There are nearly 9,000 craft breweries in the US – but big beer dominates

While craft beer drinkers in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Wyoming can enjoy Wichita beer, the brewery has been trying for a year to sell its beverages in Minneapolis. Its inability to do so is thanks to post-Prohibition state laws that force most breweries to rely on a limited number of distributors to get their products into stores, bars and restaurants.

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New Holland is now Michigan’s largest independent craft brewery and has no plans to sell

Started in 1997 by childhood friends Brett VanderKamp and Jason Spaulding, New Holland Brewing Co. evolved from a passion for home brewing with old kegs, thermos coolers, pulleys and platforms and established itself as a Michigan craft beer powerhouse. It owns two restaurants – the Pub on 8th in Holland and the Knickerbocker in downtown Grand Rapids – plus a spirits tasting room in Saugatuck and two brick-and-mortar stores.

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‘Redefining the drinking experience’: Primer Hard Seltzer launches with non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions in the same multi-pack

Most low/no drinkers are not solely dedicated to the category: choosing rather to switch between full strength and lower alcohol alternatives – often even during the same occasion. So new US brand Primer has designed its brand as a ‘one-stop-shop’ system: packaging its drinks with three different ABVs in one multi-pack.

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Forgotten fermentation: Uncovering Mexico’s traditional beverages

Could Mexico’s traditional fermented beverages offer inspiration for healthy beverages today? Researchers are calling for the recovery and conservation of ancient fermented drinks, which could offer an ‘outstanding reservoir’ of genetic resources such as plants, yeast and bacteria.

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