Wait your turn — craft beer looks to inflation and competition for permission to raise prices

On July 13, the top story on The New York Times’ homepage wasn’t about the war in Ukraine, the January 6 Committee hearings, or President Biden’s diplomatic trip to the Middle East. It’s about inflation, which rose to 9.1% in June, its highest rate since 1981.

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Hi-Wire Brewing shared details on home state production expansion

Fresh off the heels of opening a new distribution center, Hi-Wire Brewing has unveiled 2022 expansion plans for its Biltmore Village Production Brewery and South Slope Specialty Brewery, both located in Asheville, N.C., in addition to the opening of three new taprooms in the same year.

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Stone Brewing rewards longtime fans by bringing back some faves

Each year, craft breweries across the nation roll out new limited release beers to entice beer drinkers through the seasons but few can tantalize fans with rebrews of recipes tried, true and back only by popular demand. Stone Brewing announces its line-up of Stone Fan Favorites, voted on by loyal fans of Stone’s prolific 25-year brewing history.

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Big Drop brewing launches new Coba Maya non-alcoholic Mexican-style brew for dry January

Big Drop Brewing Co., the world’s first craft brewery dedicated to non-alcoholic beer, is celebrating Dry January by launching its fourth NA brew in the U.S. – a new Coba Maya non-alcoholic Mexican-style brew. Coba Maya has a crisp, clean taste with a balanced malt punch on the palate and a gentle, spicy, herbal aroma. It’s ideal with a wedge of fresh lime and offers a delicious new NA option for any day of the week in January and beyond.

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NBWA’s Beer Purchasers’ Index for December 2021 shows craft beer’s expansion and seltzer’s continued contraction

The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) recently released the Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) for December 2021. This December’s total index reading of 71 is the highest ever recorded for a December survey. Continued supply chain challenges combined with planned/expected price increases in 2022 are driving higher index readings as distributors and retailers seek to build their inventories heading into the new year.

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Telling today’s craft beer drinkers the story of yesterday’s breweries

Beer history is a fragile thing. So much of it has been lost to time because objects, artifacts, and recipes lacked a caretaker at a crucial time. Closings can happen quickly, and beer history is simply swept aside or discarded. Fast forward to today. Craft brewers are increasingly using their platforms – including beer labels, draught chalkboards, or stories told by staff – to remind their customers of beer’s ties to the past. Many modern craft brewers have chosen to restore and preserve the stories – and beers – of the brewers who have come before them.

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Beer DTC State of the Industry 2021

The current state of affairs for shipping beer direct to consumers (DTC) is not that great. Breweries in the United States can only ship to nine states plus the District of Columbia, which equates to only 17% of the U.S. population. For comparison, U.S. wineries can ship to 47 states and 97% of the U.S. population. Beer DTC is still in a state of infancy, but the good news for breweries is there’s a tremendous amount of untapped opportunity.

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