on everything from toys to T-shirts and now she is adorning beer cans. However, the beers are only available right now in China. But that makes it by default a collector’s item here. Licensed by the... Read More
BEER SALES SLUMP BUT PROFITS RISE
IT’S AN INTERESTING PARADOX: overall beer sales continue to decline in the US but . . . more revenue is coming in. The latest beer-consumption data demonstrate that drinkers will pay more for a product they deem superior, whether it’s locally brewed craft beer or an upscale mass-market beer like... Read More
STUCK IN THE WEEDS
WHO KNEW that pot and beer were such a dynamic duo? Following the success that the food and fashion industries have had with marijuana marketing, a handful of the nation’s over 25OO breweries have recently incorporated pot innuendo into their branding efforts. Yet unlike other companies, which might face pushback... Read More
THE U.S. BEER BOOM
WINE AND SPIRITS may be all the rage right now but at the end of the day, we are a nation of beer drinkers. According to a new report by the Beer Institute, Americans of drinking age downed an average of 3OO beers last year. Overall, beer consumption rose 1.5... Read More
HOMEBREWING SKYROCKETS
IT SEEMS AS IF everyone is dabbling in homebrewing these days. The more that people enjoy craft beer, the more they want to learn how to brew it for themselves. The American Homebrewers Association (AHA) released the results of its fourth annual Homebrew Supply Shop Survey, detailing the current state... Read More